Navigating Through the Office
Welcome to New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology. In this section, you’ll find information to help you familiarize yourself with our practice and what to expect during your visits. We hope this section will help make your experience at NHOH as comfortable as possible.
Registration and Check-In
Each time you visit, you will need to check-in at the main reception desk. Our registration staff will verify your demographic and insurance information and notify the appropriate department of your arrival. We may ask to copy your insurance card or identification for our records, and you may be asked to sign any necessary forms related to your care or for billing purposes. The check-in staff will collect any co-payments as appropriate to your insurance plan.
What to bring:
Bring your insurance card and any updates to your medication list at each visit.
When to arrive:
Arrive early. This does not ensure that you will be seen earlier, but because of the lengthy nature of visits, punctuality will help keep your appointment on schedule.
Late policy
If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, whether or not you will be seen will depend on the urgency of your visit and the availability of your physician.
Same Day/Unscheduled appointments
If you are not feeling well and would like to be seen, we do we do allow some time in our schedule for add-ons (unscheduled appointments added that day). Please call the office to speak with the triage nurse. Depending on the availability of the physicians, you may be placed on our schedule as an add-on appointment.
Laboratory
Lab visits are usually scheduled prior to your provider appointment or any treatment. Providers need to evaluate your lab results to discuss and make healthcare decisions with you at your visit. Our offices in Manchester and Concord are equipped with on-site laboratories staffed by accredited medical technologists. We have partnered with Elliot Hospital at our Manchester office and Concord Hospital at our Concord office to provide all laboratory services and testing. This includes blood draws, sample analysis, result reporting and billing services.
If you are scheduled for blood work, you may be asked to sign an informed consent by the laboratory staff prior to your blood draw. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you will be required to complete an additional health questionnaire in order to help identify Medicare secondary payer situations.
Medical Appointments
Our professional care team includes physician assistants, advance nurse practitioners, and certified oncology nurses who may see you at routine visits, and will consult with your physician regarding your care.
At the beginning of your visit, a medical assistant will greet you, take your vital signs, obtain height and weight, as needed and take you to an exam room where you will be seen by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. They will then asses your current medical status, perform a physical examination, review your treatment plan progress, and discuss the results of any lab work or test results such as CT or PET scans.
If you have an emergency after hours, call our office number. Our answering service will take a message and contact a NHOH physician, who will return your call as soon as possible. When you call after office hours, please have the following information ready:
- Your name
- Your doctor’s name
- Telephone number where you can be reached
- Your diagnosis
- Your chemotherapy medication(s)
- When you last had chemotherapy
- Your blood count card
- What your concern or problem is
- Name and phone number of your pharmacy
If your physician is not available, one of the other NHOH physicians will return your call. If you do not get a call back within 30 minutes, please call again.
Treatment Sessions
We want to ease any apprehension you may have about chemotherapy. Our certified oncology nurses oversee the administration of chemotherapy to patients in our treatment area. Our nursing staff uses a team approach which means two nurses are assigned to each patient to maximize patient safety.
What to bring to treatment
Please remember to refrain from bringing foods with strong odors. Some of our patients experience nausea that can be irritated by smelly food.
We ask that you refrain from cell phone use in the treatment area as it can be an irritation or distraction to others around you. If your cell phone needs to be on, please set it to vibrate.
Due to the extended nature of visits, we strongly recommend patients bring a snack, something to read and/or a guest to make their visit as comfortable as possible. We have limited snacks and drinks, as well as some portable DVD players, but their availability is limited so we advise you to bring your own food and entertainment.
- Patients are always welcome to bring guests to their appointments and treatments, but if you are bringing more than one guest or small children, we ask that you let our staff know in advance so that we may provide the necessary accommodations. We provide identification arm bands for all our patients with your name and your date of birth. We do this to ensure that all our patients receive the correct treatment while in our office.
- When coming in for treatment, we strongly urge our patients to bring someone as a driving escort, especially for a first treatment, or when a patient is weak or sedated. It is helpful to bring a companion for teaching information. Teachings can be a lot to take in for just a patient, and someone to listen or take notes can help you get the most out of your teaching session.
- The treatment area tends to be chilly, so we advise you to dress in layers. Pillows and blankets limited availability, we encourage you to bring your own for your comfort during your stay. Also, we advise you to wear a button-down shirt if you are receiving VAD treatment.
Pharmacy
Our Concord and Manchester offices have on-site pharmacies staffed by certified pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Our pharmacists have specialized training in preparation of chemotherapy and supportive care drugs required for various treatment plans. Our pharmacists work directly with the physicians and nursing staff to provide consultation regarding drug interventions and any possible reactions to chemotherapy to make treatment as effective as possible for our patients.
Scheduling and Check-Out
Once your visit is completed, your last stop will be at check-out. Our scheduling staff will schedule your next appointment at NHOH as well as any necessary tests or procedures with other providers.