Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

It is perfectly normal to feel nervous or anxious about visiting a hospital. Rest assured, however, that our team will do whatever we can to help make your experience a positive one. After all, the patient is the most important person in our office and we are fully committed to providing our patients with the best possible medical care.

We hope the following information will answer some of your questions and help prepare you for your initial visit to our facility.

World-Class Staff

The Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is the only program of its kind in Broward County. Our multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive, individualized treatment services for children with pediatric malignancies and blood disorders.

Our extraordinary physicians have many years of experience treating pediatric malignancies and blood disorders, and, together with our nurses and support professionals, are committed to meeting the medical and emotional needs of all patients every step of the way.

Patient- and Family-Centered Care

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital supports a patient- and family-centered care philosophy that honors the family's role as the strongest foundation in a child's life and the greatest influence over a child's health and well-being.

Patient Forms

Please be sure to complete all new patient forms (found on the right of this page) including the New Patient Health History form.

Office Hours

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm.

Emergencies

For life-threatening situations, call 911. If you have an urgent problem, please call our office for instructions. After hours, our answering service will inform you of how to reach a physician on call.

Test Results

For test results, call 954-265-6387.

Prescriptions

All prescriptions and refill requests should be requested during normal office hours. Please have your pharmacy fax the office at 954-985-2288 for renewal of medication. Prescriptions will not be refilled if we have not seen your child in the past six months.

Appointments

To make an appointment, please call 954-265-6509. Here are some general guidelines regarding appointments:

• Please call in advance for routine office visits
• Make follow-up appointments as you leave
• We make every effort to stay on schedule, although emergencies arise. If we are seriously delayed, we will attempt to notify patients beforehand
• As a courtesy to other patients and staff, please call the office as soon as possible if you are going to be late
• Patients who arrive 30 minutes after their regularly scheduled appointment will be rescheduled

Insurance

• Prior to your appointment, please check your insurance information so you will be informed about referrals, copayments, and any deductible required at the time of the visit
• We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express
• For your first visit, please bring your insurance card and arrive 30 minutes early to complete the necessary patient information forms
• Your health insurance contract is between you and your insurance company; any complaints regarding your coverage should be directed to your carrier
• Please allow 48 hours for referral processing; if you are being referred, please be sure to bring the referral with you at the time of office check-in

Additional Tips For Your Visit

• Please try to arrive 30 minutes early to allow time for registration
• If your insurance requires a referral, please bring it with you
• If your insurance requires a copayment or deductible, please bring that to your visit, as well
• Bring any medical records that you have not already provided us with
• Please be sure to accompany your child to the visit; for your child's safety, we require the parent or legal guardian to be present for 100 percent of the initial visit
• You may want to bring a sweater, as the office can be quite cold sometimes
• Often, initial patient visits can be up to three hours from start to finish; consider bringing a snack with you

What We Need from You

• To inform the medical practice staff of any pertinent changes in insurance, employment, demographic information or relationships with other care/service givers
• To arrive on time for scheduled appointments and cancel, when necessary, with a phone call.
• To notify the medical practice of any change in his/her health status
• To follow the recommended treatment plan and inform the medical practice of any physical or mental impairment requiring special accommodation
• To ask questions if directions and procedures are not understood

What You Should Expect from Us

• To be treated with respect, dignity and be informed of his/her care needs to make appropriate decisions
• Help plan his/her care and make changes to it
• Expect that teaching materials will be provided in a manner he/she can understand
• To be informed of the medical practice billing process
• To have his/her records keep confidential except when consent has been given
• To expect services to be professional, timely and appropriate
• To communicate his/her complaints to the medical practice manager and expect to receive follow-up without negative repercussions or changes in service
• To receive care without discrimination due to race, religion, age, sex, disability or ethnic origin

For your convenience, we have provided the above information in a downloadable document. Feel free to download and print this information as a handy reference. Click here to download.

For more information about the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program, contact us at 954-265-2234.