Cancer center has one of country’s lowest rates of emergency room visits for chemotherapy patients

Congratulations to the team at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in Orange, which has achieved one of the lowest emergency room visit rates in the nation for patients receiving chemotherapy.

The cancer center ranks No. 16 in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Chemotherapy can be hard on the body, causing things such as fever, nausea, vomiting, pain, diarrhea and anemia. It also weakens the immune system, making the emergency room an especially dangerous place for such patients.

Sandra Masson, the cancer center’s executive director, says the initiative to keep them out of the ER began when the team found that half of their patients going there were sent home instead of being admitted.

“That 50% is where we felt our opportunity for improvement was to keep them out of the ER,” she says.

By hiring two triage nurses, having a dedicated call center and expanding hours in the infusion center, the team has been able to quickly address the needs of chemotherapy patients, whether it’s needing more fluids, a medication adjustment or even a recommendation to visit the ER if it’s warranted.

The cancer center will open an urgent care for cancer patients in 2026 to further keep cancer patients safe.

“It really stems from us wanting to help our patients,” says Masson. “Our team is relentless.”