Pre-Registration

Main Phone Number - South Carolina Cancer Center - (803) 434-3500.

Palmetto Health Richland Campus Numbers
General Information - 434-7000 • Patient Information - 434-6111 • Children's Hospital - 296-KIDS
Need another Palmetto Health Richland number? Click here for a complete directory.

Guest Information Desk
The staff at the information desk that is located in the lobby of the Cancer Center can assist with any questions or needs patients or visitors may have. The information desk is staffed Mondays through Fridays, 7:30 a.m – 10 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Admitting Services
An admitting representative is available to help patients Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Financial Counselors
Any questions concerning payment of bills after discharge should be directed to a customer service representative in Patient Accounts at (803) 434-3606 or 1-800-243-7711.

Valuables
The Cancer Center cannot be responsible for misplaced or stolen personal property. We advise patients to send valuables home with a family member. Valuables may be deposited in the hospital safe located in the Cancer Center admitting office on the first floor.

Internet Access
Palmetto Health now offers free, wireless Internet access. Patients and visitors can use a Wi-Fi connection to work from their own wireless devices while at any Palmetto Health hospital.

Visiting Hours
Because visitation for patients at the Cancer Center is an important part of recovery, visits by families and friends are not restricted by age or time. However, the main entrance of the Cancer Center is locked at 9 p.m. You should enter through the main hospital entrance after this time. Other areas of the hospital have established visitation rules.

Parking
Free parking is available in the lot in front of the Cancer Center. There is reserved parking for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The reserved spaces (which require parking passes) are located in front and in back of the Cancer Center. Passes are available at the Cancer Center information desk and physician offices.

Any questions about parking should be directed to Security at (803) 434-7351. Click here for a map of public parking on the Palmetto Health Richland campus.

Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited on the premises. The only exception to the rule is in those rare cases when the physician feels that nicotine withdrawal would be contraindicated for his or her patient. In those instances, patients will be allowed to smoke only with a physician’s written order.

Waiting Areas
Each floor of the Cancer Center features a sunroom across from the nurses station for patients and visitors. There also is a small consultation room on each floor for private meetings with doctors or family members.

Kitchen
Each inpatient floor has a kitchen and laundry room for use by patients and their family. Kitchens are equipped with a microwave oven, refrigerator and coffee maker.

Laundry
A small washer and dryer are available for extended stays. Detergent is available.

Food & Nutrition
For questions concerning diet and cancer, registered dietitians can provide assistance.

Cafeteria
Palmetto Café is open daily for breakfast, 6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m. – 3:45 p.m; and dinner, 4:45 – 7 p.m. Meals are prepared by an award-winning chef and include a salad bar, grill, and heart-healthy selections. Vending machines are located at various places throughout the hospital.

Guest Meals
Guest meals are available to patients on a regular diet and to families. Guest meal tickets may be purchased for patient visitors at the Admissions office on the first floor of the Cancer Center Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Breakfast tickets are $3; lunch or dinner tickets are $4. Call (803) 434-3600. Nearby restaurants are easily accessible.

Special Needs
Patients needing special assistance for any of the following needs should notify their nurse and contact the patient relations coordinator at (803) 434-6237.

• Foreign language interpreter
  
• Sign language interpreter
• Closed captioning
• Telephone device for the hearing impaired.

Case Management/ Medical Social Work
Medial social workers are available to all patients. The staff helps assist with concerns during hospitalization and helps plan for services that may be needed after discharge, often referring patients to community agencies for financial aid, home-care assistance and other support services. Patients can ask their doctor to refer them to a social worker.

Mail
Mail is delivered to patients Monday through Friday. Special delivery mail is delivered upon receipt. Any mail received after discharge will be forwarded.

Mail can be sent to:
South Carolina Cancer Center
7 Richland Medical Park Dr.
Columbia, SC 29203

Flowers
Flowers and gifts are delivered Mondays through Fridays. Flowers for patients in Intensive Care are returned to the florist for re-delivery when the patient is assigned a regular room. Flowers for discharged patients are returned to the florist.

Automated Teller Machines
Automated teller machines are located near the cafeteria on the first floor of the main hospital.

Overnight Accommodations
A pull-out sleeper sofa is provided in patient rooms for a family member or support person. Facilities for overnight accommodations are available on the hospital’s campus at The Caring House, for families of adult cancer patients, or at the Ronald McDonald House of Columbia, for families of pediatric patients. Ask your social worker for more information.

Hotels
Following is a list of nearby hotels that give reduced rates for family members of patients at the South Carolina Cancer Center. Call ahead for your reservations and request the "hospital rate." For your convenience, we have also linked their website addresses below. The South Carolina Cancer Center is not endorsing the use of any specific hotel.

Directions
Click here for directions on how to get to the South Carolina Cancer Center—Palmetto Health Richland Campus.