As a regional referral resource for practicing physicians and healthcare professionals, Downey Plastic Surgery will help you meet the needs of your patients. To help you get your referral in motion to Dr. Downey, please call 206-368-1160 anytime to confer with Dr. Downey or his staff about your patient. If your patient has an urgent condition, please request to speak directly to Dr. Downey.

To Refer a Patient:

1. Please identify and document the problem. If you are not sure whether your patient’s problem is within the scope of Dr. Downey’s practice, please do not hesitate to call him to discuss it.

2. Communicate with Dr. Downey or his staff via a phone call, letter, or email.

3. Please send medical records and necessary X-rays ahead of the patient’s initial consultation.

4. Please obtain insurance preauthorization if necessary before directing the patient to make an appointment.

Insurance Information – If your patient belongs to an HMO or managed care plan, the patient’s primary-care provider must submit an approved referral form before the patient’s first visit. Please include the number of visits authorized. This form can be faxed or mailed to Downey Plastic Surgery.

If the patient needs an urgent appointment, a verbal authorization may be obtained for scheduling but a written authorization must be submitted before the appointment session.

Medical Records:

After you’ve made a referral, please send or fax your patient’s medical records before the first appointment. Please include:

• Most recent lab reports
• Most recent clinical notes
• Most recent results of diagnostic tests
• Most recent X-rays, scans or other images

Please ask your patient to bring in all medications, including over-the-counter drugs, any self-monitoring records, and any self-monitoring devices, such as a blood glucose meter. Your patient may receive instructions for the visit prior to his or her appointment.

Our Pledge To Referring Providers:

We will keep you fully informed of Dr. Downey’s findings and recommendations for further workup or treatment. If your patient has an urgent condition requiring immediate treatment, we will do our best to initiate care and keep you notified about expected duration of hospitalization. We will involve you during the patient’s recovery to allow an orderly return of your patient back to your primary care at the completion of our treatment.