|
Office
Hours & Appointment Scheduling
Emergencies, Weekends, Etc.
Check-In at Nashville Oncology Associates
Waiting To See Your Physician
How Long Will My Appointment Last
Prescription & Refills
Special Services and Staff
Hospital Admitting Privileges
Will NOA Physicians Answer My Family's Questions?
Financial Concerns
Cancer
Information Links
Office
Hours & Appointment Scheduling
Regular
office hours for Nashville Oncology Associates are from 8:00 a.m.
until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. until
12:00 noon on Fridays. Patients are seen by appointment only. You
may schedule an appointment by calling our office at (615) 284-2310
and speaking to one of our office personnel. When making a follow-up
appointment, stop at the check-out window at the front desk after
your visit and give our office staff the encounter form that is
given to you by your doctor or nurse. On the day before your appointment,
a member of our front office staff will call you to remind you of
your appointment. In order for our physicians to provide you with
the best possible care, it is extremely important that you keep
your appointments. However, we realize unforeseen circumstances
may result in the need to change your appointment. If this occurs
and you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please contact
our office at least 24 hours ahead of time in order to reschedule
your appointment.
Emergencies,
Weekends, Etc.
If you have
a medical problem and/or concern that cannot wait until your next
visit, call our office at (615) 284-2310. Your call will be forwarded
to a nurse or a physician. If you need to be seen, we will work
you into the schedule for that day. If you call on a weekend or
after regular office hours, you will get our answering service.
At this point, you have the option to leave a voice mail message
or if you need immediate assistance, you must stay on the line to
speak with the answering service personnel. The answering service
personnel will page the on-call physician to assist you with your
questions and/or concerns. Your call will be returned as soon as
possible. However, if it is a weekend or after hours and your call
has not been returned within one hour, please call again. We want
you to feel secure in knowing that you can reach one of our physicians
at all times.
Check-In
at Nashville Oncology Associates
Upon
arrival to our office, please sign your name on the patient register
located at the reception window. If you have had any changes since
your last visit and especially a change in address, workplace, phone
number, insurance coverage or received new insurance cards, please
notify our receptionist. This will allow us to serve you more efficiently
and help to ensure that your insurance benefits are being utilized
and billed appropriately.
Waiting
To See Your Physician
The
staff at Nashville Oncology Associates tries to be as efficient
as possible to minimize your waiting time. We realize your time
is important. However, there are times when unforeseen circumstances
arise (extremely ill patients, hospital emergencies, etc.) that
may delay the physician or nurse. These situations are rare, but
upon occasion do occur. We will try to keep you informed if an unforeseen
delay occurs during your visit. Your understanding in this regard
is genuinely appreciated.
How
Long Will My Appointment Last?
The
length of your appointments will vary. If you are a new patient,
you can expect to be in our office approximately 45 minutes to one
hour on your first visit. Appointments for follow-up visits will
be significantly shorter. If you are receiving chemotherapy on the
day of your visit, your time will vary depending on the type of
chemotherapy drugs that will be administered. You can ask one of
our Certified Oncology Nurses, who will be administering your treatments,
how long you can expect to be in our office. Patient education sessions
are also held with you and your family to educate you as to your
treatment and what effects your treatment can have.
Prescriptions
& Refills
If
you need a prescription or a refill, please make your request during
regular office hours. When you call, please have the name of your
medication, dosage information from the label and your pharmacy's
phone number. If you anticipate being out of your pain medication
over the weekend, call our office no later than 12:00 noon on Friday.
There are some narcotics that cannot be refilled over the phone
so a written prescription must be picked up at our office or one
mailed to the patient's home to be taken to the pharmacy. It is
generally Nashville Oncology Associates policy not to refill pain
medication over the weekend. Therefore, please plan ahead and call
the office prior to the weekend if refills are needed.
Special
Services and Staff
Nashville
Oncology Associates provides laboratory services, as well as x-ray
examination and chemotherapy administration. We provide patient
education associated with chemotherapy administration and offer
other educational and support referral services. All other special
tests such as MRI's, CT's, etc. are usually scheduled through the
local hospital's outpatient scheduling. The outpatient testing centers
are conveniently located near our office.
Nashville
Oncology Associates is comprised of approximately 12 staff members
who are dedicated, competent, professionals who are appropriately
trained and educated. We are here to assist you with whatever your
needs may be. Our nurses are Oncology Certified or currently undergoing
the certification process.
Hospital
Admitting Privileges
Our
physicians have admitting privileges at Baptist Hospital, Inc. and
Centennial Medical Center. Many times your insurance carrier will
determine to which hospital you may be admitted.
Will
NOA Physicians Answer My Family's Questions?
The
physicians at Nashville Oncology Associates will be glad to meet
with you and your family for a question and answer session. Many
times these conferences can be held when the physician is making
hospital rounds. You may also schedule a family conference with
the physician at our office. Choosing a family member to be the
spokesperson is extremely helpful and efficient if there is a large
group. That spokesperson will ask the questions and explain to other
family members what the physician has said. Our staff is here to
answer any questions and/or concerns that you may have regarding
your care. If you call with a question during the day, one of our
nurses will return your call as soon as possible.
Financial
Concerns
The
treatment and proper care of our patients are our ultimate concern
at Nashville Oncology Associates. However, we do expect our patients
to make every effort to meet their financial obligations. Full payment
is due at the time of service unless alternate arrangements are
made. All copayments are collected at the time of your visit. We
accept assignment on Medicare Part B coverage as well as participate
in most major healthcare plans. However, the status of our participation
may change periodically.
As
a courtesy to our patients, we will file all primary and secondary
insurance. You must provide us with all insurance information necessary
to file a claim. Please remember that your insurance policy is a
contract between you and your insurance company. Thus, we are not
a party to that contract. Our services are provided to you at a
charge that is considered usual and customary for our area. You
are, therefore, responsible for payment of our services regardless
of your insurance company's arbitrary determination of usual and
customary rates. The portion not paid by your insurance company
is due at the time service is rendered. For your convenience, we
accept cash, check, MasterCard and Visa.
|
