Urgent Medical Care for MSK Patients
Urgent Care at MSK
We’re here for you anytime, anywhere.
During cancer treatment, there may be times when you just don’t feel like yourself.
Cancer and its treatment can affect many parts of your life. You may have new physical symptoms, or symptoms that got worse. You may have emotional concerns or practical needs.
Your care team is here to support you and connect you with resources throughout your care. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How To Get Urgent Care at MSK
Call your care team if you have new symptoms or if your symptoms are getting worse. You can call any time, day or night. We’ll help you get the care you need and guide you to the right urgent care services. Your health and safety are important to us.
Call right away. If you have any concerns or symptoms, call us as soon as you can. Calling your care team early helps us figure out what’s going on and plan the next steps. We can help you before problems get worse. If you’re not sure if you should call, call your care team.
Who Helps You at MSK When You Need Urgent Care
We have teams of nurses and doctors with special training in the urgent needs of people with cancer. They have access to your medical records, and they know about your treatment plan. They’ll notify your primary (main) MSK care team. Your primary care team will have access to everything that happens if you come for urgent care.
Read more below about where you can get urgent care if you’re an MSK patient.
Urgent Care Center in New York City
The Urgent Care Center (UCC) is for MSK patients who have urgent medical issues related to cancer or cancer treatments. At the UCC, you can get many tests and treatments, such as blood transfusions and intravenous (IV) medicines. IV medicine is medicine that’s put into your vein.
Call your MSK care team first. They’ll tell you if you need to go to the UCC or somewhere else.
Do not eat or drink anything until a UCC healthcare provider tells you it’s OK. Eating or drinking before your visit may delay or prevent certain tests.
The UCC is in Memorial Hospital (MSK’s main hospital). The UCC entrance is at 425 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065.
UCC hours: The UCC is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not need an appointment to come to the UCC.
What to expect in the UCC
- Check in at the front desk and have a seat in the waiting area.
- You must wear a mask in the UCC.
- A UCC team member will assess your symptoms. They may take blood samples for blood tests.
- You’ll go back to the waiting area until an exam room is ready.
- A UCC doctor or advance care provider (APP) will then see you.
Wait times in the UCC depend on:
- The reason you came to the UCC.
- The number of other people getting care in the UCC.
- How long it takes for your test results to be ready and then reviewed by the UCC team.
We care for everyone as safely and fast as we can. People with more urgent medical needs will be seen first. That means someone who got to the UCC after you may be seen before you.
A UCC healthcare provider will talk with you about the best plan for you. It’s based on your medical history, physical exam, and test results. After your UCC visit, you may:
- Be discharged home with instructions.
- Instructed to follow up with your primary care team.
- Be transferred to the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU). This is MSK’s observation unit for short-term treatment.
- Be admitted to MSK’s hospital.
- Be transferred to another hospital.
The UCC will notify your MSK doctor about your UCC visit. We recommend following up with your primary care team after your UCC visit.
Urgent Medical Care Outside New York City: Symptom Care Clinics
Our Symptom Care Clinics (SCCs) are special treatment centers for MSK patients. An SCC is for medical problems and services related to cancer or cancer treatments. At an SCC, you can have many tests and treatments, including imaging scans and intravenous (IV) medicines. IV medicine is medicine that’s put into your vein.
When to go to an SCC
Call your MSK care team first. They’ll tell you if you should go to a SCC or somewhere else.
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Monday through Friday
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Saturday
What to expect in the SCC
- After check-in, a nurse will bring you to an exam room and ask about your symptoms.
- You may have blood tests, imaging scans, or other tests.
- Your care team may include doctors, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), registered nurses (RNs), and a medical assistant.
You must wear a mask in the SCC. See MSK's Visitor Policy for the latest masking guidelines.
An SCC healthcare provider will talk with you about the best plan for you. It’s based on your medical history, physical exam, and test results. After your SCC visit, you may:
- Be discharged home with instructions.
- Instructed to follow up with your primary care team.
- Be transferred to a local hospital.
- Be transferred to MSK’s Urgent Care Center (UCC) in Manhattan.
The SCC will notify your MSK doctor about your SCC visit. We recommend following up with your primary care team after your SCC visit.
After-Hours Telephone Triage (AHTT)
The AHTT is a call center for MSK patients who have urgent symptoms related to their cancer care.
