The Virtual Iron Deficiency Clinic "express lane" enables primary care and specialty teams to refer patients for expert management while maintaining focus on complex disease care. 

Why this matters 

Iron deficiency is the #1 nutritional deficiency—and it's undertreated at U of U Health. An internal audit found that 20% of patients tested weekly have ferritin below 30 ng/mL. Consequences include higher risk of blood transfusion, impaired fetal brain development, reduced energy and productivity, impaired mood, and poor sleep. 

The problem: Iron deficiency is under-recognized (symptoms like fatigue are nonspecific), under-diagnosed (ARUP's lower limit for females of menstruating age is 13 ng/mL, but deficiency occurs at <30 ng/mL), and under-treated (20% don't absorb oral iron and need IV iron, but many providers are unfamiliar with prescribing it). 

Who should be screened 

• Menstruating, pregnant, and breastfeeding women
• Patients with chronic diseases (liver, kidney, rheumatologic, heart)
• Patients with malabsorption, GI issues, or post-bariatric surgery
• Recent surgery patients, endurance athletes, and frequent blood donors 

How to refer patients 

When to refer: Ferritin < 30 ng/mL indicates iron deficiency 

Referral process: 

1. Start oral iron supplements
2. Place ambulatory referral to Hematology in Epic (please see attached 1-page Tip Sheet)
3. In comments, write "For Iron Deficiency Clinic" (ensures proper routing) 

What patients receive: Rapid access with expert nurse practitioner Kara Fialkowski (100% focused on iron deficiency), longitudinal care with dedicated navigation team, and standardized treatment.  

Contact: Ming Lim (Ming.Lim@hsc.utah.edu) | Kara Fialkowski (Kara.Fialkowski@hsc.utah.edu) 

For more information reference our page.