Emergencies, Phone Calls and Questions
We want you to feel comfortable calling our office if you need assistance. Because we handle a large volume of telephone calls from our patients every day, the following will help you understand how we make our staff available to answer questions.
Questions During Office Hours
In between attending to patients in the office, the oncology nurses return non-emergency patient calls in the order received. Oncology nurses are highly trained and are your first source for knowledgeable answers or action. They will address emergency calls as soon as they arise. If you feel that your call is urgent, it is important to advise the receptionist of your emergency at the beginning of your phone call.
Your oncology nurse will be able to assist you to determine your best course of action. They will also document and inform your physician about any problems or concerns you have so that the doctor can determine if they need to talk to you as well. If you want to speak directly to your physician, ask your nurse to request that the doctor call you back. Our physician’s return non-emergency telephone calls at the end of office hours.
We take your questions or concerns seriously and will make sure you are treated attentively.
Emergencies
Your doctor, or another PSCC physician, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to medical emergencies.
After 5 PM, any call to one of our offices will automatically be transferred to our after hours-medical answering service. Call one of the following numbers depending on the center where you receive your care:
Seattle PSCC: 206-365-8252
Edmonds PSCC: 425-775-1677
Our service will page the on-call physician, relay your message and physicians will then return your call. If you have not heard back from a physician within 30 minutes, please call again. The physician may have been involved in another emergency call.
If you believe you have a life-threatening problem and the doctor has not returned your call, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.