During office hours, if you have an emergency call Penn Hematology/Oncology at Chester County Hospital at 610-738-2500. Listen for the prompt for "Nurse," then "Emergency." If you are too ill and cannot wait to talk to a nurse, please hang up and call 9-1-1.
After office hours, if you have an emergency, call 610-738-2500. You will be connected to our answering service. A physician will return your call. Please stay close to the telephone. If you do not receive a response within 20 minutes, call again.
What is an Emergency?
- Fever of 100.4 degrees or more
- Shaking chills
- Uncontrolled pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea > 4 episodes within 24 hours
- Bleeding
- Unusual cough, sore throat, lung congestion or shortness of breath
- Change in mental status
- Loss of muscle control or function
- Other issues that are unusual or of concern to you
Penn Hematology/Oncology nurses are available from 8:30 AM to 12 Noon and then from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM to take your calls and help you with side effect management, prescription refills, and any questions or concerns that you have.
Dial 610-738-2500 and listen for the prompt for "Nurse." Urgent calls will be returned as soon as possible during the same day that you called us.
When leaving a message please speak clearly and provide the following information.
- Spell your name
- Your date of birth
- Your Doctor's name
- A brief message describing your concern
- The telephone number where you can be reached
Your call will be returned as soon as possible.
To request a prescription refill, call Penn Hematology/Oncology at 610-738-2500 and listen for the prompt for "prescription refill or test results" and follow the commands.
You may do this during normal business hours only, from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. Please allow 48 hours for prescription refills.
Please speak clearly and provide the following information:
- Your name (first and last names)
- Your date of birth
- The name of the drug to be refilled
- Your pharmacy's name and telephone number
Patients may also submit refill requests through their MyChart by myPennMedicine portal online.
Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
November 2021
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has understandably caused significant anxiety, and the situation continues to evolve rapidly. We are closely monitoring this situation. People with cancer and other hematologic disorders– due to their underlying condition or due to treatment– often have a weakened immune system. Having a weak immune system makes it harder to fight off diseases. At the moment, there is limited data on whether patients with cancer or those who are receiving treatments that suppress their immune system, like chemotherapy, could be more severely affected.
Patients and families are at the center of the care we provide at Penn Medicine. We carefully consider how to maintain visitation while keeping patients, visitors, and employees safe. Click Here to view the current Visitation Guidelines for the Chester County Hospital Main Campus.
What do I need to know if I am coming to appointment in the Hematology/Oncology Division and the Abramson Cancer Center?
- If you have cold or flu symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, body aches or chills), you must call your Penn Medicine doctor's office before coming to your appointment, even if you have an appointment. Tell them about any recent travel history and your symptoms. Also, if your friends and family have any cold or flu like symptoms, they should not visit or come with you to your appointment at Penn Medicine.
- It can sometimes be confusing to understand the cause of certain symptoms. Side of effects of cancer treatments can at times be associated with fever and body aches. It is important to call your medical team regarding any new symptoms so that we provide the best care for you.
I have an upcoming doctor's appointment. Is it safe for me to go?
- It is important to stay on track with treatments prescribed by your doctor, and keep any regularly scheduled doctor or nurse practitioner visits.
- If you have cold or flu symptoms and you have a routine follow up, it may be appropriate to reschedule your appointment. You should check with care team before coming to clinic and review the option of rescheduling.
If I have some risk factors for the virus, can I get tested to see if I have been exposed?
- COVID-19 testing is not right for every patient with respiratory symptoms. Physicians and nurse practitioners are guided in their testing decisions by each patient's unique situation and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s screening guidelines. Your medical team can determine whether this type of testing would be necessary.
Can I still travel?
We recommend following CDC recommendations regarding travel advisories.>>
- The impact on travel is likely to be highly dynamic. We would recommend avoiding travel to areas with sustained community transmission, widespread sustained (ongoing) transmission, or widespread sustained transmission and restrictions on travel to the United States, as defined by the CDC. Please check the CDC travelers website (above) for up to date information.
- In general, we recommend limiting travel, especially cruises, if you have active cancer or are receiving active treatment for your cancer.
- For areas not currently listed as travel restrictions, you should consider the necessity of the trip and understand the risks involved. In general, we recommend limiting your travel. Any international travel may place you at an increased risk of exposure to coronavirus and could lead to unexpected delays upon returning to the US, including the potential need for self-isolation/quarantine.
Resources:
It is important to recognize that these are basic and general recommendations based on information available to us as of the date of this document. The situation is changing rapidly and you should use the resources outlined to get updated information. As always, please call your physician or nurse practitioner with any concerns or questions.