To help you prepare for your appointment, the following items are suggested to bring with you in addition to items your provider may have requested you bring:

• Copy of your advance directive/medical power of attorney
• Device or paper for taking notes
• Doctor’s referral, if required
• Emergency contact information
• Health insurance card
• Insurance authorization, if required
• List of questions you may have
• List of your medications, including dosages, plus any you’re allergic to
• Photo identification
• Prescription cards
• Recent test results related to your condition

You are also permitted to bring one person to accompany you on your appointment.

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Free parking is available between the WVU Cancer Institute Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and the parking garage. The attendant at the security booth will answer any questions you may have about where to park.

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Tobacco cessation

WVU Medicine offers several options for people who use tobacco products and want to quit. You can access the Tobacco-Cessation Program Guide, which lists resources and workshops for community residents, students, and employees, by contacting the WV Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-966-8784.

More than 450,000 WVU Medicine patients manage their health needs with our secure, online patient portal, MyWVUChart. All you need is internet access and an email address. You can even download the MyWVUChart app on Apple and Android devices.

Patients and families with questions about MyWVUChart can talk with a member of their healthcare team.

Go to MyWVUChart Patient Portal

A triage nurse is available by telephone Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm to assist with prescription refills and symptom management. The nurse can be reached at 304-598-4500. Calls received after 5 pm will be answered by the next business day; appropriate direction will be provided.

Our first priority is to respond to calls related to urgent health problems, such as shortness of breath, bleeding, confusion, and fever. Non-urgent calls will be returned by 4:30 pm on the day received. Non-urgent calls received after 3:30 pm will be returned the next business day.

Please ensure that you call three business days prior to needing a medication refill.

Financial and billing services are available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have about your medical bills and expenses. Financial counselors can provide you with information about the eligibility guidelines for the WVU Cares Program, which helps uninsured or underinsured low-income patients with their medical bills.

Another resource is the Comfort Fund, which provides temporary financial assistance. If the patient meets the Fund’s eligibility requirements, it can be used until the patient is linked with appropriate community, state, or national resources. The Comfort Fund is available to help patients with various areas of need associated with cancer treatment, including medication costs, lodging, transportation, and other supportive and social services.

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The Medical-Legal Partnership, established in August of 2022, matches third-year law students in the WVU College of Law Child and Advocacy Law Clinic with cancer patients needing assistance with legal matters, including durable power of attorney, Social Security disability benefits, divorce, custody, guardianship, wills, estate planning property deed issues, housing concerns, and end-of-life financial planning.

This partnership, formed by the WVU Cancer Institute and the WVU College of Law Child and Advocacy Law Clinic, aims to decrease barriers to legal care for patients living with cancer by providing them free, high-quality legal counsel and representation.

A cancer diagnosis brings with it unique challenges that affect patients and their families socially and financially. Our oncology social workers are licensed professionals who can assist with a broad spectrum of needs. They serve as advocates to help manage potential barriers to care and to connect patients with resources.

It is common to struggle with sadness, anger, fear, and anxiety during cancer treatment and survivorship. These feelings can have an impact on your well-being, quality of sleep, response to pain, appetite, and physical recovery. We offer mental health services to patients with cancer and caregivers.

Our team includes a psychiatrist and therapists with a special interest in working with patients with cancer. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are able to diagnose and treat mental health concerns and prescribe medications as part of a treatment plan, if needed. Therapists come from a variety of educational backgrounds and are skilled in talk therapy. Many people find it helpful to meet with both a psychiatrist and therapist during cancer treatment and survivorship.

The WVU Cancer Institute offers music therapy as part of its supportive care programs. The element of music is nationally recognized as an established therapeutic program, according to the American Music Therapy Association. Music therapy interventions are designed to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation.

The WVU Cancer Institute offers registered dietitians to speak with you about your nutritional needs. Many cancer patients have difficulty receiving adequate nutrition during treatment. A dietitian can help you manage symptoms, such as nausea, and advise you of your dietary needs.

A chaplain is available to assist with your spiritual needs. And the WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital chapel, located on the first floor, is open 24 hours a day and is a quiet, peaceful place for prayer and meditation. Please inform your medical team if you wish to speak with a chaplain.

WVU Medicine and the WVU Cancer Institute offer a variety of support groups.

Our survivorship program focuses on the health and life of patients diagnosed with cancer.

Survivorship includes physical, psychosocial, and economic issues of cancer related to follow-up treatment, late effects of treatment, recurrence and secondary cancer, and quality of life.

Family members, friends, and caregivers are considered part of the survivorship experience. Our healthcare team specializes in survivorship care and is committed to helping with any needs you may have.

A new Wellness Boutique has opened on the ground floor of the WVU Cancer Institute Mary Babb Randoph Cancer Center. Services include:

• A certified fitter for mastectomy and lymphedema supplies is available on Tuesday and Thursdays from 8 am – noon (provider referral required); this service is available thanks to a partnership between WVU Cancer institute and Allied Health Solutions Gateway Home Care.
• Wigs and head coverings (provider referral required)

In addition, “Look Good, Feel Better” classes will begin in mid-2024; watch for details.

For more information, talk with your WVU Cancer Institute provider or call 304-598-4000.