“There's not a person at RMCC who doesn't make you feel like you're the most important person in their world.”

Sharon
Ovarian Cancer Survivor

For New Patients

We understand cancer and the effects it can have on your state of mind as well as your body. It's normal to feel overwhelmed at first - not to know what to expect from your disease or from treatment. We will do all we can to ease the process. To find out what to expect from a variety of visits and treatments, please read the topics below.

When You Arrive
The doctor sees patients on an appointment basis. Wheelchairs are available at all locations for patients who need assistance. When you arrive for your appointment, please check in with the receptionist. At that time, the receptionist will direct you to the next area (patient account services, laboratory, exam room, etc). If you are ever left to wait more than 20 minutes, please check back with the receptionist. We try to adhere to scheduled visit times, but emergencies may delay the doctor's schedule. We apologize if this should happen and want you to know we respect your time and value you as our patient.

On Your First Visit
After you check in during your initial visit, you will begin the registration process. Your patient services representative will ask you to provide basic personal information: your social security number, driver's license and all insurance cards. Your patient services representative will then review your insurance coverage and explain our billing and reimbursement procedures. As a patient, you have the primary responsibility for charges that are incurred. Your patient representative will help explain your financial obligations.

In Patient Account Services
We will work with you as an active partner in the financial management of your account. At your initial visit, you will meet a patient services representative. This individual's primary obligation is to assist you with the financial aspects of your oncology care. Our patient services representatives are trained and knowledgeable about insurance reimbursement, Medicaid and Medicare. Your representative is your advisory source concerning any billing or reimbursement questions.

New patients are asked to pay for their initial consultation at the time of registration. We request that those covered by Medicare pay any unmet deductibles at the first visit. On subsequent visits, patients are asked to pay any amount not expected to be covered by private insurance or Medicare.

Our central business office processes all billing on a monthly basis. You will receive statements detailing the charges for services rendered, the status of claims filed and payments received from your or your insurance carrier.

With Medicare/Medicaid Coverage
Patients who are covered by Medicare or Medicaid must present proof of coverage at their first visit, and thereafter on a monthly basis for Medicaid. If you have supplemental insurance coverage, please inform your patient service representative during your initial interview.

With Managed Care Coverage
It is very important for you to tell your patient service representative if you are covered by a health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO) or another managed care plan. We will verify the conditions of your coverage and our participation in the plan prior to the beginning of any indicated treatment. If your physician does not participate in your managed care plan, we will work with you to try to ensure coverage.

Pre-certification for hospitalization, referrals and various tests and procedures are usually a requirement of managed care coverage. It may be your responsibility to notify your patient service representative of the need to pre-certify or to obtain pre-authorization. Your patient service representative will coordinate this with your nurse and physician.

All co-payments or unmet deductibles that your managed care plan requires you to make will be collected on the day of your visit. For certain procedures, such as bone marrow transplants, a deposit may be required depending on your benefit plan. Failure to comply with your managed care plan policies may seriously affect payment for services.

When Filling Your Prescription
Many prescriptions can be refilled over the phone. Simply call your pharmacist with the name of the medication and the prescription number, which can be found on the medicine bottle. The pharmacist will then call your physician's office for refill approval. If possible, please try to phone in your request during regular office hours and early in the day.

Certain controlled medications, such as narcotics (Percocet, Tylox, etc.), require a special written prescription and by law CANNOT be refilled over the phone. You or a family member will need to come to the office to pick up this type of prescription and then take it to your pharmacy to be filled. It is very important that you request your narcotic prescription when you have a two to three day supply left. Narcotic prescriptions must be filled within seven days of the date shown on the prescription or they will be void. Also, please check your medicine amounts prior to the holidays and weekends to see if you will need a refill since narcotic prescriptions can only be written during office hours.

Patient Phone Calls
Between seeing patients in the office, your physician's nurse returns patient phone calls in the order received or as emergency calls arise. If you feel your call is an emergency, please advise the receptionist of this when you call. Your nurse is very knowledgeable and may be able to advise you. Your nurse will inform your physician about any problems. If you wish to speak directly to your physician, tell your nurse. Your physician will return your call -- at the end of office hours if necessary.

Test Results
Ask your nurse how you will be notified about your lab and x-ray results. For most other tests, such as CAT scans, bone scans or MRIs, it usually takes two to three days for your physician to obtain results.

Return Appointment
At the end of each visit, ask your physician when you should return. This enables you to make your next appointment before you leave the office. Please make sure you know the reason for your next visit:

Blood work only
Chemotherapy or radiation treatment
A physician appointment, with or without blood work

To see the physician, you need to schedule an appointment. For other appointments, please check with your nurse to determine the best time to come in.

When phoning for an appointment, please ask for the appointment desk. Let the person who is scheduling your visit know if you need additional tests before your next visit (CAT scans, MRI, mammogram, etc.). If you have been in the hospital, ask your doctor upon discharge when you need a follow-up visit. Then phone the office for an appointment.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is frequently used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy can keep cancer from spreading, slow the growth of cancer and relieve symptoms that are caused by cancer.

Chemotherapy drugs are administered in several ways. Most of the drugs are given directly into the blood stream. Some drugs can be given by mouth or by shot. Other drugs can be given directly into a body cavity or artery to concentrate the chemotherapy in a particular area. The schedule of treatment varies from patient to patient. Your doctor and nurse will review information on the drugs, the treatment schedule and the method in which the drug will be given with you and your family.

There are many drugs and different people may have different reactions to the same drug. The following are the most common side effects:

Nausea/vomiting
Lack of appetite/loss of taste
Sore/dry mouth
Diarrhea or constipation
Fatigue
Hair loss

Radiation Oncology
When a patient is referred for radiation therapy, a consultation appointment is made with a radiation oncologist. The physician reviews x-rays, MRI and/or PET scan reports to assess the most appropriate treatment for each individual patient. After the radiation oncologist discusses the treatment options with the patient, a simulation is scheduled.

A simulation is done in the radiation oncology department. During this procedure, a preliminary CAT scan and measurements are taken to map out the treatment area. This information is transferred to a three-dimensional treatment-planning computer. Your team of caregivers, including a radiation oncologist, dosimetrist and physicist, will work together to determine the most effective treatment plan for your situation, utilizing different radiation energies, angles and beam shaping devices.

At RMCC, patients have access to radiation therapy Monday through Friday. Registered radiation therapists deliver the treatments. The therapists work with the oncology nurse and physician to coordinate weekly checkups and assessments.