Samaritan Hospital Patient Guide - Sphp
SAMARITAN HOSPITALSAMARITAN HOSPITALPATIENT GUIDEMain Campus
WELCOME TO OURCOMMUNITY OF CARESamaritan Hospital opened its doors at the turn of the century –when major clinical and technological discoveries such as X-rays,the electrocardiogram and new methods of diagnosis – wereunfolding.First located on Eighth Street in Troy, in the former Troy Orphan’s Asylum,the hospital moved to its present location at the corner of Burdett andPeoples avenues in the early 20th century. Today, the Samaritan Hospitalcampus has grown to include the St. Mary’s Campus on MassachusettsAvenue in Troy, and the former Albany Memorial Hospital site onNorthern Boulevard in Albany.Samaritan Hospital is an important part of St. Peter’s Health Partners,one of the leading health care systems in upstate New York. St. Peter’sHealth Partners delivers an extensive array of health, education andsupport services through our various component corporations,employing more than 12,000 people.While the years have brought many changes to Samaritan Hospital,one thing has not changed: our commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of our community, and planning for a strong and healthyfuture for the people of the Capital Region.
Welcome to the Samaritan HospitalMain Campus.Located on Burdett Avenue in Troy, the MainCampus is home to the recently constructedstate-of-the art five story patient pavilion.Samaritan Hospital’s St. Mary’s Campus onMassachusetts Avenue in Troy offers an arrayof outpatient services, including urgent care andis home to the Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. In 2020, AlbanyMemorial Hospital merged into Samaritan Hospital to become AlbanyMemorial Campus offering emergency, inpatient, and outpatient care.The important information in this booklet may be useful during andafter your stay. Please review the information and feel free to discusswith our staff any questions or concerns you may have regarding yourcare. We are here to serve you and make your stay as comfortable aspossible. After discharge, you may receive a survey regarding your careat Samaritan Hospital. We ask that you assist us by filling out the survey.(For more information, see page 18.)Thank you for entrusting your care to Samaritan Hospital. Ourexperienced team of doctors, surgeons, nurses, and staff is dedicatedto providing the highest quality, most compassionate care to eachand every one of our patients.Sincerely,Michael FineganPresident of Acute Care1
TABLE OF CONTENTSLetter from CEO.1WHEN YOU ARRIVEParking.2Valuables And Personal Items.3Forms and Insurance.3Patient Information.4Patient Portals.4Hixny.4St. Peter’s Health Partners Patient Portal.5Identification Bracelet.5WHILE YOU ARE HEREWhat You Can Expect During Your Stay.6Your Room.6Planning Your Care From Arrival To Discharge. 7How To Be Involved In Your Treatment. 7Your Safety.8Your Comfort.8Select A Caregiver Partner.8Spiritual Care and Other Healing Resources.9A Dedicated Space for Reflection, Meditation And Prayer.9Palliative Care For The Seriously Ill.9Ethics Consultation Service.10Institutional Review Board.10Guidelines for Visiting Patients.10Visiting Critical Care Areas. 11Visiting Behavioral Health Areas. 11Visitation By Children. 11Special Circumstances.12General Safety.12Patient Experience.12
PATIENT AND VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONSDining Information.13Inpatient Food Policy.13Dining For Visitors.14Cafeteria.14Vending Services.14Hearing And Communication Support.15Television And Telephone Service.15Courtesy Phone.15Guest Wi-Fi, Wireless Devices And Cameras. 16Music Devices. 16Mail. 16Lost And Found.17Banking Machine.17Gift Shop.17Auxiliaries And Volunteers.17WHEN YOU LEAVEDischarge Procedures. 18Discharge Home Safety. 18Patient Experience Survey. 18Patient Therapies. 19Home Care/Visiting Nurses. 19Eddy Health Alert For Personal Protection.20Paying For Your Care. 21FURTHERING THE MISSION. 22IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERSFOR SAMARITAN HOSPITAL.24YOUR NOTES.25
WHEN YOU ARRIVENOTE: This guide has information about the hospital you have chosenfor your care. You will receive this guide along with the St. Peter’s HealthPartners (SPHP) Patient Handbook – A Guide to Hospital Policies andPatient Care. The handbook contains important information that appliesto patients at all SPHP hospitals, including your rights as a hospital patient.You should use both the SPHP Patient Handbook and this guide forcomplete information about your hospital stay.PARKINGFree parking for patients and visitors is available at the main entranceparking garage off Eagle Street. Valet services are provided at the Lallyand Pavilion entrances to the hospital from 6 am to 4 pm. Valet servicescan be validated for inpatients upon discharge and outpatient servicesat the office desk when visits are completed. All others will be chargeda 5.00 fee for the service. If you leave after closing hours, vehicle keyscan be retrieved at the Emergency Room security office.Parking on hospital driveways and in other designated areas isprohibited to allow free passage for emergency vehicles. Pleasedo not park in these areas.If you are returning to your vehicle after dusk and would like an escort,please contact the switchboard operator at 518-271-3300. Securitypersonnel will meet you at the appropriate exit, escort you to yourvehicle and wait until you are safely on your way. If you have anyquestions or concerns about parking or other security matters, pleasecontact the Security office at 518-271-3321.2
