Duke has expanded its same-day and next-day appointment availability to include pediatric cardiologists at several clinics around the area. Same-day or next-day appointments allow patients to see a Duke specialist quickly—enabling treatments to start as soon as possible and resulting in improved outcomes. 

“The referral of a child for specialized medical care, including cardiac care, is fraught with stress and anticipation for everyone involved,” says pediatric cardiologist Angelo S. Milazzo, Jr., MD. “By expediting the process and providing evaluation on the same or next day, we can efficiently address the concerns of patients and families and minimize time spent anxiously waiting on answers to their questions. Likewise, we can provide referring clinicians with timely management advice, allowing them to implement recommendations expeditiously.

“When a parent is told that their child needs to be seen by a cardiologist, time seems to stand still as they wait for an appointment. With same- and next-day options for patient visits, the period of waiting is compressed, and patients gain rapid access to expert, personalized care.”