When you call Emory HealthConnection, you not only get a live person on the line — you get a nurse.

A staff of 13 nurses answers phone calls, e-mails and Web-generated inquiries and help physicians and consumers navigate Emory Healthcare's network of 750 doctors, four hospitals and eight clinics.

Photos by BARRY WILLIAMS/Special (ENLARGE)

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN, a consumer-line nurse with Emory HealthConnection, talks to a client as she searches Emory Healthcare's computer database for information.

(ENLARGE)

'This is an alternative way to help patients, and I love it. When someone is frightened or confused, it's wonderful to have a nurse help you get to the right place.' -LORI McLELLAND, Executive director of marketing, Emory HealthConnection

"When a phone call comes in, you never know who it will be or what it will be about, but you know it could be a life-changing experience for the patient," said Deborah Lewis, RN, RN-C, BA, who joined Emory HealthConnection about a year ago.

Recently, a man who wanted an appointment with a urologist called, but when a nurse began asking about his symptoms and learned about his history of hypertension, she told him to go right to an emergency room.

"It turned out that his blood-sugar levels were through the roof, and he was admitted to the hospital," said Lori McLelland, MSN, RN, executive director of marketing for Emory HealthConnection. "He called back later to say that he'd just called for the name of a doctor, and we saved his life."

Many large hospital systems have services that help patients with appointments and referrals and answer health and insurance questions, but not all staff them with nurses.

"We know our doctors and patients expect a high level of medical knowledge from our staff," McLelland said.

When they answer the phone, nurses can move easily between providing triage, health care education, customer service and patient advocacy.

Working from clinical protocols and using assessment skills, Emory HealthConnection nurses schedule 13,000 to 14,000 appointments a month. They staff a dedicated line that allows Emory physicians to get consultations or appointments with other doctors. The staff handles overflow calls to the Emory Clinic and for the breast health nurse on staff.

They also register people for classes and events, answer internal and external recruitment calls, and pre-screen patients for clinical trials.

"We still have the same number of full-time positions, but we've significantly grown in taking on new responsibilities and call volume," McLelland said. "I can't say enough about what this group does every day. They're the real stars of the program."

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN, has been manning the phones for 12 years and loves the broad spectrum of medicine that her job entails.

"My background is in OB-GYN and emergency room nursing, but this job has really expanded my nursing knowledge. I learn more about cardiology, pulmonary and oncology medicine all the time," Degner said. "We all have different backgrounds and we call on each others'expertise."

All employees go through a six-week training program before working the phones.

"We never fly by the seat of our pants. We have to learn to work the software and we have an extensive database that we can share with callers. Every day is different around here," Degner said.

Deborah Lewis, who managed a prostate cancer program and worked telephone triage in San Diego before moving to Atlanta, was attracted to Emory HealthConnection by the quality of its nurses.

"I sought this department because of its professional level of standards of care," she said. "The continuing-education opportunities are wonderful and enhance your practice so much."

Although her eight-hour shifts can be exhausting, Lewis enjoys working with other nurses and likes teaching and caring for her clients.

"We all go into nursing to make a difference," McLelland said. "This is an alternative way to help patients, and I love it. When someone is frightened or confused, it's wonderful to have a nurse help you get to the right place."