This page is designed to help clinic staff, students, and providers quickly determine the most appropriate GYN clinic resource for each patient’s needs. By answering a few simple questions, users can identify whether a patient should be referred to NP GYN Clinic, RWSP Clinic, GYN Night Clinic, or Family Planning Clinic.
The tool helps standardize referral decisions by guiding users through key factors such as the reason for the visit, RWSP eligibility, menopause-related symptoms, routine versus complex gynecologic concerns, and contraception-only needs. It is intended to support consistent clinic flow, improve patient navigation, and ensure patients are connected with the right service as efficiently as possible.
GYN referrals can be complex for the uninsured, and this guide is intended to support, not replace, clinical judgment or clinic-specific workflows.
If you are unsure which clinic is most appropriate for a patient, or if you need help determining how to place a referral, you may always reach out to faculty, clinic staff, or PatriciaNunez-Roth directly for additional guidance and assistance.
GYN Clinic Triage Tool
Step 1
Is the visit for contraception only?
Examples: birth control pills, Depo, Nexplanon, IUD counseling,
emergency contraception, method change, or pregnancy prevention counseling.
Step 2
Is the patient requesting a well-woman exam or mammogram?
Examples: preventive women’s health visit, annual exam, breast cancer
screening, mammogram referral, or routine screening visit.
Step 2A
Does the patient qualify for RWSP grant criteria?
Use your clinic’s RWSP eligibility criteria to determine whether the patient
qualifies for grant-supported well-woman or mammogram services.
Is the main concern menopause or perimenopause symptoms?
Examples: hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep concerns,
vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, or genitourinary syndrome of menopause.
Step 4
Is this a routine or common GYN concern?
Examples: abnormal bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain,
dysmenorrhea, PCOS, vaginal infections, STI concerns, urinary tract symptoms,
or general GYN symptom evaluation.
Step 5
Is the problem complex, severe, persistent, or not improving?
Examples: complex abnormal bleeding, severe pelvic pain, complicated fibroids,
failed initial treatment, recurrent symptoms, or need for higher-level GYN evaluation.
Recommended Referral
Quick View
Click any clinic below to open a popup with expanded referral guidance.
NP GYN Clinic
Menopause symptoms
Routine GYN concerns
Does not qualify for RWSP
Unsure where to send
RWSP Clinic
Well-woman exams
Mammogram services
Must meet grant criteria
GYN Night Clinic
Complex GYN problems
Severe or persistent symptoms
Not for well-woman or mammogram-only visits
Family Planning Clinic
Contraception only
Birth control counseling
IUD, Nexplanon, Depo, pills
This tool is intended to support clinic routing at St. Vincent’s Clinics. Clinical judgment and St. Vincent’s specific eligibility criteria should always be applied.
NP GYN Clinic
Best for: Menopause care, routine gynecologic concerns, and patients who do not qualify for RWSP services.
The NP GYN Clinic provides patient-centered women’s health care with a focus on education, symptom management, prevention, screening, treatment, and appropriate referral when needed.
Refer to NP GYN for menopause and perimenopause concerns:
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Mood changes
Sleep concerns
Vaginal dryness
Painful intercourse
Genitourinary syndrome of menopause
Menopausal counseling and treatment options
Refer to NP GYN for common gynecologic concerns:
Abnormal uterine bleeding
Fibroids
Endometriosis
Pelvic pain
Dysmenorrhea
PCOS
Vaginal infections
Sexually transmitted infections
Urinary tract symptoms
Contraceptive counseling or management when not solely family-planning focused
Also refer to NP GYN when:
The patient needs a well-woman exam but does not qualify for RWSP.
The patient needs mammogram coordination but does not qualify for RWSP grant criteria.
The patient has a routine or moderate GYN concern that does not require the higher-complexity GYN Night Clinic.
RWSP Clinic
Best for: Well-woman exams and mammogram services for patients who meet grant criteria.
The RWSP Clinic should be used for patients who need preventive women’s health services and meet eligibility requirements for the program or grant.
Refer to RWSP for:
Well-woman exams
Cervical cancer screening, if included under the program
Mammogram referrals or mammogram coordination
Breast health screening services
Preventive women’s health visits covered by the grant
Important: If the patient does not qualify for RWSP, they should be referred to NP GYN instead.
The GYN Night Clinic is intended for patients with more complex GYN concerns that may require a higher level of evaluation, follow-up, or specialist-style management.
Refer to GYN Night Clinic for:
Complex abnormal bleeding
Complicated fibroids
Severe or persistent pelvic pain
Complex endometriosis concerns
GYN issues that have not improved with initial treatment
Cases needing more advanced evaluation or management
Patients who may require physician-level review or more specialized GYN input
Do not refer to GYN Night Clinic for:
Well-woman exams only
Mammogram-only needs
Routine preventive visits
Contraception-only visits
These patients should go to RWSP, NP GYN, or Family Planning, depending on the situation.
Family Planning Clinic
Best for: Contraception-only visits.
The Family Planning Clinic should be used when the patient’s primary need is birth control or contraceptive management.
Refer to Family Planning for:
Birth control counseling
Oral contraceptive pills
Depo-Provera
Nexplanon
IUD counseling or management
Emergency contraception
Contraceptive method changes
Contraceptive side effect counseling
Pregnancy prevention counseling
Use Family Planning when the patient’s main concern is contraception only.
If the patient has contraception needs plus broader GYN symptoms, such as abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, infection symptoms, menopause concerns, or PCOS, consider NP GYN or GYN Night Clinic depending on complexity.
