We’ll help you know what to expect.

Patient transport team member with patient in wheelchair

We will make your visits to our cancer center as easy and stress-free as possible.

Everyone on our cancer team understands the worry and concerns of our patients. They’re available to answer all your questions—large and small. We want you to feel free to ask questions so you can have input and a full understanding of your condition and how we’re going to treat it.

We’ll help you with the logistics of your first visit.

If you need to see several doctors or undergo multiple lab or imaging tests, we do our best to schedule those on the same day and can help guide you to where those tests and visits will take place.

Let us answer your questions.

You’ll find multiple parking options available.

Our clinic locations have nearby parking and offer valet parking services.

Valet parking is available right outside the Cancer Center for a minimal fee.

Self-parking is available in nearby Parking Ramp 4 and is free at our UI Hospitals & Clinics main Iowa City campus. Learn more about receiving a patient parking pass.

For patients needing to be hospitalized for their cancer care, parking passes are available for family members in three-day and seven-day options for consecutive parking days. Those passes may be purchased at Guest Services near the hospital’s main entrance.

We’ll help you get around.

Your cancer team will tell you ahead of time where you should go to begin your clinic visit.

The location of your appointment also will appear in a letter you’ll receive before your visit. The letter notes the floor the clinic is located on and the nearest elevator.

Our elevators are named from A to M in alphabetical order, starting from the oldest part of the hospital to the newest, which is the part where you’ll find the cancer clinics.

If you need help getting to where you need to go, look for one of our staff members. We are happy to answer questions and direct you to your clinic.

Get set for your appointment.

Go to the clinic registration desk to sign in. You will be asked to update your medical history and insurance information. You also can do an express check in by updating your medical history and insurance information online using MyChart two or three days before your visit.

We do our best to keep all appointments on time. While you are in our comfortable waiting area, feel free to get coffee or other refreshments. We also have free wi-fi if you want to use your smart phone or laptop computer.

Whenever you want to leave the waiting area to get food or walk around, ask the registration desk for a pager. We use the pager to notify you when your doctor is available or when results from tests have come in.

Here’s what to expect during your clinic visit.

We’ll begin your visit by getting standard vital signs: weight, height, blood pressure, etc. If blood tests are needed, we do that, too, in our nearby lab. In some cases, imaging in the form of X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans is needed.

We try to get these done on the same day. You may have to wait between tests or for any results. We thoroughly review all the imaging and lab tests so we have the most precise information about your cancer to determine treatment options.

Nurses, nurse practitioners, and doctors are all part of your care team. Because we are an academic teaching hospital, a medical resident or fellow also may see you in the clinic.

Once your testing is complete, the cancer team goes over the results and discusses next steps with you. We may offer a recommendation right away on your course of treatment. For more complex cases, your results may be presented to a team of cancer specialists to discuss all phases of your individualized care plan.

Consider participating in a clinical trial.

Ask your doctor if you qualify for any open cancer clinical trials. Because we are an academic medical center and an NCI-designated cancer center, we have access to some of the latest and most advanced clinical trials studying new treatments for a variety of cancers.

Your emotions need care and support too.

You have support during every step of your cancer journey.

We know being diagnosed with cancer is stressful and sometimes confusing. In addition to your care team, we have traditional and online support groups where patients and cancer survivors can discuss concerns and ask questions. We also offer counseling, spiritual care, and social services. Please reach out and ask your cancer team if you would like more information about any of these services.