SPECIALTY ACCESS AND SCOPE OF SERVICES

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center provides the following information as a resource for referring providers and payers. While we endeavor to update this site frequently, please contact each specialty or the referral center for the latest information on access and available services.

Please click on a specialty to review the latest referral guidelines prior to placing a referral. All referrals will be reviewed by a specialist, and advice will be offered via e-Consult if a face-to-face visit is not needed. You will also be notified if additional information is needed.

For services with limited access, a list of alternate providers can be viewed by clicking on the link below the yellow or red status indicator. Please note that this list is provided as a convenience only, and you should verify availability directly with these providers prior to placing a referral. We continue to see established patients in our clinics for continuity of care, even when we are required to re-direct new referrals due to limited capacity.

We currently offer Telehealth services in all specialties when clinically appropriate.

Last updated 4/16/2024

SPECIALTY

STATUS

PAYERS AND REFERRAL SOURCES ACCEPTED

(See key below)

SPECIAL CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Monthly referral volume ¹

E-consult percentage ²

Median

wait, days ³

Average backlog ⁴

Monthly leaked referrals ⁵

CLINIC

PHONE

Cardiology

n

ALL

473

41%

32

9

27

(408) 793-2530

Cardiothoracic Surgery

n

ALL

31

14%

28

10

1

(408) 793-2530

Dermatology

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

All referrals must include a photograph of the lesion, unless the patient is unhoused or uninsured

565

49%

82

285

224

(408) 793-2555

Endocrinology & Diabetes

n

ALL

Referrals are not accepted for the following conditions:

· Obesity/weight management

· Infertility

· Erectile/sexual dysfunction without biochemical hypogonadism

235

36%

32

16

7

(408) 793-2515

ENT (incl. Pediatric)

n

ALL

Photographs are appreciated, but not required

630

21%

58

417

40

(408) 793-2540

Gastroenterology and Hepatology

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

To refer for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) only, you may contact Dr. Ann Chen directly via secure chat or send a fax to the auth center: (408) 793-1892.

440

22%

53

26

335

(408) 793-2550

General Surgery

n

ALL

346

21%

47

15

119

(408) 793-2524

Breast Surgery

n

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

 (408)793-2600

Genetics (General)

n

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4	·

173

6%

47

105

1

(408) 885-7973

Genetics (Prenatal)

n

ALL

7

< 1

(408) 885-7973

Hematology

n

ALL

151

16%

69

318

3

(408) 885-5999

Infectious Diseases

n

ALL

E-consults are preferred for STI, UTI and SSTI treatment questions

330

18%

50

5

3

(408) 793-2555

Infectious Diseases (PACE Clinic)

n

ALL

3

(408) 885-5935

Infectious Diseases

(TB Clinic)

n

ALL

15

(408) 792-5587

Interventional Radiology

n

ALL

Neuro-interventional procedures should be referred to a comprehensive stroke center.

Peripheral vascular disease treatments, including treatment for lower extremity venous insufficiency, should be referred to vascular surgery.

176

 (408) 793-4247

Interventional Pain

n

ALL

31%

7

(408) 793-2458

Neurology

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

Programming of deep brain stimulation (DBS) or responsive neurostimulation (RNS) should be referred to a tertiary care center.

187

17%

52

38

139

(408) 793-2458

Neurosurgery (incl. Pediatric)

n

ALL

164

32%

66

40

20

(408) 793-2510

Oncology

n

ALL

128

19%

20

7

33

(408) 885-5999

Oncology, Radiation

n

ALL

40

21%

20

1

3

(408) 885-5999

Oncology, Gynecologic

n

ALL

8%

18

7

< 1

(408) 793-2500

Oncology, Genetics

n

ALL

77

0%

50

289

< 1

(408) 885-6932

Ophthalmology (incl. Pediatric)

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2
3	·
4

The following patients are also accepted:

· Emergent rereferrals from ED or urgent care

· VMC patients needing screening due to long-term Plaquenil use

· Patients needing cataract surgery

· VHP MCMC and internal BC MCMC patients needing retinal specialist.

8%

50

173

373

(408) 793-2525

Orthopedic Surgery (incl. Pediatric)

n

ALL

506

22%

37

73

71

(408) 793-2520

Palliative Care

n

ALL

35

8%

29

19

< 1

(408) 793-5974

Plastic Surgery / Burn

n

ALL

157

16%

27

105

23

(408) 793-2600

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

n

ALL

99

20%

65

95

< 1

(408) 793-2510

Podiatry

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

262

10%

58

61

190

(408) 793-2520

Pulmonary

n

ALL

320

9%

74

72

114

(408) 793-2535

Pulmonary (Sleep Clinic)

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

490

(408) 793-2535

Renal

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

62

49%

69

4

37

(408) 885-4845

Rheumatology

n

ALL

140

26%

37

13

7

(408) 793-2555

Urology (incl. Pediatric)

n

ALL

542

16%

51

216

19

(408) 793-2560

Vascular Surgery

n

ALL

Complex lymphedema and vascular malformations should be referred to a tertiary care center.

160

17%

28

38

5

(408) 793-2530

ANCILLARY SERVICES

Audiology

(Pediatric)

n

ALL

690

(408) 793-2540

Audiology

(Adult)

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2
3
4

Therapy Services (PT, OT, SLP)

n

Alternate Providers

	S	C	O
1	·	·	·
2	·	·	·
3	·
4

Selected additional patients are accepted for continuity of care and other reasons, as outlined in the Best Practice Advisory accompanying the referral order. Please note the PM&R clinic (listed above) accepts all patients.

(408) 885-7106

KEY

REFERRAL SOURCE

PAYER

	S	C	O
1
2
3
4

S = Santa Clara Valley Healthcare

C= Community Health Partnership and Bay Area Community Health Clinics

O = All others

1 = County Responsibility / Uninsured

2= VHP MCMC

3= Anthem Blue Cross MCMC

4= All others

1. Average number of new, outpatient consult referrals received by specialty. Includes both internal and incoming referrals. Does not include inpatient consults or follow-up visits. May include some duplicates for patients referred multiple times (e.g., same patient referred from PCP and Emergency Department).

2. Percent of new referrals handled via means other than a face-to-face visit. Includes referrals that were deemed to have an incomplete work-up as well as those for which advice was given in lieu of a visit.

3. Median number of calendar days elapsed between a routine referral being made to the specialty and patient being seen. This includes time for triage, authorization, contacting the patient, and scheduling. In some cases, an earlier appointment may have been offered but declined by the patient. To account for specialties with prolonged wait times, this metric is calculated for referrals placed at least 6 months prior to the run date of the report. However, it does not reflect patients who were not seen, either because of virtual co-management (e-Consult) or other reasons.

4. Average backlog of authorized, unscheduled referrals that have been triaged as needing to be seen, but do not yet have a scheduled appointment.

5. Number of referrals placed to specialists outside Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, including outpatient referrals for services not offered within the enterprise (e.g., transplant). As such, a certain number of leaked referrals are expected. Only includes referrals entered into SCVH’s EMR system, so does not reflect referrals submitted directly to outside entities or insurance plans. Specialties that were recently on LAR (marked with an asterisk) may have a high number of external referrals that is expected to decrease over subsequent quarters.