February 2026

Great news for our Fortuna community!

We're excited to welcome Anthony Pirouz, PA, to Redwoods Rural, joining our team of dedicated primary care providers.

With Anthony on board and Jennifer Fountain returning, this means there will be two full-time providers ready to see you at our Fortuna office.

We’re thrilled to offer you more services and faster appointment times.

Our team is currently reaching out to patients who were on our waiting list to schedule their appointments.

If you're in need of primary care, we’d love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and make an appointment.

You can connect with us at 707-353-2162 or visit us at 930 South Fortuna Boulevard, Fortuna, CA. We look forward to providing you with the care you deserve!

RRHC Winter Feast 2026

WORK & PLAY!

We came together for a night of food, fun, and family. Our intrepid admin. assistant Ms. Laura Sweet (and she is) and her troop of "Party Elves" put together an evening at the Mateel Community Center.

We were treated to a delicious dinner and a dessert bar that was quite decadent. This is but a tiny slice of the photos from that event. It was an awesome night with great people, who for the most part were quite forgiving of my intrusive photo snapping.

The Dynamic Duo in Referrals in Cludes the January Employee of The Month

So you need to see a Specialist?

Everything you didn't know you needed to know about referrals

Your doctor may refer you to a specialist when your medical needs require focused expertise or resources that go beyond general primary care.

If they encounter a rare or complex condition—such as advanced heart disease, autoimmune disorders, or cancer—they send you to a specialist who has completed years of additional training in that specific area.

Below you will find some of the more common specialists that patients may be referred to and a brief description of their focus.

• Cardiologists: Specialists in heart and blood vessel health, treating conditions like heart failure and hypertension.
• Dermatologists: Experts in diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair, and nails.
• Endocrinologists: Specialists focused on hormonal disorders, such as diabetes, thyroid issues, and metabolism.
• Gastroenterologists: Doctors who treat diseases of the digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
• Hematologist-oncologists: Specialized in blood disorders and cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Nephrologists: Kidney specialists focusing on renal diseases and function.
• Neurologists: Specialists in disorders of the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.
• Obstetrician-Gynecologists (OBGYN): Focus on female reproductive health, pregnancy, and childbirth.
• Ophthalmologists: Eye and vision care experts who perform eye surgeries.
• Pulmonologists: Specialists in lung and respiratory system diseases.
• Rheumatologists: Experts in autoimmune diseases and joint/musculoskeletal disorders. 
•  Surgeons: Perform a wide range of surgeries on various body systems, and break down into their own specialties, like Plastic, Vascular & Neuro

Key Reasons for Referrals

Specialized Expertise: Primary care physicians (PCPs) are generalists with broad knowledge.

Advanced Diagnostics and Procedures: Your PCP may refer you for treatments or tests they cannot perform in their office - like colonoscopies, biopsies, or surgical procedures.

Persistent or Unclear Symptoms: If a condition is not improving with standard treatments or if the initial diagnosis is uncertain, a specialist can provide a second opinion or deeper investigation.

Complex Chronic Management: Long-term diseases that require frequent treatment adjustments or close monitoring (like multiple sclerosis or difficult-to-manage diabetes) often benefit from a specialist's in-depth knowledge. 

The Paperwork & Details

Insurance Requirements: Many health insurance plans, require a formal referral from a PCP before they will cover the cost of a specialist visit. The referral acts as medical verification that specialized care is necessary.

Office Policies & Coordination: Some specialists only accept new patients who have been referred to ensure they are seeing people who truly need their specific level of care. Referrals also help coordinate care, allowing your PCP and specialist to share medical records and align on a treatment plan. 

Click the images to learn more about these specialities

The Nitty Gritty 

or

“I have a referral, now what?”

Your doctor decided you need to see a specialist, so they engage the referrals team to coordinate what need to happen next, and they will -

• Gather all the documents with information that relates to your referral, including Diagnostics (X-Rays, CT scans, MRIs), lab work, and other information about your specific diagnosis.

(this is like building a case - where they try to compile all the information that indicates the need for specialty care)

• Send that information to the specialist's office.

(If you prefer to have a specific location/office/doctor for your referral, please mention it to your provider or nurse right away, so we can try to accommodate that for you.)

Once the specialist office receives your referral, they will review your information and decline or accept your referral based on:

• Severity of the diagnosis
• Type of insurance
• Current patient list – (if they have enough space to help you.)
• In a perfect world the office you were referred to would call you upon accepting your referral, but the reality is many large facilities receive hundreds and hundreds of referrals – when you receive your referral letter from the RRHC Referral Coordinator (via USPS or MyChart) you should call the specialty office listed in your letter.
• If the specialist declines your referral, they will notify RRHC staff or you, and we will continue looking for the next closest facility offering the specialty that you need.

I need an MRI - XRAY – Ultra Sound- CT Scan – Mammogram  (and the list goes on…)

Diagnostic tests are used to confirm or rule out conditions and diseases. Before creating a treatment plan, your provider needs critical information for a correct diagnosis & often these are required in order for a referral to be accepted.

1. A diagnostic order is placed in your electronic chart.
2. RRHC clinical staff gather the necessary information that relates to the diagnostic order. (This may include chart notes, your insurance information, correct diagnosis codes, etc.)
3. A paper order form is generated based on the electronic version, indicating all necessary information. The order form is forwarded to your provider for review and wet signatures.
4. The order is faxed to the clinic that accepts your insurance.
5. Receiving facility reviews your order, verifies insurance eligibility and authorization.
6. You call the facility to schedule your diagnostic test appointment.

Diagnostic Tests are handled by you doctors Medical Assistant and they can help you with the information needed in order to complete them.