In your first few years of practice, it’s easy to get caught up in the clinical aspect of medicine… diagnosis, management, and medications. But there’s another important side that you should consider too. It’s understanding the importance of building relationships with other providers in different specialties so you can actually coordinate care, not just send referrals.
I’ll share a personal example of how important this can be for our patients.
I had a patient come in with a new-onset foot drop. I was concerned… he was otherwise healthy, but had a very obvious weakness with no known reason. He needed an urgent MRI and neurology referral.
Yes, I could have placed the referral in the EMR and moved on to the next patient, trusting that the “system” would figure it out.
Instead, I called one of the radiologists I know to help get the patient in the same day. Then, I reached out to a colleague in neurology who was able to see him the next day.
He ended up having a mass compressing his spine that required urgent surgery. He made a full recovery, in part because of rapid imaging, referral, and definitive management.
That didn’t happen because I clicked “refer”, it happened because I knew who to contact and felt comfortable reaching out.
Being in the position to be able to do that doesn’t just happen. You have to take the time to build those relationships. This blog post covers just how to do that.
TL;DR — Why Building Referral Relationships Matters
Purpose: To highlight the value of building professional relationships with referral providers and how that can elevate patient care over time.
Do this first: Start viewing referrals as part of a larger team effort. You don’t have to change everything overnight, just start paying attention to who you’re sending patients to and how the process works.
Red flags: Not clinical red flags, but moments where you realize the “system” may not move as quickly or efficiently as your patient needs. That’s often where relationships make the biggest difference.
Initial checks: Who handles urgent referrals in your area? What information helps them triage appropriately? What communication channels are appropriate within your institution?
First-line mindset: Medicine is collaborative. Strong referral relationships can make a massive difference for our patients’ experience and outcomes.
Follow-up: Take small steps. Introduce yourself. Ask questions. Attend events. Over time, those connections make it much easier to advocate for your patients when it matters.
What Changes When You Know Who to Call
This isn’t about having “special” access to other providers. It’s about making sure patients don’t wait weeks for something that needs attention sooner.
I’ve had a patient with a concerning bony change on X-ray that led to a CT, a conversation with radiology, and a direct call to ortho oncology. That patient was seen the next day.
I’ve had an athlete come in for a sports physical just before football season started, and I heard a murmur that hadn’t been documented before. Instead of placing a cardiology referral in our EMR and hoping it was scheduled in time, I contacted a colleague in cardiology directly. EKG and echo were done the next day, and he was cleared in time for the first game of the season.
None of that required a significant amount of effort on my part. It just took having a relationship with other providers that allowed for a direct line of communication.
How To Actually Build These Relationships
This part can feel a little uncomfortable at first, especially as a new provider. You don’t need to start cold-calling specialists or aggressively networking.
Start by simply paying attention… who are you sending patients to most often? Who seems responsive? Who communicates clearly? Who gives helpful feedback?
If you’re early in your career, it’s completely appropriate to introduce yourself. A quick message or even a brief in-person introduction if you see them in the hall can go a long way.
Something as simple as: “Hi, I’m Andrew. I’m new to XYZ Ortho Group and just wanted to introduce myself. I send a fair number of patients your way. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like done differently before seeing them.”
That’s it. You’re not asking for special treatment, you’re asking how to make their job easier.
Over time, those small conversations build familiarity which in turn, build trust.
Another practical step is learning workflow. Every system is different. Some specialists prefer secure messaging, some want consult lines used, some rely heavily on referral notes, and some want you to go directly through their nurse.
The more you understand how the receiving end works, the better you can advocate for your patient without stepping outside institutional boundaries.
And yes, HIPAA matters. Use the communication channels your system allows, whether that’s secure messaging, consult lines, or approved provider-to-provider contact. The goal is thoughtful, timely coordination, not cutting corners or compromising patient info.
Even within those boundaries, there is usually more room to collaborate than people realize.
A Practical Tool
If you’re not sure what a specialist is going to want before you reach out, this is actually a really practical way to use Blox IQ.
You can ask something like: “What info do I need before referring a patient with new foot drop to neurology?”
Or even: “How quickly does new-onset foot drop typically need to be evaluated?”
Inside each Blox topic, we also outline typical follow up and referral timeframes for common conditions, so you can gauge whether something truly needs same-day coordination or if a routine referral is appropriate.
It’s not there to replace the conversation, it’s there to simply help you show up to that conversation prepared.
Final Thoughts
Sending a referral is part of the job, but truly coordinating care is what happens as you grow more comfortable and confident in your role.
You don’t have to overhaul your practice tomorrow, but try to start taking the extra minute to learn who you’re working with, how their workflow functions, and what helps them help your patients.
Those relationships don’t just make urgent cases smoother, they can make everyday medicine better.
And when something truly matters, you’ll already know who to call.