Check the status of a referral
Check the status of a referral
After a referral is requested or placed, it may need to be reviewed before you can schedule with a specialist. Referral status can depend on provider approval, specialty department review, records, insurance requirements, facility routing, or missing information.
This article explains where to check referral status in the Silent Hill Health patient portal, what common statuses may mean, why referrals may take time, and when to contact support.
Where to check referral status
You can usually review referral updates from the Referrals area of your patient portal. Some referrals may also appear under messages, visit follow-up, or scheduling tasks.
- Sign in to your Silent Hill Health patient portal.
- Go to Referrals, Appointments & Scheduling, or Visit Follow-Up.
- Select the referral you want to review.
- Check the referral status, specialty, facility, provider, and date requested.
- Review any messages, tasks, or instructions connected to the referral.
- Follow any scheduling instructions if the referral is approved or ready to schedule.
If you do not see the referral, check whether you are viewing the correct patient profile. This is especially important if you manage care for a dependent, family member, or another authorized patient.
What referral statuses mean
Referral status wording may vary by department, but most statuses describe where the referral is in the review or scheduling process.
| Status | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Pending | The referral was requested or started, but it has not completed review yet. |
| In review | A provider, care team, insurance team, or specialty department is reviewing the referral details. |
| Needs information | The care team may need records, test results, insurance details, a reason for referral, or provider clarification before the referral can move forward. |
| Approved | The referral has been reviewed and may be ready for scheduling, depending on department and insurance requirements. |
| Ready to schedule | You may be able to schedule the specialist appointment online or wait for the department to contact you. |
| Closed | The referral may have expired, been completed, been cancelled, been denied, or been closed because additional action was not completed. |
Why referrals may take time
Referral review is not always immediate. Some referrals need multiple teams to review the request before the appointment can be scheduled.
A referral may be delayed if:
- A provider needs to approve or clarify the referral reason.
- The specialist department needs to triage the request.
- Records, labs, imaging, or discharge summaries are missing.
- Insurance review or prior authorization is required.
- The requested provider or facility needs to be changed.
- The referral was placed after an emergency visit or hospital discharge and needs care team routing.
- The specialty has limited availability or uses manual scheduling.
If more information is needed
If your referral shows Needs information or a similar status, check your portal messages and tasks. The care team may need something from you, your provider, your insurance plan, or another facility.
| Missing item | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Medical records | Ask whether records need to be sent from Silent Hill Health, an outside provider, Alchemilla Hospital, or Brookhaven Hospital. |
| Test results or imaging | Check whether labs, imaging reports, or scan results are available in your portal or need to be requested. |
| Insurance information | Confirm your insurance details are current and ask whether prior authorization is required. |
| Referral reason | Contact the referring provider or care team if the specialist needs more detail about why you are being referred. |
Brookhaven and Alchemilla referral status
Referrals connected to hospital care may take extra time because they often involve discharge instructions, care team review, records, safety planning, medication changes, or follow-up timing.
| Referral source | Why review may take longer |
|---|---|
| Brookhaven Hospital | Behavioral health referrals may require provider matching, safety planning review, medication history, outpatient program review, or care coordination. |
| Alchemilla Hospital | Emergency or discharge-based referrals may require review of discharge instructions, labs, imaging, specialist recommendations, or follow-up urgency. |
Important: If your symptoms are worsening, you feel unsafe, or your discharge instructions say to seek urgent care, call local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a referral status update.
When to contact support
Contact referral or scheduling support if the referral status is unclear, has not changed, or does not match what your provider told you.
Request help if:
- You cannot find the referral in your portal.
- The referral says Needs information, but you do not know what is missing.
- The referral says Closed, but you still need specialist care.
- Your provider said the referral was placed, but the specialist has not received it.
- The facility, provider, or specialty listed on the referral looks wrong.
- You were told to schedule within a specific timeframe, but the referral is still pending.
To request help:
- Sign in to your Silent Hill Health patient portal.
- Go to Referrals or Portal Help & Technical Support.
- Select Referral status question.
- Include the referral specialty, requested provider or facility, and date the referral was requested.
- Add any related visit, discharge instruction, or portal message.
- Submit your request for review.
FAQ
Does an approved referral mean my appointment is scheduled?
No. An approved referral usually means the referral can move forward. You may still need to schedule the specialist appointment or wait for the department to contact you.
Why is my referral still pending?
The referral may be waiting for provider approval, specialty department review, insurance review, records, test results, or additional information before it can move forward.
What should I do if my referral says needs information?
Check your portal messages and referral details first. If the portal does not explain what is missing, submit a referral status question so the care team can clarify what is needed.
Why did my referral close?
A referral may close if it expired, was completed, was cancelled, was denied, was replaced by another referral, or could not move forward because required information was not received.
What if the specialist says they never received my referral?
Submit a referral status question and include the specialist, facility, and date the referral was requested. The referral team can check whether it was sent, routed, delayed, closed, or missing information.
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