Physician Volunteers

Physician volunteerism is one of the keys to CareNet’s success. Private practice physicians can volunteer through a hospital-based clinic or through their own offices.

Primary care physicians can agree to see existing patients in their practice who qualify for CareNet at no charge. CareNet enrollment provides these patients with access to hospital services.

Sub-specialists can volunteer through CareNet’s voluntary specialty care network and determine the number of CareNet members who they are willing to see annually in their own practices. When a CareNet member’s primary care physician determines the member requires specialty care, the primary care physician sends a request with copies of the patient’s record to the CareNet office. CareNet staff then attempt to “match” that request with a specialist who has volunteered to see a pre-defined number of CareNet members.

Sub-specialists also can assist CareNet by “triaging” referrals. These sub-specialist volunteers review clinical notes from primary care physicians and test results, and then they offer treatment suggestions to the primary care physician. This approach allows the collaborative to serve many more patients than simply scheduling every referral CareNet receives.

Additionally, sub-specialists can see CareNet members at a hospital-based specialty clinic. And retired sub-specialists can volunteer at a CareNet site and receive coverage by CareNet’s malpractice insurance.

Dr. Charles Filipiak and Dr. Jay Jindal