For doctors & providers · refer a patient
Referring a family? We’ll take great care of them.
Pediatricians, OBs, midwives, family physicians, pediatric dentists, ENTs and bodyworkers across DFW send us their feeding families. Here’s everything you need to refer.
HOW TO REFER →Fast scheduling
Families hear from us within 24 hours of their intake, and most are seen within days.
Clinical depth
An IBCLC team with backgrounds in L&D, NICU, newborn nursery and pediatric nursing, plus a speech-language pathologist and a registered dietitian.
Insurance-friendly
In network with many commercial plans. We verify benefits first and give families a cost estimate up front, so there are no surprise bills.
How to refer
Two easy ways to send a family.
Patient has a BCBS HMO plan? See the BCBS HMO steps; BCBS needs your referral in their system first.
1. Fax a referral
Fax to (817) 977-9073 and include:
- Parent and baby names and dates of birth
- Parent’s phone number
- Insurance (front and back of card if you have it)
- Reason for referral and any diagnosis codes
- Helpful notes: recent weights, prematurity, release date if a frenotomy was done
We reach out to the family to verify benefits and get them scheduled.
2. Send the family to us
Hand them our website: fortworthlactation.com. They tap their insurance, fill out one secure form (about 10 minutes), and we take it from there.
Families can also call (817) 304-0992.
General questions from your office are welcome at hello@fortworthlactation.com. Please fax, don’t email, anything with patient information.
Important · BCBS HMO patients
BCBS HMO plans need your referral first.
We can see families with BCBS HMO plans, but BCBS must have a referral from your office in their system before we can do anything on our end.
- Submit the referral to BCBS on your end (through Availity), to Fort Worth Lactation & Tongue Tie Specialists, group NPI 1003653916.
- Send us a copy by fax to (817) 977-9073 or email to hello@fortworthlactation.com.
- We take it from there. As soon as your referral shows up in Availity, we create the prior authorization and get the family scheduled.
Please note: we cannot create the prior authorization until your referral appears in Availity. A faxed referral alone isn’t enough for BCBS HMO plans, and it’s the most common reason a family’s visit gets delayed.
What to put on the BCBS referral
- Refer to
- Fort Worth Lactation & Tongue Tie Specialists (Nichole McCloy LLC)
- Group NPI
- 1003653916
- Address
- 3420 Basswood Blvd., Ste. 130, Fort Worth, TX 76137
- Phone
- (817) 304-0992
- Fax
- (817) 977-9073
Need a specific provider on the referral? Their individual NPIs are listed below.
Provider directory
Our providers and NPIs.
All providers see patients under Fort Worth Lactation & Tongue Tie Specialists, group NPI 1003653916.
| Provider | Credentials | NPI |
|---|---|---|
| Nichole McCloy | RN, IBCLC (Founder) | 1801522123 |
| Abbey Knox (Earl) | SLP, IBCLC | 1194542407 |
| Annika Gill | RN, IBCLC | 1336031475 |
| Brooke Doak | RN, IBCLC | 1851265532 |
| Catharine DeMore | IBCLC | 1760927560 |
| Doreen Brass | RN, IBCLC | 1336987130 |
| Haylie Crawford | RN, IBCLC | 1831907468 |
| Jackie (Jaclyn) Drusch | RN, IBCLC | 1477319721 |
| Jessica Koiner | IBCLC | 1336008820 |
| Jorilyn Tasker | IBCLC | 1922876283 |
| Katie (Katherine) Hollmer | RN, IBCLC | 1528986874 |
| Lanna Davis | IBCLC | 1245199546 |
| LaToya Pierre | RN, IBCLC | 1053019281 |
| Lindsey James | RN, IBCLC | 1144066770 |
| Marianne Graham | RN, IBCLC | 1235911801 |
| Morgan Retton | RN, IBCLC | 1326902198 |
| Stephanie Housley | RN, IBCLC | 1508535451 |
| Susan MacKenzie | RN, RLC, IBCLC | 1003175860 |
| Mary Kobran | RD | 1437761855 |
Who we see
Common reasons providers refer.
- Poor weight gain or slow return to birth weight
- Latch difficulty, nipple pain or nipple trauma
- Low milk supply, oversupply, plugged ducts and mastitis recovery
- Tongue and lip tie assessment, plus feeding support before and after a release
- Bottle refusal and suck-swallow-breathe coordination
- NICU graduates, late preterm and early term babies
- Pumping, flange fitting, exclusive pumping and return to work
- Supplementation plans that protect milk supply
- Prenatal planning: prior feeding difficulty, breast surgery, PCOS or other risk factors
Practice details
- Practice
- Fort Worth Lactation & Tongue Tie Specialists (Nichole McCloy LLC)
- Group NPI
- 1003653916
- Main office
- 3420 Basswood Blvd., Ste. 130, Fort Worth, TX 76137
- Phone
- (817) 304-0992
- Fax
- (817) 977-9073
- hello@fortworthlactation.com
- Visit types
- Office, in-home and telehealth
- Locations
- Fort Worth, Burleson, Cleburne, Mansfield, McKinney; home visits across DFW
Insurance
In network with many BCBS/Anthem, Aetna & Meritain, Cigna (through Wildflower) and UnitedHealthcare/UMR commercial plans. BCBS HMO plans accepted with a referral in Availity (see above). Not able to accept Medicaid, CHIP, STAR, Marketplace (ACA), Tricare, BaylorScottWhite, Ambetter or other HMO plans; those families are welcome as self pay.
Staying in the loop
With the family’s permission, we’re glad to send a visit summary back to your office. Just note it on your referral.
Thank you for trusting us with your families.
Fax referrals to (817) 977-9073, or have the family start at fortworthlactation.com.
CALL (817) 304-0992