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Texas Virtual Care

Virtual Care at Texas Oncology

As a pioneer in community-based cancer care, Texas Oncology strives to provide high quality, advanced treatment to patients everywhere in our state. We believe patients deserve access to industry-leading cancer care, while remaining close to home and the critical support of their family and friends nearby. This community-based approach removes the feeling of isolation of being away from home and eliminates the strenuous burden of frequent travel for appointments at distant treatment facilities to receive quality care.

Texas Oncology’s virtual care team extends our approach to community-based care, making it accessible from the comfort of home. We offer access to a variety of virtual care services that are integrated with our patients’ care teams. As demand for virtual care services has increased in recent years, Texas Oncology is proud to offer our patients safe, convenient access to highly specialized care and is committed to recreating that in-person experience through every virtual care touchpoint.

Virtual care services are available in select locations. Read below or click here to learn more about virtual care at Texas Oncology.

Virtual Care Services

Telemedicine: Telemedicine enables our physicians to connect directly with patients who need highly specialized care – whether you live across town or across the state. With telemedicine, patients across Texas have access to our extensive and diverse expertise and more treatment options.

Telemedicine is a great choice for patients who want or need to continue care from the comfort and safety of their homes. This is especially important for those who are immunocompromised. Telemedicine can also save patients time and expense, by limiting travel to a distant treatment facility.

Texas Oncology providers will determine which visits are medically appropriate for telemedicine. Click here to learn more, like what to expect in a telemedicine visit or how to book an appointment.

Virtual Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Clinic: Texas Oncology care teams include several people in addition to medical oncologists and nursing staff. This may include advanced practice providers, such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists who provide many services in partnership with physicians, including assessment, diagnosis, developing and/or coordinating treatment plans, ordering diagnostic tests and labs, as well as prescribing medications.

Texas Oncology’s virtual care team is expanding patient access to advanced practice providers (APPs) through a virtual APP clinic that supports Texas Oncology locations across the state. Virtual APPs are an extension of the patient care team and provide supplemental support to clinics when they need additional staff to serve patient needs. Virtual APPs make up one part of Texas Oncology’s approach to delivering high-quality, high-touch care.

Texas Oncology’s virtual APP clinic provides patients access to:

  • Virtual urgent care visits within one to two hours of patient need.
  • Special support services, including advance care planning, genetics counseling, and treatment review and coordination when patients have new treatment protocols.

All appointments for the virtual APP clinic are booked through the primary Texas Oncology clinic overseeing patient care and treatment or through a triage nurse. The virtual APP clinic currently supports select locations. Throughout the spring of 2022, Texas Oncology will expand patient access to the clinic, with a goal of providing support to all Texas Oncology locations statewide.

Nurse Triage

Texas Oncology care teams are there to ensure patients understand everything that may affect their care. From time-to-time patients may have questions or concerns that cannot wait until their next appointment, which is why Texas Oncology is launching a remote nurse triage program in the spring of 2022.

Initially available at select locations, this new program offers patients access to a pool of Texas Oncology nurses who will provide triage coverage for participating Texas Oncology clinics. Triage nurses will be dedicated to patient support – answering medical questions and discussing symptoms and concerns – and are there to promptly address patients’ symptom management calls.

Like virtual APPs, triage nurses are an extension of the patient care team and will work closely with local care teams to ensure patients receive integrated and personalized care.

Telehealth

Texas Oncology provides telehealth services that enhance and compliment medical care. These include virtual nutrition counseling with registered dieticians and virtual counseling with licensed clinical social workers to patients of some clinics. Click here to learn more, and ask your care team if these services are available to you.

Additionally, virtual support groups are available to all Texas Oncology patients.

Our Medical Team

Our physicians and other healthcare team members will be by your side for every step of your cancer treatment, they have years of extensive experience in treating cancer and blood disorders, and you are their sole focus. We treat the whole person, not just the disease. We work as a team – including Texas Oncology’s virtual care providers – to customize treatments for each patient's specific condition, including support services to help you meet the personal challenges you may face as a result of your illness.

Medical Director

Debra Patt
Debra Patt, M.D., PH.D., MBA
Hematology, Medical Oncology

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