Our office hours are:
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For appointments call 253-851-5155
Appointments can be scheduled weekdays during office hours. We try very hard to
stay on schedule, and know that your time is extremely valuable. However, emergencies
do arise unexpectedly. If we are delayed, or if we need to reschedule your appointment,
we will notify you in advance. We appreciate your understanding and patience.
We accept most managed care and commercial health insurance plans, and file claims
directly with these companies. We will bill Medicare and accept assignment. However,
in order to avoid any unexpected charges, we recommend you find out about co-payment
policies and familiarize yourself with any restrictions regarding self-referrals.
We appreciate co-payment at the time services are rendered.
Franciscan Health System provides services to all individuals, regardless of their
ability to pay. If you would like more information about how we can assist you with
your bill, please talk to the receptionist when you visit a clinic. The receptionist
can direct you to a patient account representative, who will help you evaluate your
payment options. For your convenience we accept cash, check or credit card.
Your first appointment with a radiation oncologist will be a consultation. This
visit will include a health history, a physical exam and a discussion of treatment
recommendations and/or options. It may be necessary to schedule other diagnostic
tests in order to determine the best course of treatment and/or your physical ability
to start treatment.
The next scheduled appointment is usually for review and discussion of test results
and/or for a simulation. This appointment may take 30 to 90 minutes.
A simulation involves using either specialized CAT (CT) scan or other X-ray films
to determine the treatment field position. It will be at this time that pen marks
and/or tattoos will be placed on the skin so that we can position you precisely
for the radiation therapy treatment. The temporary skin markings indicating treatment
areas should not be washed away until you are instructed to do so. If you are marked
with the permanent tattoos, do not attempt to remove them. These tattoos are a record
of the location of the treatment field for your current treatment. This particular
treatment field may need to be identified many months or even years in the future.
If a CT scan is required either before or sometime during your
treatment, it will
be performed on site where we have a specialized, dedicated scanner used only for
radiation treatment planning. This procedure may take 10 to 30 minutes.
Treatment usually begins between
seven to 10 business days
after the simulation appointment. This allows us to complete complex computerized
treatment planning. Additional time may be necessary for planning the more technical
forms of therapy. The number of treatments prescribed by your radiation oncologist
will depend on the size, location, type and radio sensitivity of the disease or
tumor, as well as your general health condition. The length of time for the treatment
varies with each individual and depends on the type of treatment planned by your
physician. Generally, the treatments are short in duration and painless. The
radiation therapists will position you on the treatment machine and will then leave
the room during the actual treatment. It will be important for you to lie very still
during the treatment. You will be monitored via an audio-visual system for your
safety.
Treatments are generally given daily, Monday through Friday, at approximately the
same time each day. We will attempt to accommodate any requested specific time of
day as best we can. Occasionally, there may be an unavoidable delay that will necessitate
you waiting beyond your scheduled appointment time, and we apologize should this
occur. We assure you, however, that we do make every possible attempt to keep the
treatment schedule on time.
