Oncology Express Unit Offers Urgent Care Just for Patients With Cancer

When William McCracken’s doctor prescribed a transfusion for his blood disorder, he thought the only path to treatment was a day’s wait in the Emergency Department (ED).

McCracken was relieved to learn that the Oncology Express Unit, in the West Pavilion on the first floor of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, offered a better option.

“My condition requires regular blood transfusions every one to three weeks,” McCracken said.

“Having the Oncology Express Unit close to home has made life so much easier. I get the treatment I need, while reclining in a comfortable chair, and I’m in and out in a couple of hours.”

The Oncology Express Unit was created especially for patients who may experience problems during cancer treatment, or who need a transfusion, that would otherwise require a trip to the ED.

Clinicians at the unit work together with the cancer specialists at the Graham Cancer Center to offer individualized cancer directed care management that is safe and effective.

They specialize in treating a variety of conditions that can come from a reaction to chemotherapy or side effects from radiation. These include dehydration from nausea and vomiting, low blood cell counts, breathing problems, bacterial or viral illness, fever or electrolyte imbalances.

“When our patients are not feeling well, they understandably want relief as fast as possible, but the ED is not always the best place to manage their symptoms,” said Leslie Verucci, MSN, RN, CNS, CRNP, APRN-BC, the nurse practitioner who leads the Oncology Express Unit medical team.

Personal, timely care

Verucci points out that unnecessary trips to the ED not only tally up significant avoidable costs but, even more importantly, pose a higher risk of infection for patients whose immune systems may be compromised.

“At the Oncology Express Unit, our patients receive more personalized, timely care by providers who have the clinical skills to assess their particular symptoms and offer effective remedies in continuity with their overall cancer treatment plan,” she said.

The Oncology Express Unit was established in March 2018, following the successful implementation and evaluation of a new clinical pathway offering Supportive Care of Oncology Patients (SCOOP). Since then the unit has provided care during more than 2,500 patient visits while significantly reducing the number of unnecessary ED visits.

“We’ve learned through our experiences with SCOOP that a coordinated and proactive level of care management where patients have easy access to their care team not only reduces costs associated with unnecessary treatment, but provides a better patient experience overall,” said Cancer Program Clinical Director Cynthia Waddington, MSN, RN, AOCN.

Convenient and comforting

“Our patients consistently tell us that coming to the Oncology Express Unit is not only convenient, but comforting, a place where they receive exceptional care from a team that understands their diagnosis and how to treat the symptoms they are experiencing.”

Patients who are feeling ill from their cancer treatment or who need a transfusion should talk to their oncologist or hematologist to see if the Oncology Express Unit is the right place for treatment. If so, the doctor can provide a referral. The unit is open by appointment Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

These days, McCracken, who is 86 and retired, enjoys his free time more. “They call it living the good life,” he said. “My old routine to get treatment was very tiring, but the Oncology Express Unit is right downstairs from my hematologist’s office.

“It is very convenient. The staff has my prescription ready, and they know me by name. It is a pleasure to go down there, I tell you.”