General Information for UH Samaritan Patients
Whether you are here to visit, undergo an outpatient procedure or receive treatment during an extended stay, please know that Samaritan Medical Center is dedicated to you. Here is information to help make your visit stress-free and pleasant as possible.
Chaplain Services
Chaplain services are available to everyone 24 hours a day. Please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain. A chapel is located on the second floor and is open at all times.
Hospitalist Information
Inpatients and observation patients at Samaritan Hospital are seen by a hospitalist, which is a board-certified physician who is on-site at the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hospitalist works closely with your family physician to coordinate your treatment plan. You will be released to your family physician’s care upon discharge. If you do not have a family physician, hospital staff will facilitate follow-up care with a local physician.
Nutrition Services/Room Service
During your inpatient stay, you will select room service from a menu that has been prepared according to your physician’s orders. Room service opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Please call ext. 3076 during these hours to place your meal or snack order. Breakfast is served at 8 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m. An optional snack is served at 8 p.m. If you would like to speak to a dietitian, please call ext. 2541.
Personal Care Items/Valuables
Valuables such as jewelry, money, credit cards, keys and cell phones should be left at home or sent home. Eyeglasses, dentures or hearing aids should be secured appropriately. If valuables can’t be sent home, you may request they be secured in the hospital’s locked storage. The hospital is not responsible for valuables kept in your room.
Personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and shaving supplies are available. However, you may bring personal toiletry items if you wish.
Tobacco Use and Smoking Cessation
As a healthcare provider, UH Samaritan Medical Center has a responsibility to encourage and promote healthy lifestyles. As such, we are a tobacco-free facility. We ask that all patients and visitors refrain from using tobacco on our properties. Patients who use tobacco will be offered nicotine replacement options during their stay.
Fall Prevention
Your safety and the safety of your visitors is very important to us, so please allow us to assist you in and out of bed. Also, please keep these tips in mind:
- Wear slippers with non-skid soles while walking.
- When you need to get up, ask for help if you feel weak, dizzy or lightheaded.
- Use the call light in the bathroom if you become weak or need assistance returning to bed.
- Notify the nursing staff of spills on the floor.
- Ask to have objects, such as a bedside table, telephone and call light, within easy reach.
- Use your call light for help before moving around in your room. Please wait for assistance.
- Be careful not to trip over telephone cords, oxygen tubing, or other tubing.
- The nurse may apply a special wrist band to alert staff that you are at risk for falls.
Hand Hygiene
The single best way to prevent the spread of illness or infection is to wash your hands often. Your caregivers should wash or foam their hands before and after contact with you. You and your visitors should wash your hands frequently while in the hospital, including before and after eating.
Feedback About Your Stay
When you return home, you may receive a call on behalf of UH Samaritan Medical Center asking for your participation in a brief interview about your inpatient experience. This interview is confidential and provides us with meaningful information, which we greatly appreciate.
University Hospitals is committed to treating our patients and families with respect and compassion. Your feedback helps us to improve our services and processes. For general complaints or compliments, please contact the Patient Advocate Office at 419-207-2650. For billing concerns, contact Patient Financial Services at 419-207-7878.