Stanford Health Care is tackling one of the most persistent frustrations in modern medicine — navigating the complex maze of specialty referrals — with an enterprise-wide Network Access Optimization initiative.
The multi-year NAO program aims to streamline a system that patients and referring physicians have found difficult to navigate, ultimately reducing wait times and improving the experience for all.
“We work to optimize scheduling workflows within a specialty,” explained Josi Patz, Director for Access Tech Optimization.
“For new patients, that includes moving to a centralized referral intake and scheduling process. We manage the technical components of this within Epic, but the biggest challenge is supporting the conversations with physician champions to conceptualize how they will operate as a network between faculty and SMP physicians.”
Previously, Stanford’s system for specialty referrals was fragmented, with numerous entry points, decentralized routing, and limited visibility into appointment availability across different clinics. This led to inconsistent use of resources and dissatisfaction among patients and providers.
The NAO program addresses this by creating a single, streamlined entry point for each specialty. By fine-tuning the network’s settings and protocols, the initiative’s goal is to enhance how referrals are routed, improve scheduling accuracy, and reduce the administrative burden on providers. New tools, including automated decision trees and simplified communication channels within the Epic electronic health record system, are designed to help staff resolve patient inquiries on the first call.
The most recent major test of the program went live Oct. 20, 2025 for the Ear, Nose, and Throat and Audiology departments, impacting 79 providers across 16 locations that handle approximately 10,000 visits per month. The rollout has already yielded significant results, with the average time from referral to a patient being seen dropping from 45 days to 38 days. Immunology and Rheumatology went live in December.
A range of departments brought the project to fruition. “This is a technology-heavy program and we collaborate with many Epic application teams to support the integrated workflows,” said Patz.
“We work with Cadence, Referrals, EpicCare Ambulatory, MyHealth, and our Informatics Training teams on every effort. Depending on the service line, we may also work with Willow, ART, and the Reporting teams. We also work with operational partners in the clinic, Ambulatory Care Business Ops, and ECC. The Pre-Visit Experience team co-leads the work with us.”
Thanks to this provider template strategy, SHC was able to pause a request to hire two new audiologists. “They’re able to meet demand more effectively now,” said Patz.
“Offering a consistent specialty intake process and options across the whole of Stanford Health Care helps patients navigate a complicated system, and helps balance demand across the network of providers,” she continued.
“In addition, using the latest Epic features to support our scheduling flows provides a strong foundation as new technologies are introduced, whether that’s AI scheduling tools or self-service options in MyHealth.”
