BridgeCare MedicineCritical Care Advisory

Before you request

Make sure BridgeCare is the right next step.

Start with safety and scope. BridgeCare is for non-urgent advisory interpretation, preparation, navigation, and family decision support after serious illness.

First: rule out urgent concerns

BridgeCare is not emergency care. If there are urgent symptoms, rapid deterioration, a same-day clinical decision, or a time-sensitive medication concern, contact 911, the treating clinician, the facility nurse/clinician, or go to the emergency department.

Good fit checklist

Non-urgent question

The family needs help understanding what happened, what changed, or what to ask next.

Decision or conversation coming

There may be a discharge plan, SNF transfer, rehab update, family meeting, medication question, or goals-of-care discussion.

Patient location known

BridgeCare can consider families across the United States for advisory support, with location confirmed before records, payment, or secure intake.

Advisory expectations

The family wants interpretation and questions for the treating team, not emergency instructions or a replacement clinician.

Do not send this by ordinary email

Do not send medical records, patient names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, medication lists, hospital or facility names, exact dates, photos, insurance cards, detailed clinical facts, or urgent symptoms through ordinary email or a public contact form.

What you can send first

  • Your name and contact information.
  • Your relationship to the patient.
  • The U.S. state or territory where the patient is located.
  • A broad category: ICU/hospital course, discharge plan, SNF/rehab transition, medication changes, goals-of-care, or whole-case review.
  • A short non-identifying summary of the decision or conversation you are preparing for.

What happens after a fit screen

  1. BridgeCare confirms the request appears non-urgent and within advisory scope.
  2. If appropriate, scope, consent, payment, and secure intake steps are handled before any record review.
  3. Records are uploaded only through the approved secure workflow after the proper gates are cleared.
  4. The advisory consult produces interpretation and a treating team question list.