When Your Physician Refers
How Your Primary Care Physician and a Specialist Work Together
When your familiar, trusted primary care physician (PCP) —be it your family doctor, internist, or Ob/Gyn —refers you to the care of a specialist, it can be a confusing and scary time. You may have many questions: Why are you being referred to a particular specialist? Does that mean you don’t see your primary care doctor anymore? Will your PCP know what is happening with the specialist?
An important part of your PCP’s job is coordinating your care, which can mean referring you to a specialist for services they aren’t able to provide. When your PCP refers you to a specialist, they are recommending you see a doctor whose opinion they trust and who they feel is qualified to diagnose your specific condition.
Why is Your Physician Referring You to Southwest Women’s Oncology?
If your doctor ever sees anything that they consider suspicious on a standard gynecologic health exam they may refer you to a gynecologic oncology specialist.
Throughout all of New Mexico and the southwest, numerous women’s health physicians, nurse practitioners, and Ob/Gyns refer women to Southwest Women’s Oncology. Rest assured that if your PCP refers you to our practice, you will find yourself in nurturing, caring hands.
Your doctor knows that they have our unwavering commitment to them and to our patients to provide the best care possible including access to the latest clinical trials and state-of-the-art robotic surgery. We give every patient the compassion and support she needs and keep their PCP updated and involved every step of the way.
Does a Referral Mean That You Don’t See Your “Regular” Doctor?
Patients often think that because they are under the care of a specialist that they do not see their PCP anymore; that is absolutely not true! At Southwest Women’s Oncology we are committed to helping you through your immediate health issue. We deliver the best care possible in the most nurturing environment imaginable. We know that support and a warm embrace are as much a part of the solution as great diagnostics, judgment, technical skill and clinical trials.
And when you have beaten your disease, you go back to your family doctor. That is possible because we stay in contact with your PCP every step of the way. They know what is going on with your health as if they were in the room! When a patient is referred to Southwest Women’s Oncology, she can reach us by phone 24/7, and so can her PCP.
Our promise to you as a patient, and to your referring physician: We will work together. You, us and your PCP. We can beat cancer together!
TESTIMONIALS
“They were very empathetic, very knowledgeable, very efficient and they are my friends today. I love them all. I come in here just to say hi to everybody and Dr. Finkelstein. I have complete and total trust in her and her abilities. Everything she has told me and done is just above board and I have complete faith in her.”
“I was so comforted and excited to have someone listen and hear what I had to say and actually supported me. I appreciated the balance immensely of true knowledge and willingness to be open to what I was finding in regard to alternative medicine.”
“I’m grateful that Karen came into my life. She has so much integrity and love for her patients and if you end up here you are in a good place.”
“She made sure I understood everything. If I had questions after hours, I could always call her on her cell. I never felt like I was a burden. I know Dr. Finkelstein is here for me.”
“I was very impressed when I met Dr. Finkelstein. She was relatable. She has two young children and a career. I have two young children and a career.”
OUR MISSION
To help women triumph over their gynecologic and oncology needs in a warm and nurturing way.