VALUABLES AND PERSONAL ITEMSPlease be aware that the hospital cannot be responsible for yourpersonal belongings and/or valuables. Please send home allbelongings that are not absolutely necessary to your hospitalstay. This includes clothes, large amounts of cash, credit cards,jewelry, and special keepsakes. If this is not possible, please askyour nurse about storing your valuables in the hospital safe orSecurity office.If you are scheduled for surgery, you will be asked to remove alljewelry including your wedding band. This is for your personal safety.Other Tips for Your Personal Belongings Due to limited storage space, please keep personal clothing andpossessions to a minimum. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, dentures, hearing aids, and otherprosthetic devices may be kept with you. Protect them by placingthem in a safe place (your bedside table drawer) so they are notaccidentally discarded. Ask a member of your health care teamfor a Patient Belongings bag to store these items. Make sure your name is on your denture cup or ask your nursefor an easily identifiable denture holder. Never leave dentures or hearing aids on a food tray or on your bed.FORMS AND INSURANCEYou will be asked to sign consent forms that allow our qualified staffto provide treatment or perform necessary surgical procedures. It isimportant you understand your treatment plan and the proceduresyour doctor will be using. If you are under 18, your parent or legalguardian must sign these forms.If you subscribe to a health insurance plan, please submit any healthinsurance cards at the time of admission. No patient will be refusedemergency services due to an inability to pay. For information aboutbilling and financial support, see Page 16 in your St. Peter’s HealthPartners Patient Handbook.3
PATIENT INFORMATIONSt. Peter’s Health Partners obeys all federal and state laws to protectpatient health information. Information is shared only with healthprofessionals, as needed, or other agencies, as required by law. Patientsmust decide whether to allow their presence in the hospital and theirroom number to be given out to anyone who calls the hospitalinformation desk or switchboard.Unless you “opt out,” persons may learn your room and phone number,as well as your visiting hours, by calling the hospital’s information desk orswitchboard at (518) 271-3321. (If you “opt out” of providing the information,it will mean that not even family and friends can learn about your statusor location.) Any other personal information must come from your doctorand is only made available to members of the immediate family chosenby you.You may ask for copies of your records. To get an authorization forrelease of medical records, contact your nurse or Medical Recordsat (518) 271-3261. Our department is open from 8 am to 4 pm,Monday through Friday.Patient PortalsA patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient,24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with anInternet connection. St. Peter’s Health Partners supports two patientportals – Hixny and the St. Peter’s Health Partners Patient Portal.HixnyHixny is a secure, electronic service for exchanging health informationamong hospitals and doctors in the Capital Region. This service allowsyour doctor to view and share information like medication history,allergies, and test results. It also lets doctors write prescriptions onlineand send them to your pharmacy.4
By law, Hixny uses the most advanced security to protect your privacy.Access to your information will be limited to doctors treating you, andHixny tracks every person who accesses information. This service makesit more efficient to get the information that is already being shared viatelephone, faxes, and mail. Hixny includes 17 upstate counties: Albany,Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery,Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, St. Lawrence,Warren, and Washington.To participate, all you need to do is sign the Hixny consent form. Ifyou change your mind, ask for another Hixny consent form to changeyour decision.To view the information in your Hixny health record, you can sign upfor Hixny for You. Visit www.hixny.org for more information.St. Peter’s Health Partners Patient PortalSt. Peter’s Health Partners’ patient portal is an online tool that enablesyou to view your own health information. Our portal is secure