Improve clinical care and patient outcomes by streamlining your referral process to Hillcrest Health System through Direct messaging. Direct messaging is a convenient and HIPAA-compliant way to make direct patient referrals by sharing patient information across electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Direct messaging is primarily for facilities that do not have an Epic EHR system. While Direct messaging can be used for those who have Epic in place, it is preferred for Epic users to send referrals using the Epic Care Everywhere Referral Management process for increased integration.
How it Works:
To start making referrals to Hillcrest Health System via Direct messaging, you must request a list of Direct addresses by filling out the form on the sidebar of this page. To use Direct messaging, your EHR must have a health information services provider (HISP) network system in place. All meaningful use vendors have the ability to send Direct messages. If you have a meaningful use vendor in place and are unsure on how to access Direct messaging, please contact your vendor for assistance.
Once you have sent in your request, we will contact you to link our EHR with yours. Once linked, you will be sent a list of Direct addresses for Hillcrest Health System facilities that accept referrals.
Please note, when sending a Direct messaging referral to our facility, you will need to ensure the following patient details are included: reason for the referral, demographics of the patient, patient’s insurance coverage and a copy of their insurance card, office notes and any imaging or labs related to the patient’s diagnosis.
Benefits of Direct Messaging:
- Ensures the correct clinical data is shared with the right people, at the right time.
- Expedites referral processes, saving time and money.
- Aids in satisfying regulatory measures.
- Increases integrity of clinical data on patient charts by reducing manual abstraction.
For more information on Direct messaging and the benefits of the platform, click the links below.
Have an EHR Without Direct Messaging Capabilities? No Problem – CareLink is Available!
CareLink, an Epic web portal, allows you and your care teams to login to our health system’s Epic system to perform the following actions:
- Review patient charts as well as add notes, images and documents to the chart
- Receive medical event notifications and review upcoming patient appointments
- Electronically order imaging and tests for patients and monitor electronic referrals
To sign up for CareLink, click the button below or visit CareLink.hillcrest.com and click 'Request New Account'. Then select 'Request Access for a New Site' for a new clinic or 'Request Access for a New Post-Discharge Care Site' for a new post-acute group. Complete the new site information and click 'Next'. Complete the site administrator user information on the next page and submit. The CareLink user will be notified via email when the account is ready along with login information. If requesting for a new user at an existing site, contact your site administrator to submit the request via their CareLink login. For additional assistance, call 855-525-8770.