Baystate Medical Center
Call
Toll free number 1-877-790-2345 is available for direct admission and transfer requests.
HOW PATIENT TRANSFER WORKS
Experienced Patient Placement Managers (RNs) will manage your patient transfers and direct admission calls, and coordinate care between referring facility and the accepting physician.
When a transfer call or direct admission request is received, the Patient Placement Manager will page the appropriate physician identified to accept the transfer. Within fifteen minutes, the Patient Placement Manager will coordinate a three-way conference call between the requesting MD and accepting MD. Once the physician has accepted the transfer, the Patient Placement Manager will verify the level of care, locate the appropriate bed, facilitate coordination of patient transportation, initiate follow up communication with the referring organization or physician, and facilitate patient transfer to a Baystate Health hospital when the bed is available.
We look forward to working with you, and to receiving your feedback as we move forward with the Patient Transfer Service. Please don't hesitate to contact Alicia Meacham, Program Director at 413-794-1709 with questions about this service.
TEAM INCLUDES
Patient Placement Manager
- Receives calls
- Collects patient information
- Facilitates handoff between MDs via conference line
- Conducts bed search
- Communicates with Admitting
Referring MD
- Provides clinical information for triage
- Hand-off to accepting MD
Accepting MD
- Communicates with referring MD within 15 minutes
- Evaluates and accepts transfer
Admitting
- Collects patient information and confirms financial coverage pre-arrival
- Provides follow up communication to referring facility and/or ambulance service
Baystate Children's Hospital
Call
To directly admit or transfer a pediatric patient to Baystate Children's Hospital, call 4-KIDS (413-794-5437)
How Patient Transfer Works
- Patient placement will set up a three way call with the resident holding the admission pager (the “Grid master”). The Grid master may need to first discuss the patient with the charge nurse and/or hospitalist on-call to determine whether there is a bed/staff available, and whether this is the appropriate level of care.
- The Grid master lets the charge nurse know about the admission and the patient is added to the bed board for patient tracking on the unit.
- Bed placement should be instructed to call the referring physician and family for the patient to come in after the request has been placed and an encounter made. If there will be a delay in getting a bed, the intermediary disposition (i.e., waiting in the office vs going home first) should be discussed with the referring physician. If the family arrives prior to a bed being available, or if they do not have a care encounter, the process will be delayed.
The Grid master is your main contact on the day of admission. After the day of admission, please call 413-794-2398 to be connected with the attending hospitalist caring for an admitted patient.
Conditions not appropriate for direct admission
- Being in respiratory distress / increased work of breathing
- Recent seizures, loss of consciousness, or change in mental status
- Concerns for cardiac problems
- Concerns over sepsis
- Immediate need for antibiotics, intravenous fluids, oxygen or respiratory treatments
- Bleeding from any site
- Acute traumatic injury
For non-elective admissions, patients will need to have been seen by a health care provider on the day of admission.
TEAM INCLUDES
Patient Placement Manager
- Receives calls
- Collects patient information
- Facilitates handoff between MDs via conference line
- Conducts bed search
- Communicates with Admitting
Referring MD
- Provides clinical information for triage
- Hand-off to accepting MD
Grid Master/ On-call pediatric hospitalist
- Communicates with referring MD within 15 minutes
- Evaluates and accepts transfer
Admitting
- Collects patient information and confirms financial coverage pre-arrival
- Provides follow up communication to referring facility and/or ambulance service
Additional Contacts
Pediatric Chief Resident or Hospitalist On-Call: 413-794-0000
Infants and Children’s Charge Nurse: 413-794-3410