If you want to refer a patient to Pacific Pain Treatment Centers and the referral is not an emergency, please have someone in your office contact our new patient coordinator at PPTC (415-567-1219) to establish the referral and reason for the referral. Patients will not be seen at PPTC without prior authorization from a 3rd party payor, if appropriate. Patients referred to PPTC will be seen only after medical records relating to the pain problem are received in our office. These medical records may include office notes, hospital admission notes, QME or AME evaluations, and if appropriate, pertinent laboratory values and/or MRI or x-ray reports. If the patient has recent pertinent x-rays or MRI's, please send with the patient. If there are other issues not apparent in the medical records that are pertinent to the referral, please have the responsible physician contact Dr. Krames or Dr. Esteves for a discussion of the issues. While medical records are being sent to PPTC and authorization is obtained for the referral, the patient referred will receive a packet of information that he/she MUST fill out prior to coming to his/her first visit.

If you believe that the referral for pain consult is urgent, please contact Dr. Esteves or Dr. Krames to discuss the urgency. After discussing the patient with you, they may ask the front office staff of PPTC to bypass usual and customary operating procedures for new patient referrals. If this is the case, please have your emergency patient bring their pertinent medical records to their first visit.

If you want to refer a patient who is in the hospital to Pacific Pain Treatment Centers for a consultation regarding pain issues, please call the office and a Fellow in Training or an Associate of PPTC will see your patient as soon as they are able to.