Referrals to Asheville Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center

Patients wishing to be referred for a new patient appointment should consult with their primary care physician or specialty physician for a referral.

Asheville Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center appreciates the opportunity to serve the needs of the community and region. Physicians wishing to refer patients for evaluation and management of rheumatologic disease are requested to send:

  • Patient name and contact information
  • Copy of health insurance information
  • Recent office or hospital note documenting:
    • History
    • Review of systems
    • Medication list
    • Physical exam
    • Assessment and plan
  • Labs, radiology, or other data relevant to the referral.
  • If a patient has previously been diagnosed with a rheumatologic condition, please send pertinent records if available
  • Here is a link to our Consultation Request Form

Because of the present volume of new patient referrals we receive, we offer the following recommendations for physicians considering referrals:

  • The American College of Rheumatology has created an excellent website to help primary care providers evaluate potential rheumatologic disease:
    https://rheumforprimarycare.org/. We encourage both primary care providers and specialists to review this website when a rheumatology referral is being considered.
  • If a provider feels there is a moderate to high pretest probability of a systemic rheumatic disease, a referral may be submitted by fax to our office at: 828-253-4434. Our new patient referral coordinators can be reached by calling 828-258-9533 and choosing option #4.
  • For patients with potential rheumatologic urgent issues or who are pregnant, referring physicians may call 828-258-9533 and ask to speak to the physician on call.
  • Because of the rarity of systemic rheumatic diseases, and the poor specificity of rheumatology lab tests, these tests should not be ordered unless there is a moderate or high pretest probably of a systemic rheumatic disease, and should not be ordered for screening purposes.
  • Physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners and physicians-in-training are encouraged to have patients in whom rheumatology referral is being considered have a practicing physician evaluate the patient before referring.
  • Most osteoporosis evaluation and treatment is well managed by primary care physicians. On the rare occasion that specialty evaluation and management of osteoporosis is indicated, the referral should be sent containing an appropriate history, the last bone density test, and pertinent labs. We may decline referrals for patients who have not yet been tried on commonly available osteoporosis treatments.

All Asheville Arthritis referrals are reviewed by our physicians to triage how quickly the patient needs to be seen. We maintain a cancellation list in order to get patients in sooner if at all possible. We will decline referrals when we do not feel we have anything to add to the patient’s care.

Thank you for considering Asheville Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center for rheumatology care.