You Have Questions, Call Us For Answers

You Have Questions, Call Us For Answers

With all the technological advances we have today, the basic telephone is still very vital to our everyday life. At Green Bay Oncology we use a phone triage process. Anyone who calls the clinic will be greeted by one of our receptionists at either of the Green Bay locations. A call can be as simple as transferring a caller to another staff member or as complex as a new patient referral.

The three to four receptionists managing incoming calls during regular business hours answer calls in the order they are received. These messages are then entered into the secure electronic health record (EHR) in a message similar to an e-mail.

Once this message is received, the receptionist determines the appropriate department to respond to the message. More often than not, with the large variety of reasons a person may call, this message gets sent to the phone triage nurse. There are three to four registered nurses (RN) that manage these messages in order of both the urgency and time received. Many calls related to appointments, treatment, side effects, and prescription refills can be handled by a nurse reviewing the patient chart and then answered relatively quickly. If further medical advice is needed from a provider (physician or nurse practitioner), they will receive a message either electronically or via phone. They will then respond back to the RN, who will complete any steps, such as refilling a prescription, and then get back to the caller. The more information the caller can provide initially the better, as this can expedite the whole process.

Calls arrive steadily throughout the day while GBO staff members are also managing the patient care within the clinic. Providers typically have full schedules and answer their messages before they start their day, between patients, on their lunch hours and after hours. Every call is important and will be responded to with full attention of the team. Know that emergency situation calls always take precedence over those requiring less urgent attention. For example, a patient who is experiencing worrisome side effects would take precedence over a routine prescription refill at that moment. This is what the triage system is set up to do, so that every patient and every situation is given the time and attention that is needed. The number of calls per day varies, but it is not uncommon for over 50-75 calls to be active at one time in a day.

GBO has eight clinic sites, and over 5,000 patients. We at GBO work with many other medical facilities to coordinate the best care for our patients whether in person or via phone.

When you have questions, our telephone triage team is ready to help. Call us at 920-884-3135.