The Access Center is designed to ease the process of connecting patients with their providers and services. Erin Adams, BSN, RN, manager, PPG Registration, cardiology scheduling and medical records, takes us through some of the benefits specific to those navigating an existing or potential heart diagnosis.
Which branches of our cardiology offerings can patients connect with through the Access Center?
We can connect patients to PPG – Cardiology central, procedure and cardiac catheterization lab (cardiac cath lab) scheduling. Cardiology medical records are also housed at the Access Center.
What services can cardiology patients utilize by calling?
Our team members in the Access Center are responsible for scheduling new patient and follow-up appointments for our 26 physicians and 16 nurse practitioners at our three Fort Wayne locations and nine community outreach clinics. We also schedule outpatient screenings, including echocardiograms, treadmill stress tests, vascular studies, cardiac nuclear scanning and heart rhythm monitors, and all procedures that occur in the Parkview Heart Institute (PHI) cardiac cath lab.
Do patients need anything in particular before they call to schedule a screening, appointment or procedure through the Access Center?
Cardiology is primarily a referral-based practice, so patients will need to be referred to us with a current cardiology diagnosis. We receive these referrals mainly from our providers via Epic (our secure clinical data sharing software) and fax from outside providers and facilities. We do have patients who are referred to us because they have moved into the Northeast Indiana area and wish to transfer their care. For this, we accept the patient request for transfer of care.
How does easy access to these services benefit cardiology patients in our community?
We have served this area since 1980, first as Fort Wayne Cardiology, and since 2010, as PPG – Cardiology. We are proud to be able to provide consultative and diagnostic cardiac procedures in and around our community. We offer extensive resources, participate in outreach programming and support many initiatives that educate others on heart-related issues.
Why is PHI committed to having team members available through the Access Center?
To be totally honest, it started as a logistical solution to us needing more clinical space to serve our patients. But now, it’s allowed for some amazing collaborations with the other teams who are also housed at the Access Center. For example, the Parkview Health schedulers can now assist with scheduling some of the imaging procedures that take place in our hospitals, like the HeartSmart CT Scan, cardiac CTA and cardiac MRI. Being able to work closely with each other has made the processes more streamlined, which makes for a smoother experience for our patients.
Call the Parkview Health Access Center any time, at 877-PPG-TODAY or 877-774-8632 to speak with a PPG – Cardiology scheduler or other team member who can assist with your appointment, screening and procedure needs.
