HCA Florida Healthcare has announced a statewide, 24/7 Consult-A-Nurse® line. By calling the Consult-A-Nurse® line, (844) 70-NURSE (6-8773), consumers, including those recently discharged from the hospital, can speak to a nurse about any symptoms or illnesses they or someone they know is experiencing. Nurses can address a vast range of adult and pediatric issues such as GI concerns, migraines, neurology and heart conditions, burns, rashes and sprains. Calling the line will allow consumers to speak with nurses who are ready to provide expert care, advice and support.
“When consumers call the Consult-A-Nurse® line, they can have peace of mind knowing they are speaking with a trained nurse,” said Tabitha Anglea, AVP of customer relationship management-clinical operations at HCA Healthcare. “Our goal is to connect consumers across Florida with the care they need and treat them like family. Whether you’re a parent of a newborn with questions in the middle of the night or a recently-discharged hospital patient overwhelmed by your next steps in care over a holiday weekend, we’ll be there to provide information or direct you to the right place at the right time to receive care.”
The caller’s ZIP code helps the Consult-A-Nurse® staff identify nearby HCA Florida Healthcare emergency rooms and deliver wait times if in-person care is advised. Nurses and staff on the Consult-A-Nurse® line can also direct consumers to call 9-1-1 or to go to the nearest emergency room, urgent care or their primary care doctor as appropriate. All nurse and staff recommendations are based on Schmitt-Thompson triage guidelines. Schmitt-Thompson triage guidelines provide world-class decision support to help nurses give high-quality healthcare advice on a number of adult and pediatric symptoms.
“While my mother was visiting for the winter from Canada, she experienced minor chest pains. We weren’t sure if we should call anyone or not. Not wanting to take any chances, I called the Consult-A-Nurse® line for an expert opinion,” said Cheryl Denton, daughter of HCA Florida Healthcare patient Linda Frail. “The nurse who answered the phone was so helpful and described how women often chalk up the warning signs of a heart attack to less serious issues like acid reflux. Thankfully, she advised us to go to the emergency room. She was able to tell us what to say when we arrived and even comforted us by sharing the current wait times. I’m so thankful for this service that helped us seek expert care quickly and easily.”
“As a leading personalized care network in the state, we are simplifying and expanding how consumers can reach our trusted nurses. We are thrilled to help our communities by answering Floridians’ most pressing healthcare questions wherever and whenever they need us,” said Anglea.
The Consult-A-Nurse® line will not affect current local numbers for hospitals or physician practices. The HCA Florida Healthcare network provides this resource free to consumers. The line has translation services available for a number of languages, including Spanish. This line is another way for HCA Florida Healthcare to provide a holistic and connected network by continually improving quality and expanding access to care for all Florida residents.
