Just a Phone Call Away

Around-the-Clock Nurse Triage for Our Patients

Treatment-related issues can be frightening to patients, especially those who have more complicated situations. For this reason, we have a nurse triage program for patients with question or concerns. Oftentimes, the questions are standard and can be handled by nurses on the phone or through video conferencing. For more complicated situations, the nurses will contact the patient’s physician who will determine whether the patient can be managed at home, should come to our Assessment and Treatment Center or go to the nearest emergency department.

Working in close coordination with the team in the Assessment and Treatment Center, led by Laura Mango, MD, ATC Medical Director, the hospitalist team and your patient’s Roswell Park attending physician, we are more equipped than ever to assess and manage those evening, weekend and holiday care issues.

Roswell Park’s ATC – For Patients’ Urgent Medical Issues

The Assessment and Treatment Center (ATC) at Roswell Park is a special treatment center for Roswell Park patients. The ATC is meant for urgent medical issues related to cancer or cancer treatment side effects. Working closely with our Roswell Park physicians, many tests and treatments, including blood transfusions, can be done in the ATC. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

If you need to talk with a member of the ATC team, please call the RPMD number at (716) 845-7763.

Patient Hospital-based Transfers

If a physician from an outside hospital feels transfer to Roswell Park is warranted, they should call the Roswell Park Transfer Line at 716-845-4358. During business hours, Mon- day through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., calls are handled directly by the Transfer Center. After 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, weekends and holidays, calls will be answered by the operator, and transferred to the Patient Care Coordinator who will further assist you. Once it is determined that transfer is appropriate, the Transfer Team/Patient Care Coordinator will facilitate the transfer by confirming physician acceptance, bed availability, and insurance approval.

Non-English Speaking Patients

Patients who do not speak English or who prefer to speak a language other than English have easy access to interpreters. Roswell Park contracts with the Language Line, a phone service that provides professional interpretation by certified medical interpreters in more than 170 languages. The Roswell Park Central Access team can arrange a three-way call between the patient, a Language Line interpreter and any member of the Roswell Park staff.

During the patient’s hospital visits, medical staff can use a speakerphone to set up a three-way conversation between the patient, interpreter and medical staff, 24 hours a day. Non-English-speaking callers can also access Language Line ser-
vices by calling Roswell Park’s Cancer Information Program at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.