Referrals
Patients must have established care with HAVEN before we can place referrals on their behalf.
Sometimes your health needs care beyond what we can provide at our Saturday clinic. When that happens, our team helps connect you with the right specialist and works to make that care affordable. Here is how referrals work at HAVEN.
Primary Care vs. Specialty Care
Primary care is the foundation of your health. It covers prevention, routine checkups, chronic disease management, and most everyday health concerns. This is what HAVEN provides directly through our Saturday clinic.
Specialty care refers to medical services that require advanced, focused expertise beyond the scope of primary care. Examples include:
Cardiology
heart health, blood pressure complications, and cardiac conditions
Dermatology
skin conditions, rashes, lesions, and chronic skin diseases
Orthopedics
bone, joint, and musculoskeletal concerns
Neurology
headaches, nerve conditions, and neurological symptoms
When your care requires expertise or equipment beyond what HAVEN can provide, we will work with you to connect you with the right specialist.
Our Partnership with YNHH Free Care
HAVEN Free Clinic works closely with the Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) Free Care Office to help our patients access specialty care at little or no cost. Through this partnership, we are often able to secure free or significantly reduced-cost specialist appointments for patients who qualify, services that would otherwise be financially out of reach.
This is one of the most meaningful ways we extend care beyond our walls and ensure that a specialist referral does not become a dead end for our patients.
How the Referral Process Works
Referrals at HAVEN are handled flexibly depending on your situation. In some cases, our care team will initiate the referral on your behalf and coordinate directly with YNHH. In others, we will guide you through the steps to reach out yourself, with our support along the way.
Either way, you will not navigate this alone. Our team will:
- Identify the right specialist for your needs
- Work with YNHH Free Care to explore free or reduced-cost options
- Help you understand what to expect and what to bring to your appointment
- Follow up with you as part of your ongoing care at HAVEN
Think you may need a specialist? Talk to your HAVEN care team and we’ll figure out the next step together.
Access Medical Referrals
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