Hospital Introduces Consult-A-Nurse® to List of Services

Trident Health System’s new Consult-A-Nurse® service makes it easier for patients to find a physician and speak to a nurse for health information.  The service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be accessed by calling 843.797.FIND (3463) or 1.888.797.FIND (3463). The Health System’s CEO Todd Gallati says Consult-A-Nurse® is a first-of-its-kind for Trident Health System facilities.

“Until now, there has not been a designated local phone number within the health system that people could call to get detailed information regarding a physician or to talk to a nurse about health information 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Gallati.  “Consult-A-Nurse® provides that and more.”

Gallati said each year the hospital receives more than 2500 phone calls from people asking for a physician referral.  “In the past, we were only able to give callers basic information like a physician’s name, specialty, address, and phone number.  Through Consult-A-Nurse®, we can provide the same information and more.  The physician referral is especially helpful for people new to our area.”
    
Gallati says Consult-A-Nurse® fits the hospital’s strategy of expanding access to primary care.  “Research shows that access to primary care is one of the leading indicators of a healthy community.  In the last 18 months we’ve opened an outpatient burn clinic, made digital mammography available to all health system facilities, acquired the da Vinci Surgical System, which incorporates the latest
advances in robotics and computer technology, we’re on the verge of enhancing our Cancer Center technology and have recently applied to the State of South Carolina to obtain permission to build a new hospital in Berkeley County.  I think we’re showing our community that we want to continue being a responsible partner in their health care.”

Other Consult-A-Nurse® services include health information and event registration for the hospital’s community seminars and screenings.

“We’re excited to provide a service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and allows callers to talk to a nurse for free about their health questions.  This will be especially helpful, for example, to the mom whose child wakes up on Saturday morning not feeling well and the pediatrician’s office is closed.  We will be able to provide information and a list of recommended resources for better health.”
    
Gallati adds, “Trident Health System is more than a hospital where patients come for surgery, to have a baby, or to receive outpatient or emergency care.  Consult-A-Nurse® allows us to be a partner in our community’s preventive care and their quest for more health information as well.”
    
Consult-A-Nurse® is available by calling (843) 797-FIND (3463).  For more information, contact Belinda Riffee at 843.797.3297.