To provide timely care for patients with urgent needs at an academic medical center, a novel clinic model was launched in August 2025 for an eight-week pilot aimed at reducing wait times, decompressing an existing neurology clinic, and decreasing non-emergency ED visits. Pilot objectives included testing a novel scheduling model, validating a team-based approach, and optimizing efficiency.

Neurology clinics nationwide face capacity constraints and long wait times. Many lack clear protocols for urgent symptoms, leading patients to seek care in EDs or urgent care centers. This pilot sought to create a streamlined pathway for patients requiring timely neurological evaluation.

The clinic operated one half-day per week at a satellite location selected for accessibility. Team-based staffing included two APPs, one neurologist, one MA, and one nurse navigator. Any ED referral or urgent-flagged ambulatory referral was scheduled within 14 days without clinician screening. Templates were designed to allow the neurologist to see patients in between staffing APP encounters. Quality and performance metrics were compared to the prior academic year.

55 patients were evaluated. Sessions typically filled within 6 days. Median referral-to-appointment time was 22 days, a drastic improvement from the prior year median of 120 days. 62% of referrals came from EDs; headache, seizure, and somatosensory issues were the three most common referral reasons.

Upon evaluation, 80% had urgent symptoms, 84% had a neurological condition, and only 47% required neurology follow-up care.

100% of patients reported satisfaction, citing timely access as the most important factor. Providers reported 100% satisfaction with the team-based model.

The clinic pilot demonstrated feasibility, efficiency, and high satisfaction. Over half of patients did not need further neurology follow-up, reducing demand on the existing clinic. The scheduling process resulted in a 98-day reduction in wait times. This validates that expedited scheduling and team-based care can improve access and care.