Wickenburg Community Hospital and Clinics (WCH), and Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Phoenix have created an affiliation to offer coordinated, advanced oncology care to residents of Wickenburg and surrounding rural communities.
Providers at WCH are able to assist in the treatment and planning for patients by utilizing telehealth services to conduct visits with CTCA oncology specialists while the patient is receiving cancer care. This includes primary care visits, oncology follow-ups, and infusion treatments.
How the Affiliation Works:
Step 1) The Community Clinic primary care providers will send a referral to the CTCA Referral Specialist who will verify insurance and then the patient will receive a call from the scheduling team.
Oncology patients will receive a call from an intake nurse navigator who will review the patient’s medical history for upcoming appointments.
The patient will then have an intake provider visit to determine appointments needed for evaluation.
Step 2) Once evaluation is complete, the patient will have a visit with their medical oncologist to receive the treatment plan and the Primary Care Provider (PCP) will be present for the visit via video conferencing to ensure their PCP is aware of the plan. The initial treatment will take place at CTCA, and then subsequent treatments may be completed at Wickenburg Community Hospital (subject to change during course of treatment, considering clinical needs). The follow-up visits with the Medical Oncologist can be completed by video conferencing while the patient is at the PCP office.
What if a patient is currently receiving cancer care at another location and would like to receive care locally?
Patients who are already engaged in cancer treatment and wish to begin receiving chemotherapy treatments locally will need to request that their oncologist send the prescription for infusions to the Wickenburg Community Hospital Pharmacy, then the patient can schedule their infusion treatments with the WCH Boyde Infusion Center.
Patients can also transfer care to the CTCA oncology care if they wish. Patients do not need a referral to come to CTCA. However, if a patient wants to have their treatment locally, they will need to establish care with a participating PCP in one of the Community Hospital Clinics (Wickenburg, Congress, or Wittmann). The PCP is an essential part of the patient’s care to ensure ongoing safety of the patient while receiving treatment at WCH.
Whether diagnosis and treatment has already begun, or a patient is seeking initial stages of care, they can receive their care close to home. Patients who need oncology services may contact the WCH / CTCA Nurse Navigator at 928-264-6527 to inquire about receiving their treatment right here in Wickenburg.
