Gastrointestinal Cancer
Appointment Information

To make an appointment, please call the Gastrointestinal Surgery and Oncology Clinic at (415) 353-9888 or request an appointment onine.

Your insurance plan may require that you obtain a referral from your primary care doctor or specialist to make your first appointment.

After scheduling an appointment, complete the physician contact information form, to provide information about other doctors treating you, and bring the form with you to the clinic.

If you have any questions regarding the form, please call the clinic.

Your First Appointment

We recommend that you bring a family member or friend to your first appointment. We make every effort to see you as close to your scheduled appointment time as possible but there may be delays beyond our control. Please plan on spending two to three hours at your first appointment.

The review of your medical records is an important part of your evaluation. Your medical records must be received at least one day before your appointment so we can prepare for your visit. You may fax, express mail or hand carry your records to our office. Please do not use regular U.S. Postal Service mail since it's difficult to determine when they will arrive.

Please provide the following with your medical records at least one day before your appointment:

• Copies of all records relevant to your condition, including medical records from doctors who referred you. This may include records from your primary care doctor, oncologist or surgeon.
• Reports of any biopsies or tests. If you are seeing a surgeon, please bring actual glass pathology slides.
• Radiology scans and reports — including any X-rays, mammograms, magnetic resonance images (MRIs) or any films that relate to your condition, and written reports that accompany those films.
• Copies of all of your insurance cards.
• A list of all your physicians including their mailing addresseses, telephone and fax numbers.

It is important to contact your insurance company before your appointment to receive approval, called "prior authorization," for your visit to our clinic. If you don't obtain necessary authorization, you will be responsible for all charges associated with your care. Please read the following "Insurance Information."/p>

Insurance Information

Before your appointment, please review your insurance benefits. Call your insurance company or review the insurance information provided by your insurance carrier. Each insurance plan has rules that must be followed to receive full benefits. If your insurance plan requires prior authorization to see a specialist, please fax referrals and authorizations to the clinic before your appointment. If we don't receive these referrals and authorizations, you will be responsible for all charges associated with your appointment.

Social Work Services

Social workers are available to meet with you and your family to discuss financial issues, such as short- or long-term disability income, insurance coverage and special programs that assist people with cancer; support groups and referrals to a psychologist or chaplain; family issues such as care giving and talking to children about cancer; and lodging and transportation.

To contact a social worker, call the Cancer Resource Center at (415) 885-3693 and ask for the social worker assigned to your doctor.