At Miami Cancer Institute, our goal is to provide you with the compassionate, personalized care that helps you feel healthy and live your life to the fullest. We treat every patient like a family member, ensuring that we develop the best possible treatment plan for your needs.
Below is a step-by-step checklist for newly diagnosed cancer patients at Miami Cancer Institute. We hope it will help you feel more at ease about your treatment options.
Preparing for Your First Visit
Step 1: Make an Appointment
To make an appointment, call us at 786-596-2000
International patients can call +1-786-596-2373
Your or your loved one can also request an appointment online.
You don't have to have a certain type of cancer to be treated here - our personalized, compassionate care is available for all patients who walk through our doors. Miami Cancer Institute's specialists have expertise in treating a wide range of cancers, from rare tumor types to more common breast and skin cancers.
Not all patients need a referral for treatment here, but we recommend speaking with your primary care physician and insurance provider to check whether you need a referral. The caring and knowledgeable representatives who staff our appointment lines are also able to answer many of the questions you may have.
When you do speak with one of our appointment representatives, you will need to answer a few questions about your diagnosis, health history and any previous treatments you've had. This will help us find the right specialist to fit your needs.
Step 2: Check your insurance
Check with your insurance company to make sure your plan provides coverage at Miami Cancer Institute. Coverage varies depending on the plan, but most major insurance providers include Miami Cancer Institute in their networks. Medicare and Florida Medicaid also provide benefits for care here.
If you have questions about coverage, call your insurance company or reach out to our managed care call center at 786-662-7667. You can also email us questions at Insurance@BaptistHealth.net.
Before your first visit, one of our patient financial counselors will call you to talk through your benefits and review any pre-authorization requirements. These requirements help your insurance company decide whether your care is medically necessary. Our patient financial counselors will work with you throughout your care in case any pre-authorizations are needed for other parts of your treatment.
We understand that a cancer diagnosis can come with financial stress. Our team will work closely with you to help you navigate available assistance programs, if needed. Baptist Health South Florida is also committed to providing financial assistance for those in need.
If you want to contact a patient financial counselor directly, call 786-527-8434
Step 3: Prepare for your visit
When you schedule your first visit with us, your appointment representatives will let you know where your appointment will take place and how to get there. Your appointment representative will also give you details about the medical records and other items you will need to bring your appointment. You will receive an appointment confirmation via email, text message or phone call, depending on your preference. Please confirm this reminder promptly, so we can be ready for you.
Miami Cancer Institute is located on the northeast corner of the Baptist Hospital campus: 8900 N. Kendall Drive in Miami. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance. If you are traveling from outside the Miami area or from another country, our team can help you coordinate accommodations as well as ground and air transportation. We also have International Services representatives available 24 hours a day at 786-596-2373 or International@BaptistHealth.net
We recommend bringing a list of questions to ask your doctor at your first appointment. Family members or caregivers are welcome to join you during this appointment to provide support, take notes and ask their own questions.
Step 4: Meet your team
During your first appointment, you will meet your doctor as well as the medical assistants, nurse practitioner and nurse navigator who will form your care team and will work with you throughout your treatment. At Miami Cancer Institute, we focus on taking a personalized approach to each patient, which is why we will find a team that specializes in treating your specific type of cancer. This team will be chosen just for you, to meet your specific needs.
Your nurses and medical assistant will play a crucial role in your treatment. These professionals are the members of your care team whom you will see and hear from the most. They bring extraordinary compassion, knowledge and expertise to your care and will help you every step of the way.
Step 5: Let us support you
At Miami Cancer Institute, we focus on treating the whole patient. Your care team will not only work together to treat your cancer, they will also provide comprehensive care that serves your psychological, social and spiritual health.
Some of the programs and support services offered at Miami Cancer Institute include:
Second Read and Second Opinion Services FAQs
A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, especially when you’re making decisions about treatment. Having more than one medical professional review your case and offer their insight can ensure you receive the best and most appropriate care.
At Miami Cancer Institute, we offer second read and second opinion services to new or existing patients. These services provide patients with independent case reviews that can broaden the cancer treatments available to them. Keep reading to learn more about our second read and second opinion services.
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For a second read, one of our expert radiologists will review your diagnostic images from another healthcare institution to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
For a second opinion, one of our skilled pathologists will review your pathology slides from another healthcare organization to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
These reviews can offer an additional perspective on your case, which could help guide your treatment journey.
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If you’re a new patient at Miami Cancer Institute, our Patient Intake Department will work with you to gather your medical records from previous institutions before your first appointment. This includes diagnostic scans and pathology slides and reports from your current healthcare provider that led to your diagnosis.
During your first visit to Miami Cancer Institute, we will perform a second read or second opinion of your scans and slides. An expert radiologist will review any imaging scans and a pathologist will review any slides and reports.
After their review, the radiologist and/or pathologist will issue an official report and send it to your doctor, who will then meet with you to discuss the results. Depending on the results, you may also receive additional testing to explore all your treatment options.
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When it comes to a cancer diagnosis, getting another doctor’s perspective can help you confirm your original diagnosis and help you better understand your treatment options. Sometimes, second reads and opinions could modify your diagnosis and widen the options available for treating your cancer, such as clinical trials and novel treatments.
If you’re a new patient at Miami Cancer Institute, reviewing scans or pathology slides from your case provides your doctor with the most detailed and accurate information about your cancer. That way, they can prescribe the most effective treatment plan.
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Second read and second opinion services are standard practice at most major cancer centers. In fact, it’s routine to have another healthcare provider review information about your case. Doing so helps patients receive the highest level of care and may help determine the most effective treatment options.
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We bill our second read and second opinion services to your insurance, just like any other medical service. However, depending on your insurance, you may be responsible for co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles or certain out-of-pocket expenses. Contact your insurance company to learn more about what is covered.
FACT Accredited
Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, is pleased to share that our Blood & Marrow Stem Cell Transplant Program is fully FACT Accredited for stem cell transplants and cellular therapies. This accreditation provides our program national recognition of a certified program to perform stem cell transplants and cellular therapies such as CAR T-cell therapies within our Institute. Additionally, this recognition allows our team to obtain full insurance coverage for these procedures from all providers. For more information on FACT Accreditation, feel free to visit the following link.
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