Thomas L. Ortel, MD, PhD
Hematologist
My Locations
About Me
I primarily see patients who have a variety of rare bleeding and clotting disorders. I see both older and younger patients and also provide help when patients need to transition to and away from blood thinners. Doctors usually refer patients to me. I try to work with each patient so they understand why they are seeing me and what is going on with their body. I enjoy when a patient can leave my office with a complete understanding of what is going on and what they need to do to get better. As a young child, I had bad allergies and spent much time in the doctor’s office. As a frequent patient, I enjoyed spending time around medicine. As I entered college, I found that I enjoyed chemistry and that hematology allowed me to combine lab work with patient care.
- Chief, Division of Hematology in the Department of Medicine, Medicine, Hematology 2013
- Professor of Medicine, Medicine, Hematology 2008
- Professor of Pathology, Pathology 2008
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Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
Clinical Focus and Research
My research interests focus on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with bleeding and clotting disorders. I am particularly interested in the immune-mediated clotting disorders, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). I have participated in multiple studies investigating new anticoagulants (blood thinners) and the use of these therapies in high-risk clinical situations (for example, in the perioperative state and in patients with cancer). My laboratory investigates the mechanisms of clotting and evaluating new anticoagulants.
- CISA 2023 Clinical Contributing Task 1 awarded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2023 - 2028
- CISA 2023 Clinical Contributing Task 2 awarded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2023 - 2028
- U2C/TL1 NC KUH TRIO Professional Development Core awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2023 - 2028
- Erkan, Doruk, Thomas L. Ortel, and Michael D. Lockshin. “Warfarin in antiphospholipid syndrome--time to explore new horizons.” J Rheumatol 32, no. 2 (February 2005): 208–12.
- Rand, Jacob H., Xiao-Xuan Wu, Robert Lapinski, Waander L. van Heerde, Chris P. Reutelingsperger, Pojen P. Chen, and Thomas L. Ortel. “Detection of antibody-mediated reduction of annexin A5 anticoagulant activity in plasmas of patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome.” Blood 104, no. 9 (November 1, 2004): 2783–90. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2004-01-0203.
- Potti, Anil, Christopher P. Rusconi, Bruce A. Sullenger, and Thomas L. Ortel. “Regulatable aptamers in medicine: focus on antithrombotic strategies.” Expert Opin Biol Ther 4, no. 10 (October 2004): 1641–47. https://doi.org/10.1517/14712598.4.10.1641.
- Daughety, M. M., D. Erkan, M. D. Lockshin, and T. L. Ortel. “Antiphospholipid Syndrome.” In Clinical Immunology: Principles and Practice, Sixth Edition, 788–94, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-8165-1.00061-7.
- Ortel, T. L. “Hematology: Cytopenias.” In Lahita’s Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, 575–82, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820583-9.00004-X.
- Ortel, T. L., D. Erkan, and M. D. Lockshin. “Antiphospholipid Syndrome.” In Clinical Immunology: Principles and Practice, 835-841.e1, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-6896-6.00061-2.
- Refaai, Majed A., Grace Conley, Thomas L. Ortel, and John L. Francis. “Evaluation of a rapid and automated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia immunoassay.” In Int J Lab Hematol, 41:478–84, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijlh.13029.
- Khorana, Alok A., Charles W. Francis, Nicole M. Kuderer, Marc Carrier, Thomas L. Ortel, Ted Wun, Deborah Rubens, et al. “Dalteparin thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism: A randomized trial.” In Thromb Res, 151:89–95, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2017.01.009.
- Douketis, J., A. Spyropoulos, S. Kaatz, J. Caprini, A. Dunn, D. Garcia, A. Jacobson, et al. “Bridging anticoagulation in patients who require temporary interruption of warfarin therapy for an elective invasive procedure or surgery (the bridge trial).” In JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, 13:83–84. WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2015.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
- Dade Behring, Inc. (Siemens)
- Diagnostica Stago
- Instrumentation Laboratory
- Sanofi
- The American Society of Hematology (ASH)
- Up To Date Inc/Wolters Kluwer Health