STARTING YOUR JOURNEY Prepare for Your Appointment

Take A Tour of Our Cancer Center

Explore the patient experience

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GETTING READY FOR Before You Arrive

The first time you come to a cancer center, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are coming in for your first appointment, we want to make it as easy as possible. Here are a few steps to help you get prepared.

YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT What to Expect

Your appointments at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center will likely include registration, meeting with your care team, and physical exams you may need.

As a patient of Baptist MD Anderson, you are likely to have an appointment with one of our physicians in medical oncology. All of our specialists are subspecialized, meaning your oncologist is an expert in that specific area. Your oncologist will help you understand your diagnosis and develop your individualized care plan in collaboration with other specialists and experts.

Select a diagnosis to learn more about what to expect during your appointments or treatment.

Blood & Lymphatic

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Bone & Soft Tissue

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Brain & Spine Tumors

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Breast

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Gynecologic

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Head & Neck

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Lung & Chest

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Skin

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Stomach & Intestinal

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Urologic

When you arrive, one of our staff members will take your height, weight and vital signs. You may be asked to do some lab work before your visit. One of our providers will review your medical history, any recent side-effects you may have experienced and any medications you are currently taking.

Your oncologist will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. You may have follow-ups another member of your multidisciplinary team or specialty clinics.

Insurance and Billing

We know billing and insurance is the last thing you want to worry about. We offer financial counseling to go through everything you need to know and help you find financial assistance.

OUR POLICIES Looking Out for Our Patients

To help you and all of our patients, we want to give you a few important tips and guidelines to remember when visiting our cancer center, whether as a patient, caregiver or visitor.

  • Visitor Policy

    For your safety and the safety of others, we ask that you limit the number and ages of guests that come with you into cancer treatment areas. In case of an emergency situation, we need to keep these areas freely accessible to emergency personnel. Children under the age of 12 may be at risk to be near hazardous materials such as chemotherapy or radiation.

    We ask:

    • Please no children under the age of 12 in treatment areas.
    • Please no more than 2 visitors at a time. If you have an extenuating circumstance, please ask to speak with the manager to see if we may be able to accommodate you.
    • Baptist Health complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding Service Animals. Service Animals are allowed inside all Baptist Health hospital and outpatient facilities, including the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, except for any area required to meet environmental or infection control measures in order to minimize the risk of disease transmission, including but not limited to:
      • Operating rooms, minor surgery, endoscopy
      • Interventional Radiology
      • Pain Management Procedure Rooms
      • Rooms with patients being treated with radio-immune therapy
  • Fragrance Policy

    Please do not wear perfume, cologne, aftershave or other fragrances. Instead, please choose unscented personal care products.

    The chemicals used in scented products can make some people feel sick, especially those with fragrance sensitivities, asthma, allergies and other medical conditions.

  • Missed Appointments

    A patient who, without notification, fails to show for an appointment more than twice, at the discretion of the physician, may be discharged from the practice. Such discharge must be accompanied with 30 days advance notice via certified mail.

  • Preventing Infection

    Many cancer patients are more likely to get sick than other people. To protect you, our staff and our community against the spread of germs such as the flu virus, Baptist MD Anderson is taking the following preventative steps:

    • Please wear a mask if you have a cough, runny nose, fever or upset stomach.
    • Use the alcohol-based foam after coughing, sneezing, wiping your nose or before coming into contact with another person.
    • Staff members are using good hand-washing practices to prevent the spread of germs.
    • If you are concerned about getting sick, please feel free to wear a mask and use the alcohol-based foam.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, we have you covered. We have nurse navigators available to guide you through every step of your care. Request an appointment or speak to a nurse navigator by phone or online.

PREPARING FOR A Hospital Stay

At some point during your care, you may need to be admitted to the hospital, whether it is planned or unplanned. We want you to be know what to expect before you arrive.

As a Baptist MD Anderson patient, if you are admitted to the hospital, you will likely see our full-time inpatient oncologist. All of our Baptist MD Anderson oncologists and specialists work together collaboratively on each patient’s care plan and are familiar with details of your diagnosis and treatment.

  • Admission Process

    Please bring the following items to check-in at the hospital:

    • Photo identification such as a driver’s license or state ID card
    • Insurance card
    • Pharmacy benefit card
    • Cash, check, or credit card for your co-payment or deductible

    Personal belongings
    When being admitted to the hospital, you may or may not have an idea of how long you will be in the hospital. It is best to be flexible and prepare to stay longer than you may anticipate.

    Some items that you may want to bring include:

    • Entertainment including books, magazines or electronic devices*
    • Personal items such as a toothbrush, eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids, etc.

    Items not to bring:

    • Jewelry or other valuables*
    • Blankets and pillows
    • Portable fans

    * Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville is not responsible for any lost personal property.

  • During Your Stay

    Parking
    Baptist MD Anderson patients are admitted to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville. Depending on your specific needs, you may be admitted to the Weaver Tower, Adult Tower or Heart Hospital. Parking includes:

    • Garage P1 (Adult Hospital: Weaver Tower and Adult Tower)
    • Garage P3 (Heart Hospital)

    Room and amenities
    For your privacy and comfort, every patient room is private and includes the following amenities:

    • Free Wi-Fi
    • Flat-screen TVs with cable television
    • Telephone
    • Sleeper sofa
    • In-room safe

    Food service
    The hospital provides complimentary food service to your room between the hours of 7:30 am and 5:45 pm. Throughout the day a host / hostess will assist you with your meal preference based on your physician’s diet order. Caregivers and visitors may get food from on-site dining options.

    Inpatient support services
    Available to all Baptist MD Anderson patients are inpatient support services such as:

    • inpatient nurse navigation
    • social work services
    • pastoral care
    • nutrition services
  • Visitors

    Most areas of the hospital have open visiting hours and we encourage friends and family to visit our patients often. Generally, we request that there be only two visitors in a room at any one time.

    Family areas
    Family lounges are provided throughout the hospital for patient’s family members and visitors.

    Staying overnight
    An adult family member or caregiver may stay overnight in your room for support. Each room is outfitted with a sleeper sofa and bedding materials can be provided upon request.

    Children
    Children under the age of 12 are permitted to visit when accompanied by a non-patient adult at all times.

    Infection prevention
    The most important thing you can do to prevent infection is clean your hands. All visitors, caregivers, and health care providers should clean their hands:

    • before entering the room
    • after touching any object or surface in the hospital room
    • before and after eating
    • after using the restroom

    For the safety of our patients, visitors should only visit patients if they themselves are healthy. Please avoid visitation if a visitor has had any of the following symptoms in the past 7 days:

    • cough, sore throat, sneezing or runny nose,
    • fever over 100.4°F
    • diarrhea
    • vomiting

    Gifts
    While we encourage gifts for our patients, certain items are not allowed in patient rooms as they can put cancer patients at risk for infection. The following items are not allowed on the oncology floor of the hospital.

    • No silk or artificial plants that have moss or dust
    • No fresh-cut fruit such as Edible Arrangements®
    • No flowers or plants (fresh, cut or dried)
    • No items stored in cardboard

    Please consider alternative gift ideas such as magazines, books, games, and movies. If you would like to have a gift delivered to a patient room please call 904.202.1204.