Physician Referral Intake Management

Streamlining Processes for Optimal Outcomes

In this session of our Physician Relations Leaders Summit, our guest host, John Meiz, Senior Director Business Development, Temple Health – Temple University Health System, opened by emphasizing the strategic importance of mastering referral intake as a competitive differentiator in healthcare systems. Drawing from experience at a large, complex academic medical center serving diverse populations and multiple hospitals, he described how fragmented systems, siloed service lines, and variable intake methods create both operational challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Access and Communication: The Two Pillars of Referral Success

Throughout the conversation, a recurring theme arose from nearly every organization represented: referring physicians want two things—access and communication. They need to get patients in quickly, and they want to know what happened after the referral. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They are the currency of trust, and systems that handle them well win more business, plain and simple.

Complexity is the Norm

Most systems juggle multiple intake pathways—Epic-to-Epic, online forms, fax, call centers, departmental referrals—resulting in fragmentation, inconsistent data capture, and internal confusion. Patients fall through the cracks. The liaison teams lose credibility. And health systems lose revenue. Streamlining is ideal, but often impractical, so leaders shared how they’re integrating where possible and adapting where necessary.

Key Barriers Identified

Proven Solutions & Innovations

Hard Stops in Epic

Intake forms now require selecting a referring provider.

This improved data capture from 50% to 88%, enabling more accurate ROI reporting.

 Online Referral Portals

Digital forms on health system websites allow for real-time referral tracking.

Forms route to intake teams and liaison teams simultaneously, enabling proactive support.

Online referrals grew over 40% due to ease of use.

Concierge Models

Practices opt into higher-touch service levels.

Dedicated staff manage referrals, coordinate care, and update referring providers throughout.

Particularly valuable for high-complexity service lines like oncology and transplant.

Referral Liaisons

Roles dedicated to managing complex cases from intake to appointment.

Examples included 60+ managed patients/month with direct follow-up and communication.

Language & Cultural Outreach

Dedicated outreach hires for key ethnic communities (e.g., Russian- and Chinese-speaking).

Results included dramatic increases in referral volume through culturally sensitive engagement and accurate translation of materials.

Technology Integration

Use of Marketware and Salesforce, though not fully integrated with Epic, allows some cross-system tracking.

Efforts are underway to flow Epic data into PRM tools using NPIs (de-identified), enhancing visibility into referral impact.

Digital Business Cards

Shared via text during provider visits to capture contact details and establish continuity.

Helps liaisons stay connected even when referrals are initiated directly by internal providers.

Emerging Priorities

A Shift in Mindset

What this summit reaffirmed is that the liaison isn’t just an extension of the marketing team—they’re the human interface between the system and the community. Their credibility hinges on promises kept. That means referrals scheduled promptly, feedback shared clearly, and systems that reflect the care and coordination they promise externally.

It also means moving from a system-centric mindset to a referrer-centric one. Instead of asking, “What do we want the community to do for us?” we need to ask, “What does the community need from us—and how do we deliver it better than anyone else?”

How Endeavor Can Help

At Endeavor Management, we understand the operational, technological, and human dimensions of referral intake transformation. We help health systems and provider organizations build the integrated capabilities that convert referrals into loyal, lasting relationships.

Here’s how we support you:

Referral Optimization Roadmap

We work with your team to map your current intake ecosystem—across EMRs, call centers, liaison teams, and digital channels—and identify opportunities to streamline and elevate performance.

Voice of the Referrer Programs

Through in-depth research and journey mapping, we help you uncover exactly what your referring providers need—and how your system is performing against those expectations.

PRM Integration Strategy

We help you select and implement PRM (Physician Relationship Management) tools that align with your Epic or Cerner instance, enabling seamless tracking from outreach to referral to revenue.

Liaison Enablement + Playbooks

Your liaison team is only as effective as their tools and training. We equip them with customized scripts, messaging frameworks, and performance metrics that drive results and build trust.

High-Impact Concierge Models

For high-value service lines, we help design and launch scalable concierge-style programs that combine service excellence with operational rigor.

Market Expansion & Outreach Strategy

Whether it’s reaching a linguistically diverse population or building new physician networks, we help you craft and implement outreach that grows volume and reputation.

Referral intake isn’t just a process—it’s a promise. When done well, it becomes your system’s strongest growth engine.

Let’s make sure your front door is open, clear, and welcoming.

Let Endeavor help you lead what’s next.