For Referring Providers: Submit a Referral

Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers several options to help medical professionals refer patients and coordinate specialty care. Find information for urgent and non-urgent referrals, provider consultations, patient transfers and appointment rescheduling.

Connecting with Nationwide Children's Specialists

Have you already made a referral, but would like to get connected with tools to follow up with your patient in the referring process on the go?

Access the Epic mobile tools that our specialists use to connect with referring providers

Physician Direct Connect Hotline

Our 24-hour, RN-managed consult-transfer center provides medical professionals with a single point of contact.

Call Physician Direct Connect:
(614) 355-0221 or (877) 355-0221

View Services and Requests
  • Transfer and transport requests
  • Referrals from local and regional physicians
  • ED referrals
  • Direct admissions
  • Physician-to-physician consultation requests
  • Case consultation with the on-call psychiatrist

Make a Non-Urgent Specialty Referral

For patients who need a standard outpatient specialty appointment.

How To Make a Referral

Information To Include

  • Pertinent clinical question
  • Patient history and physical examination information, including the most recent pertinent office notes
  • Pertinent laboratory and radiology studies. If these were not completed at Nationwide Children’s, attach the applicable radiology images and laboratory results.
  • Most current growth curve

Request an Urgent Appointment

For patients who medically need outpatient specialty care within five business days.

How To Request an Urgent Appointment

Call Physician Direct Connect (PCTC):
Local: (614) 355-0221 or Toll-free: (877) 355-0221

Nationwide Children’s will contact the family within one business day and offer an appointment within five business days. The referring practice will receive confirmation when the appointment is scheduled.

Information to Include

  • Diagnosis/ reason patient should be seen right away
  • Details about the urgency (if the diagnosis is not commonly an urgent case)
  • Any testing performed elsewhere which would not be available in the Nationwide Children's Hospital system
  • List of current medications
  • Any additional relevant information

Are you still unsure if your patient qualifies for an urgent appointment referral? Browse FAQs to help make the decision

Does Your Patient Need to Be Seen Sooner?

If your patient already has an appointment but needs an earlier, nonurgent date, contact Central Scheduling to ask about rescheduling. You may also contact the appropriate clinic directly when needed.

Call Central Scheduling: (614) 722-6200 or (877) 722-6220

View Clinic Phone Numbers

After scheduling, fax all pertinent patient information to Central Scheduling at (614) 722-4000 before the appointment.