Santa Rosa Orthopaedics is pleased to introduce Spine Referral Fast Track, a new expedited pathway designed to help appropriate spine surgical candidates get evaluated more quickly by Christian Athanassious, MD. Created to reduce delays for both patients and referring offices, the program offers one clear route for prompt outreach, priority scheduling, and timely follow-up.
Based out of Santa Rosa Orthopaedics’ new Fourth Street offices, the program is supported by added exam rooms, dedicated in-house imaging for rapid radiology results, and additional appointment slots on Dr. Athanassious’ clinic days reserved specifically for fast-track referrals. This helps create a smoother path for patients who may need timely spine surgical evaluation after assessment by a primary care provider, urgent care, neurology, or another referring clinician.
Referrals submitted through the expedited pathway are routed directly to a designated coordinator, helping bypass the usual phone process. When clinically appropriate and insurance allows, Santa Rosa Orthopaedics aims to contact patients promptly and schedule them within 1 to 2 business days. Referring offices also receive follow-up status and post-visit communication within 48 hours, helping close the loop quickly and clearly.
Spine Referral Fast Track is intended for patients with spine conditions who may be surgical candidates and need timely specialty evaluation. PPO and Medicare patients are generally the best fit for the fastest scheduling, while patients with other insurance types, including HMO, Workers’ Comp, and self-pay, are still welcome and will be scheduled as quickly as possible, though additional processing time may be needed in some cases.
Dr. Athanassious is a board-certified spine surgeon, Medical Director of the Spine Center at Santa Rosa Orthopaedics, and fellowship-trained at Stanford. His practice reflects a whole-person approach to operative and non-operative spine care, giving patients and referring providers a trusted local option when faster access matters.
