INDIANAPOLIS – A new spine triage clinic recently opened
at Franciscan St. Francis Health with the goal of quickly assessing and
beginning treatment for patients with acute neck and back pain.
The clinic is a combined effort of Rehab Services and the
Franciscan Physician Network Spine, Rehabilitation and Neurosurgical Specialists. It is part of an evolving
comprehensive Neuroscience Center.
The triage clinic is staffed five days a week, with Erica
Cottrell, MD, and Anthony Mimms, MD, sharing time there. Two additional
physicians will join the team later this summer, expanding the clinic’s
capacity.
Under the spine triage clinic model, patients with neck
or back pain call a dedicated phone number, 317-528-BACK (physician referral not required). Through
a phone interview
using a standard set of questions and a scoring algorithm
based on complexity of the medical
problem, length of symptoms and previous treatments,
patients are assigned to the most appropriate medical evaluation.
During the initial spine triage appointment, patients
undergo a joint evaluation by a physical therapist and physiatrist. Together
they establish a plan of care, often involving physical therapy, which begins
right away.
“Right now patients may have to wait weeks to get an
appointment with one of our spine specialists,” said Chris DiGiusto,
neuroscience service line director. “This clinic will expedite getting patients
to the right provider, avoiding both delays in care and unnecessary visits,
tests and medications.”
The spine triage clinic is housed in the physical therapy
gym on the first floor of the 8051 medical office building at the hospital’s Indianapolis campus. It will eventually move to
the third floor.
