Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/42331
Referring to UH Seidman Cancer Center The highest quality of care for cancer patients is here at UH Seidman Cancer Center. We offer the most advanced therapies from leading cancer experts — more than 240 faculty and staff, including nationally recognized physicians and scientists — under one roof. And our cure rates, as defi ned and determined by the American College of Surgeons and the International Consortium of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, are well above the national average. Doctors have easy access to that care. We've simplified the referral process through direct phone lines (see sidebar) to specially trained staff who can arrange to transfer a patient within 24 hours or schedule an appointment within 24 hours. We take care of the related insurance issues, as well. Patients see the specialists they need Stanton Gerson, MD, clinical director, UH Seidman Cancer Center While some are self-referrals, most are from physicians seeking specialized cancer care for their patients. Stanton Gerson, MD, is clinical O director of UH Seidman Cancer Center and the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center through Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. We asked him what he thought physicians should know about referring patients to UH Seidman Cancer Center. Here's what he said. VER 8,000 NEW patients are seen each year at UH Seidman Cancer Center (for- merly Ireland Cancer Center). to see from the very fi rst appointment. Each patient referral is automatically sent to a multidisciplinary team nurse naviga- tor of the specifi c disease 'type', such as lung cancer, breast cancer, bone cancer, etc. And this dedicated coordinator in turn schedules appointments with the experts the patient needs to see. This saves the patient time and speeds up diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, the fi ndings are immediately communicated back to the referring physician. Referring physicians are recognized as an important part of the team. Ongoing communication with our referring physicians is a top priority, and we individualize that communication to their needs and orientations. If phone calls are preferred, we call the doctor. If REFERRING PATIENTS TO UH SEIDMAN CANCER CENTER 24-HOUR PHYSICIAN ADVICE LINE 216-844-1001 NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING 1-866-UH4-CARE (1-866-844-2273) 24-HOUR PATIENT TRANSFER CENTER 216-844-1111 CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION 216-207-7244 (Enter pager 32941. After tones, enter area code followed by telephone number.) UH INSURANCE ACCESS HOTLINE 216-983-1500 UHSEIDMAN.ORG e-mail is preferred, we e-mail. And soon we'll have a comprehensive electronic health record system with secure access for communicating with referring physi- cians outside the University Hospitals Health System. We want as much as possible for the patient's care to be local. Patients come to UH Seidman Cancer Center for the best possible care, and for tertiary care issues when appropriate — a clinical trial, innovative surgery, and the advanced coordination of care we offer to each and every patient and family. If patients need to travel from a considerable distance, we are able to coordinate their care with their local physician. The goal is always to improve cure rates and quality of life for cancer patients across the region and to be the destination for high quality innovative treatments and care. s 18 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM SPECIAL ISSUE, FALL 2011