Have an MD Anderson appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic? Here's what to know

Last updated on Aug. 11, 2020

Despite communities beginning to lift “stay home” orders during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, MD Anderson’s operations – including patient appointments – continue to be affected.

While MD Anderson is open for care, the organization must keep enhanced safety measures in place to reduce the potential for COVID-19 exposure on our campuses and protect the health of our patients and our employees. Cancer patients are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because their immune systems are weakened due to treatment or the cancer itself.

“Our patient population represents the largest and densest immunocompromised population in the world,” says Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We must accept that we will co-exist with COVID-19 until we reach a widespread state of immunity. Our readiness to protect our patients and our workforce is crucial.”

So what changes can MD Anderson patients and families expect during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Making patient appointments during the coronavirus pandemic

Our process for new patients requesting MD Anderson appointments remains the same. Patients can self-refer online, or a physician may initiate the referral. Current patients should contact their care teams through MyChart, or by calling their clinic.

Our clinical teams will work with you to determine the most appropriate option for your care, which for current patients may include a virtual visit, care coordination in your local community if you live outside the Houston area, or visiting an MD Anderson location for your appointments and cancer treatment. Our goal is to reduce the number of visits to Houston to keep our patients safe, since traveling increases the risk of COVID-19 infection.

All new patients will be tested for COVID-19

MD Anderson is requiring all new patients to be tested for COVID-19 before their first visit. Your patient access representative will schedule your appointment and give you more information. 

You will need to be in Houston at least 36 hours prior to your new patient appointment for a scheduled COVID-19 nasal swab test at one of our testing locations. If you previously tested negative for COVID-19 at home, you will still need to be re-tested. Outside test results are helpful to care teams, but only MD Anderson COVID-19 testing is acceptable. Your results will be viewable in MyChart within 36 hours of your testing appointment.

• If your results are negative, you will be able to proceed to your appointment as scheduled.
• If your results are positive, you will be contacted by a provider to determine next steps. 
• If your results are not available at the time of your appointment, your schedule may be adjusted.

We are also testing all inpatients at admission and are testing patients prior to:

• radiation therapy
• procedures in the operating room
• stem cell transplants
• certain cellular therapy infusions
• procedures that generate respiratory aerosols, involve and mucous membranes or incude significant coughing, such as a lung biopsy

We are also providing testing for patients when a household member has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Outside test results are helpful to share with your care team, but they won't replace MD Anderson's COVID-19 nasal swab test, if your care team determines you need it. Your care team will provide more details if you are scheduled for COVID-19 nasal swab testing.

You’ll receive a MyChart COVID-19 questionnaire before your appointments

All patients will receive a MyChart questionnaire four days prior to their scheduled appointments to ask about symptoms and local COVID-19 testing by nasal swab. You may be requested to take a COVID-19 nasal swab test at MD Anderson, even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms.

What to expect when you arrive for an appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic

At our Texas Medical Center (TMC) Campus, there are specific entrances for patients, including:

• Main Building, The Pavilion valet entrance
• Main Building, The Aquarium valet entrance
• Main Building, Garage 10, Floor 3 skybridge
• Mays Clinic, East Lobby valet entrance
• Faculty Center, Floor 3, near Garage 17 entrance

Nearby parking garages are open, but our valet parking operations are suspended due to COVID-19.

If you are driving yourself to our Texas Medical Center Campus and need assistance from the garage into the building, please drive to either The Aquarium Valet entrance or Mays Clinic Valet. Our valet team will direct you on where to park. Then they will meet you at your garage with a wheelchair and help you get into the building. Our Patient Transportation team will take over once you're in the building.

As you enter our campus, you will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure, and provided a medical face mask to be worn throughout our campus. Even if you have your own fabric mask, we ask that you wear the mask you’re provided while you are on our campus, unless instructed by a member of your clinical team to remove it for care.

Social distancing measures are in place throughout MD Anderson. Some services and amenities are limited or closed to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines and further protect our patients, including:

• Valet parking
• Café seating
• Hospitality Centers
• Patient Relaxation Area
• Beauty/Barber shop
• The Learning Centers
• Salus at our Houston-area locations
• Mail station in the Main Building

Grab-n-Go foods are still available at our dining locations, and limited, socially distanced seating is available at Cafe Anderson in the Main Building, Waterfall Cafe in Mays Clinic and Apicius in the Rotary House. Patients are also welcome to eat in public spaces, such as our lobbies and reception areas, while keeping a safe distance of 6 feet away from others. Gift shops at our TMC Campus are open.