The AHTT care team will answer your call when doctor’s offices are closed. They’ll answer:
- Monday through Friday from to
- Saturday, Sunday, and holidays: 24 hours a day.
Call your MSK healthcare provider. If you do not know the number, you can be connected through the MSK operator at 212-639-2000.
- A care coordinator will answer your call and collect your information.
- An MSK healthcare provider will call you back to assess your symptoms. We respond to calls based on how urgent your need is, and you may have to wait a while.
- Based on your symptoms, the MSK healthcare provider may:
- Tell you how to manage your symptoms at home.
- Make an appointment for you at the Symptom Care Clinic (SCC) closest to your home.
- Direct you to the Urgent Care Center (UCC) in Manhattan.
- Direct you to the nearest emergency department or Shared Care Supported Hospital.
They’ll notify your MSK oncologist after your call is complete.
Urgent Medical Care Closer to Home: MSK Shared Care Supported Hospitals
What is the Shared Care team at your local hospital?
MSK’s Shared Care program lets you get coordinated care from MSK at a hospital closer to your home.
There's a list of our Shared Care supported hospitals below. When you’re treated at one of these hospitals, the hospital’s team will care for you. But MSK’s Shared Care team will coordinate your care. They’ll work with both your local hospital’s providers and your primary MSK team, and keep everyone updated.
When to go to a Shared Care hospital: Call your MSK care team first. They’ll tell you if you need to go to a Shared Care supported hospital or somewhere else.
What to expect: A Shared Care nurse will contact you between and They’ll answer any questions you or your caregivers may have. They help keep your local care team and your MSK care team connected during your hospital stay.
Read more about our Care Closer to Home program:
Bergen County
Hackensack University Medical Center
30 Prospect Avenue
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Holy Name Medical Center*
718 Teaneck Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
The Valley Hospital
4 Valley Health Plaza
Paramus, NJ 07652
Union County
Overlook Medical Center*
99 Beauvoir Avenue
Summit, NJ 07901
Monmouth County
Riverview Medical Center*
1 Riverview Plaza
Red Bank, NJ 07701
*An MSK care team member is on-site at this hospital for limited hours.
Westchester County and Hudson Valley
White Plains Hospital
41 East Post Road
White Plains, NY 10601
The Brooklyn Hospital Center
121 DeKalb Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Long Island Jewish Forest Hills (Northwell)
102-01 66th Road
Queens, NY 11375
Montefiore Medical Center (Einstein Campus)
1521 Jarrett Place
Bronx, NY 10461
Mount Sinai Brooklyn
3201 Kings Highway
Brooklyn, NY 11234
Long Island Jewish Medical Center (Northwell)
270-05 76th Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Mercy Hospital (Catholic Health)
1000 North Village Avenue
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
North Shore University Hospital (Northwell)
300 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY 11030
NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island
259 1st Street
Mineola, NY 11501
St. Francis Hospital (Catholic Health)
100 Port Washington Boulevard
Roslyn, NY 11576
Good Samaritan University Hospital (Catholic Health)
1000 Montauk Highway
West Islip, NY 11795
Huntington Hospital (Northwell)
270 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
Mather Hospital (Northwell)
75 North Country Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk
101 Hospital Road
Patchogue, NY 11772
Peconic Bay Medical Center (Northwell)
1 Heroes Way
Riverhead, NY 11901
South Shore University Hospital (Northwell)
301 East Main Street
Bay Shore, NY 11706
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital (Catholic Health)
50 NY-25A
Smithtown, NY 11787
St. Charles Hospital (Catholic Health)
200 Belle Terre Road
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
240 Meeting House Lane
Southampton, NY 11968
Stony Brook University Hospital
101 Nicolls Road
Stony Brook, NY 11794
Non-Urgent Questions and Requests
For topics that are not urgent, please contact your healthcare provider's office Monday through Friday, to 5 p.m.
You also can send your care team a message through MSK MyChart. We do our best to respond to all MSK MyChart portal messages within 2 business days.
Do not send your care team a message about symptoms through MSK MyChart.
Examples of topics that are not urgent include:
- Appointments and referrals
- Home care services
- Insurance questions
- Prescription refills that are not urgent
If you need medical care right away, call 911 or go to your local emergency room.