Designed with your needs in mind, the Infusion Center at City of Hope® Cancer Center Atlanta was built to be a calming environment that inspires relaxation. If chemotherapy is part of your cancer treatment plan, you will receive your treatments in the Infusion Center at our hospital. Our staff and nurses strive to make you as comfortable as possible. Each infusion bay is private and equipped with a comfortable chair and television. Chairs are also available for caregivers.
Infusion staff members are here to make our patients comfortable with heated blankets, drinks and snacks. You can also order meals from our hospital café, which will be delivered to you. While in the Atlanta Infusion Center, we encourage our patients to schedule appointments with supportive care services, such as their naturopathic provider, dietitian or spiritual counselor. Taking advantage of this time may help you relax during treatment and allow you to cross some items off your to-do list. Patients who order non-narcotic medicines using their private television via the Concierge system will have their medications delivered to them in the Infusion Center.
The Infusion Center’s services include:
If you are receiving intravenous chemotherapy, the length of the infusion will depend on your specific cancer treatment regimen, including the type and dosage of drugs you are receiving. Your nurse will be able to relay that information to you during your first treatment. If your regimen changes, your new regimen will have to be reauthorized through your insurance company. This may cause a slight delay, and the timeframe of your infusion may change, as well.
An infusion nurse will perform a short assessment upon your arrival. Depending on what your medical oncologist has prescribed, you will receive pre-medications to prevent reactions and help reduce chemotherapy side effects. After the pre-medications, your nurse will begin administering your chemotherapy.
If you need IV fluids or nutrition, this will be provided in the Infusion Center. IV fluids may last between two and eight hours. If nutritional fluids, including total parenteral nutrition (TPN), are initiated, they are usually placed in a portable pump while at the center, then home health care is arranged for once you return home.
Before each visit to the Infusion Center, you will have lab work performed to make sure your blood counts are within an acceptable range to receive chemotherapy. With the hospital’s electronic health records system, lab results are automatically delivered to your medical oncologist and the Infusion Center in real time.
The chemotherapy is prepared by our in-house pharmacy, which helps improve turnaround times for our patients. The Infusion Center abides by the Oncology Nursing Society guidelines for administering chemotherapy. Every nurse on the team has had appropriate training in handling chemotherapy agents. Your nurses will double-check your arm band, your oncologist’s chemotherapy orders and other important aspects of your care.
City of Hope Atlanta is home to a team of infusion nurses and patient care technicians who are responsible for safe administration of chemotherapy on an outpatient basis, as well as patient education.
The team ensures that a supportive, comfortable and safe environment is provided for every patient who visits the Infusion Center.
Our Wound Care Unit is housed in the City of Hope Atlanta Infusion Center. When going through cancer treatment, especially surgery, sometimes special attention is needed to address wound care concerns to help you heal properly. This may help you recover more quickly and return to doing the things you enjoy most.
The City of Hope Atlanta Infusion Center is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is closed on major holidays.
