At NHOH our specialty is caring for people with cancer (oncology)
and diseases of the blood (hematology). If you are a new
patient to our practice, you may be coping with a recent diagnosis
and will have many questions about what lies ahead concerning your
medical care. Our team at NHOH pledges to deliver
compassionate care, the most advanced treatments, and to answer your
questions with the utmost respect and thoroughness.
Scheduling Your First Appointment
Once your referring physician has called, our
New Patient Coordinator will schedule your first appointment with a
NHOH physician and collect the necessary information for your visit
(pathology reports, radiology films, lab results, etc.). Our New
Patient Coordinator will then send you our Patient Introduction Packet. We encourage you
to review this, which will familiarize you with our practice and
staff, our care philosophy, mission and values, and other helpful
details. You will also receive a phone call prior to your first
visit to complete the New Patient Registration and to see if you
have any financial concerns.
Your First Visit
Your first visit will be scheduled for a full
hour with your physician to allow a complete assessment, review of
treatment options and recommendations, as well as an explanation of
the care plan you and your physician agree upon. Ample time will be
made to answer your questions and concerns carefully.
Coping with a recent diagnosis can be stressful and overwhelming.
Since it may be difficult to remember all of the details of your
first visit, we encourage patients to bring a family member or other
support person with them to their first appointment and at any time.
We know how helpful this support can be to our patients.
A complete list of your current
medications and nutritional supplements (Medication
Form)
Your Insurance Card and Photo
Identification (we will make a copy
to keep in your record)
Completed registration form (if not done
so by phone)
A pen and pad to take notes
You will leave this appointment with your
physician’s recommendations and workup for your treatment plan. Your
physician may order blood tests to be taken that day. If so, we have
laboratories conveniently located onsite. If other testing is
ordered by your physician such as X-Rays, CT scans or PET scans, our
office staff will schedule those tests for you.
The Next Steps: Your Personal Treatment Plan
Our goal is to make your treatment with us
as comfortable as possible. We strive to answer any questions you
have regarding your treatment at any time. Once you have agreed on a
plan of care with your physician, the next steps will depend on this
plan and will include one or more of the following pathways:
Watch and Wait
For some
patients, the best treatment is no treatment right away. Instead, a
“Watch and Wait” surveillance of their condition is indicated. Our
staff will schedule your next appointment with your physician as
recommended.
Medication Interventions
For some patients
the recommended treatment plan will call for oral medications or
injections which are administered by our nursing staff. Our staff
will schedule your next appointment with one of our nurses or
physician assistants and a follow-up with your physician will be
scheduled as indicated in your treatment plan.
Laboratory Interventions
For patients
requiring blood testing and/or monitoring, our staff will schedule
your laboratory visits as recommended. Follow-up with your
physician will be scheduled as indicated in your treatment plan.
Chemotherapy Treatment
If your treatment plan includes
chemotherapy, your next appointment will be a Teaching Visit
with
one of our certified oncology nurses. This will be a personalized,
one-on-one appointment to explain the specifics of your treatment
regimen, what side effects you can expect and how to best manage
them, as well as a wide range of useful resources. A significant
amount of information will be covered during this visit which you
can expect will take from 1-2 hours to complete.
This visit provides an important opportunity for you to ask
questions about your treatment. Some of the questions patients
frequently ask include:
Will I lose my hair?
How long will my chemo treatments take?
How frequent will my chemo treatments be?
Can I eat before my treatment?
Will I be able to drive after my treatment?
Will I become nauseated?
How tired will I be?
Will I be able to continue working?
You will be given a
brief tour of our office including a visit to the treatment area.
By becoming familiar with our office and routine procedures, you can
look forward to a treatment experience as smooth and comfortable as
possible.
NHOH Referral Policy
Our patients are those who have already been
diagnosed with cancer or blood-related disorders, and are referred
to us by a primary care physician or other specialist. We frequently
are contacted by individuals with concerns about their personal
medical history or who are experiencing symptoms for which they are
seeking screening or diagnostic testing. We strongly encourage these
individuals to be seen by a qualified primary care physician or
specialist, who can provide the appropriate diagnostic testing.
