Refer A Patient
All patients seen in the rheumatology clinic require a referral from a physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. We ask the referring provider to complete the referral form and send relevant medical records including prior rheumatology notes, labs and test results necessary for the appointment. A complete history helps to ensure that the patient benefits most from the visit.
As a specialty clinic, we cannot provide primary care to our patients and we recommend that all patients have a primary care provider. Click here for help finding a primary care provider within the UNC Health system.
Before Placing a Referral
Referring providers, thank you for your referral and your trust in us. Before placing a referral, please review our clinical services page which outlines the conditions we are able to best care for.
How to Place a Referral
Use a faxed referral to refer a patient
If you are a non-UNC physician or advanced practice provider and are not using the UNC CareLink portal, please fax a completed clinic referral form along with clinic notes, relevant lab and radiology results to 984-974-0003. Our scheduling team will transcribe the referral into the UNC medical record and contact you if additional information is needed.
Use EPIC to refer a patient
If you are a provider within UNC Health, please place the referral through EPIC. Choose “Ambulatory Referral to Rheumatology” and select UNC Rheumatology at Eastowne.”
Use EPIC CareLink to Refer a Patient
If you are a non-UNC physician or advanced practice provider, you can use the UNC CareLink portal to directly place referrals, and access information about your patients (including scheduled appointments, clinical notes, and more).
Find more information on UNC Health and enroll for UNC CareLink here.
After a Referral Has Been Placed
Upon receipt of the referral, whether placed through EPIC, EPIC CareLink, or fax, our team will review the referral to ensure that the request aligns with the conditions we are able to best care for, and all relevant clinical information has been received. Occasionally, additional information is requested.
Our scheduling team will contact the patient directly to set up the appointment. If your patient’s condition is included in the categories that we do not routinely see, we may recommend use of local rheumatology services, resources posted on our website or e-consult.