Setting up an Appointment

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, call us today at (816) 271-1301 to schedule an appointment. Our caregivers are available to help you start the next steps of your journey. You don’t need to have a referral; all you need is to have a diagnosis.

When you call, you’ll need to provide the following information:

Full name, contact information, date of birth and your diagnosis.
If you have had prior treatment, please have all the information you have about that treatment available.
Your primary medical insurance provider. If you do not have insurance, don’t worry. We will help you get an appointment with our financial counselor to find coverage options.

We understand that making the first call can cause some anxiety. It is our goal to make your first call as easy as possible. You and your loved ones will likely have a lot of questions, and we make it our priority to get you answers and make sure your needs are met starting with the very first call.

All of the members of our care team are experts in their roles and they work together to make sure your first appointment is right for your diagnosis. Whether your appointment is with a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist or a surgeon, you can find comfort in knowing that we will refer you to the provider that is best suited for your diagnosis.

Preparing for your Appointment

For your first appointment, our care team will want to review any tests related to your diagnosis that you have already had. If you are a patient of a Mosaic Life Care doctor, we will already have access to medical information for any care that you have received within the Mosaic Life Care network.

All patients will need to bring a photo I.D., insurance card, and list of current medications. It may also be helpful to bring in the medication bottles. We also highly recommend bringing a family member or a friend with you to your appointment.

If you have received care somewhere other than Mosaic Life Care for your diagnosis or any previous treatments, please bring the following to your first appointment:

Pathology slides from any biopsies or surgical procedures

To get the slides, call the doctor’s office where you had the procedure(s) done to find out who has the slides. The slides may be at a hospital or a lab. The doctor’s office may be able to get the slides and a copy of the written report for you, so be sure to ask them if they can help.

If they refer you to call the hospital or lab where the slides are, ask for the slides and a copy of the written report. If you have had more than one biopsy or surgery, please be sure to request the slides and written reports for each procedure.

Radiology tests

Radiology tests provide images of the tumor(s). These images may have been taken by X-ray, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans and/or bone scans. They are often stored on a disc but sometimes may be on film.

To get your radiology tests, call the hospital or imaging center where you had the images taken. Ask if the images are available on disc. If the images are available on disc, ask for a disc that contains all of the images that were taken. If they do not have an option for a disc, then ask for the actual films.

Be sure to also ask for copies of any written reports that are available for each test. If you need help, you may call the doctor that originally ordered the imaging tests and they may be able to help you access the images.

Medical Summary

Your medical summary provides details of your medical history related to your diagnosis and the treatment(s) that you have received.

We need to you to bring your medical summary if:

You started cancer treatment before coming to Mosaic Life Care. We will need a written summary or a copy of your medical records from the doctor who previously treated you.
You have ever seen another doctor for a heart problem. We will not only need the summary but we will also need results from all recent tests you have had, including stress test(s) and echocardiogram.
You are seeing a radiation oncologist and have received radiation therapy in the past. If you have received radiation therapy before, please call the doctor who ordered the therapy and ask for copies of the simulation or port films.

Medications

Be sure to bring a full list of medications you take or bring the bottles of all medications you take, including prescriptions and over-the-counter medications — even vitamins and herbal supplements. We need to know: the name of each medicine as well as the dosage and frequency you take the medication.

Insurance and Prescription Cards

Please bring the following cards with you to your appointment:

Insurance card. If you are covered by more than one insurance, please be sure to bring all cards.
Prescription card. If you have a separate card used for pharmacy purchases.

Additional Suggestions

There are a few additional things that you can do to help make your first appointment more comfortable:

Have a friend or family member come to your appointment with you. A lot of information will be provided during your appointment and it can be helpful to have someone else there to help you listen and take notes.
Make a list of any questions you or loved ones have before your visit and bring the questions with you.
Bring a notebook and a pen or pencil to your appointment so that you or someone with you can take notes during your visit.
If you have an advanced directive prepared, or durable power of attorney, bring them with you so we can add them to your medical records. They will be scanned and returned to you at the time of your visit.

Your First Chemotherapy Appointment

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your first chemotherapy appointment:

Dress comfortably. Warm blankets and pillows will be available.
The length of treatment time will vary depending on your treatment plan. Ask a caregiver beforehand about what to expect.
Once you are seated in the infusion room, your nurse will provide information about possible chemotherapy side effects. The nurse will start your IV to begin chemo.
If you have a port, you may consider wearing a button-down shirt to your chemotherapy appointments for easier access.
If you do not have a port, please wear a loose-sleeved shirt to provide easy access to your arms for the IV.
If you are on oxygen, you must bring your own supply to last the duration of your treatment.
Cell phones are allowed in the treatment area, but please be courteous of caregivers and other patients.
Wi-fi is available, and you may bring your own laptop.
There is a television available for every patient.
If you bring a friend or family member for support, we can accommodate one visitor near your infusion chair.
Children will not be allowed in the treatment room.
Complimentary sandwiches, snacks and drinks are available to patients during their treatment.
When your treatment is done, you will stop at the scheduling desk to confirm your next appointment.

Your First Radiation Therapy Appointment

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your first radiation therapy appointment:

Please be on time for your scheduled appointment.
When you check in at the front desk, you will receive a registration card as well as instructions on how to use it.
You will be directed to the dressing room to put on a gown or pants depending on your treatment area.
Your radiation therapist will come to the dressing room to escort you to the treatment machine.
The radiation therapist will explain what will happen each day during treatment.
Each week, you will have a visit or “status check” with your physician.
Patients receiving treatments are usually in and out in less than 30 minutes, unless it is a status check day.