Referring and Transferring Patients

Referring a Patient to RUSH

To refer your patients to RUSH, call the Provider Express Line at (312) 947-4725 or complete the provider referral form. A member of our dedicated referral team will work with you for a seamless referral process. Please have the following information available:

  • Patient's name
  • Patient's contact information
  • Reason for referral 

For the most up-to-date information about physicians and other clinicians at RUSH, visit doctors.rush.edu. Here you — and your patients — can easily search by name, topic, specialty, insurance plan and location, as well as request appointments and view videos of doctors.

Transferring a Patient to RUSH University Medical Center

RUSH Transfer Center

A team of experienced registered nurses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to coordinate acute interfacility transfers. The transfer team ensures efficient communication between the patient's physicians at the transferring facility and at RUSH University Medical Center.

We evaluate transfer requests based on the patient's clinical urgency and the availability of resources at RUSH University Medical Center. We manage nonemergent transfers on a case-by-case basis Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What you can expect from the RUSH Transfer Center

When you call (312) NOW-RUSH (669-7874), you will speak directly to a registered nurse who will initiate the patient transfer process. As part of this process, you can expect the following:

  • A request to speak with a medical staff member caring for the patient
  • Direct conversation with an attending physician at RUSH University Medical Center
  • Thorough evaluation of your transfer request
  • Collection of appropriate clinical information from the transferring facility
  • Periodic updates on the patient’s transfer status

We will ask for the following information to transfer a patient:

  • Patient’s full name
  • Date of birth
  • Where the patient is located and contact phone number
  • Diagnosis
  • Contact information for the patient's current treating provider

Download the RUSH Transfer Center brochure, which includes a transfer process checklist.

Transferring High-risk Mothers and Babies

RUSH University Medical Center has been designated by the state of Illinois to serve as the regional center for a network of Chicago-area hospitals providing quality care to high-risk mothers and babies.

  • To transfer an obstetrics patient to the Medical Center, call (312) NOW-RUSH (669-7874) and ask for a maternal-fetal physician for a consultation.
  • To transfer a critically ill neonatal patient, call (312) 947-8800 and ask for a neonatologist for a consultation.

Both numbers are staffed 24 hours a day. When you call, you will be asked to provide basic information on the patient, including clinical and insurance status.

Transferring Patients with Neurological Emergencies

RUSH University Medical Center offers referring physicians phone consultations and assistance with transfer from an attending neurologist or neurosurgeon 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • If you are a referring physician, you can contact (312) NOW-RUSH (669-7874) to transfer a patient with a neurological emergency.

Neurological emergencies include stroke, seizures, central nervous system infections, brain and spine trauma, and neuromuscular weakness.