ED Communication Center

The ED Communication Center is comprised of a team of 3 nurses, Leah Carlson, Diane Vigil and Kari Norwood. Their office is in the same hallway as the ED resident lounge, room A104. Stop by and say hello, they have chocolate. Their extension is 88772.

Things the ED Comm Center assists with:

--Get pharmacy call backs about prescription issues (which they may communicate with you about). More on that below.

--Follow up on all labs, cultures that come back after a patient is discharged from the ED. A note, we do have an attending, Dr. Washke, that works from home and guides the nurses about what to do with those results. Occasionally Dr. Washke will have the Comm Center nurses forward results to the provider.

--Confirm time off when employers ask. Regarding off work notes: please only give 3 days off work total. We do not do any disability forms in the ED.

--Help facilitate follow up appts for patients (can communicate with PMD, can help with referrals for specialists etc etc).

--Help call a patient back (you notice when you are signing your note there was a radiology over-read etc etc)

--Check the white "follow up" binder daily. The binder is found in the cabinet in the ED main physician workroom.

In that binder, they help us

--submit our RUFF (animal bite) forms

--submit information for the Neurology Triage Clinic (with medical students) to then schedule an appt with the patient. See the list of insurance that is accepted in the notebook.

--submit County-specific lapse in consciousness forms (for syncope/seizure you want reported to the DMV) Please, please use the forms in the notebook. They are the correct forms and are partially completed for you.

--arrange for outpatient treadmill stress tests--there is a form to complete. Insurance does matter but you don’t have to worry about that. The CDL will check eligibility. They will notify the patient to f/u with their PCP if they cannot schedule the patient.

COMMON PRESCRIPTION ISSUES THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT

Prescriptions-we continue to have issues with e-prescribing. Please choose the correct pharmacy. Please review rx to make sure the prescription went through. It will state:

E-Prescribing Status: Receipt confirmed by pharmacy.

Narcotics-Norco & other narcs continue to be on back order at many pharmacies. Pharmacies will not transfer any narc even to another one of their pharmacies. Narcs cannot be routed to another pharmacy. We suggest sending narcs to LL Hosp Pharmacy.

Compounded meds like the Pink Lady, Magic Mouthwash must have each ingredient listed with the Name, dose, volume, ratio. Most pharmacies will not compound rx. To ensure your pt gets their rx & so we don’t have to bug you we suggest sending it to LL Hosp Pharm.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMM CENTER NURSES

Call 88772 and leave a message