Here for you at Every Point along the Path

What to Expect at Your First Visit

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.

What to bring to your first appointment:

• A list of questions you want to ask
• Your support person. . . who may also have questions
• Your signed acknowledgement of receipt of the NHOH Notice of Privacy Practices (for the Concord office only) 
• 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)
• Family history form
• 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.