Accompanied by her PinnacleCare Advocate, a Member arrived at the hospital where she routinely receives treatment for a chronic illness. The Member proceeded directly to her room to relax before her treatment while her PinnacleCare Advocate coordinated the admissions paperwork for the Member's convenience. When the treating physician quickly stopped in on the Member during his rounds, he forgot to order a specific test required prior to starting the Member's treatment.

Confused and frustrated by the delay, the Member began feeling restless and anxious to have the additional test completed, to avoid delaying treatment. Sensing the Member's frustration, her PinnacleCare Advocate immediately contacted the physician, and urged him to order the test as soon as possible. Thereafter, the PinnacleCare Advocate quickly facilitated the Member's transportation to the imaging department where the test was to be performed. Knowing that reviews of such tests can take hours if not days, her PinnacleCare Advocate requested the radiologist be in the room to immediately render an impression of the Member’s status. Additionally, the PinnacleCare Advocate arranged for the radiologist to verbally convey the test results to the treating physician, rather than waiting several more hours for a written impression.

Finally, a lab result was needed to begin treatment, but the hospital did not have this result available. Preventing a further delay, the PinnacleCare Advocate presented a hardcopy of these results because she brought all of the Member's recent medical records in her briefcase. Thanks to the PinnacleCare Advocate's diligence and preparedness, the Member was able to receive her scheduled treatment and avoid further delay. The Member repeatedly thanked her Pinnacle Advocate, saying she would have felt overwhelmed and frustrated, not knowing how to handle all of the hospital's procedures and processes.

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