andportable – you can access your reports from the comfort of your ownhome computer or tablet.A patient portal provides you with 24/7 online access to your healthinformation, whenever and wherever you need it. With our patient portal,you are better informed about your health and are able to be an activepartner with your health care team. To learn more about our patientportal, visit www.sphp.com/forpatients.Identification BraceletFor your safety: When you are admitted, an identification (ID) bracelet with your nameand patient number will be placed on your wrist. Wear your hospital ID bracelet at all times. Make sure the informationon it is correct. Ask for a new one if it comes off. Make sure staff always checks your ID bracelet, and asks your nameand date of birth before any test, procedure or giving medication.5
WHILE YOU ARE HEREWHAT YOU CAN EXPECTDURING YOUR STAYWe demonstrate our core values byproviding high-quality, compassionatecare to you during your stay. Youcan expect: We will talk with you and yourfamily in a way that acknowledgesyour needs. We will introduce who we are and explain our role in providingyour care, while keeping you comfortable and explaining what youcan expect. We will communicate your progress and ask if you need anythingbefore we leave your side. We will regularly check on you to ensure we are meeting your needs.We will ask you key questions about your pain, bathroom needs,comfort, and help keep your necessities in reach. (This process isalso known as hourly rounding.) Information on who your caregivers are will be posted and updatedon a board in your room to help you with your stay and recovery.While you are here, if you have any concerns about your care, please letyour nurse or nurse manager know immediately. We want your stay hereto be as comfortable as possible.YOUR ROOMFor your comfort, we make every effort to honor specific room requests.However, please understand there are times where we may be unableto fulfill your request. This can happen if your admission is an emergency,if the room you request is unavailable or if the room is specifically assignedto a medical or surgical specialty. We will be happy to transfer you whena room of your choosing becomes available.6
PLANNING YOUR CARE FROM ARRIVAL TO DISCHARGESoon after you are admitted, a clinical care coordinator (C3) will beginto make regular visits with you to plan for your needs while you are inthe hospital and after you leave. The C3 is a registered nurse who worksclosely with the members of your health care team (including yourprimary care provider) to coordinate your care beyond your hospitalstay. Your C3 or a social worker is available to address other concernsyou may have, including: Legal and financial problems Coping and bereavement issues Behavioral and mental health counseling Crisis interventionC3s encourage and welcome the active participation of you and yourfamily members in decision-making about your health care. Your C3is committed to helping you maintain the quality care you need, foras long as you need it.HOW TO BE INVOLVED IN YOUR TREATMENTWhile you are a patient, we encourage you to take an active rolein your health care.The Partnership for Clear Health Communication has established the“Ask Me 3” program, a simple set of questions that you should ask yourdoctor, nurse or pharmacist at every visit. The questions are: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this?We encourage you to ask questions and be sure you understand theanswers. If you do not understand the answers, ask your health careprovider to explain the information again. Your providers want to helpyou understand your medical conditions, test results, medications,treatment instructions, and patient safety issues.7
Your SafetyWe encourage all of our patients to take an active role in the preventionof infections and injuries. Important ways to do this can be found in theSt. Peter’s Health Partners Patient Handbook. To learn more about: Preventing infection, see Page 10. Preventing falls, see Page 11. Fire/emergency drills, surgery and medication safety, see Page 12.Remember to ask everyone (doctors, nurses, staff, visitors) who entersyour room if they cleaned their hands with alcohol-based hand rub orsoap and water. Ask your health care team if devices, such as urinarycatheters and central venous catheters, are still necessary each day.By partnering with your Patient Safety Team at Samaritan Hospital, youcan help lessen the risk of health care-associated infections and injuries.Your ComfortComfort and relief are important aspects of your care and treatment.We are committed to reducing your pain whenever possible andaddressing your pain-control needs. To learn more, see Page 8 in theSt. Peter’s Health Partners Patient Handbook.Select a Caregiver PartnerWe strongly recommend that the patient and/or family members choosea caregiver partner. This person acts as the designated spokespersonfor the patient during their hospital stay. The caregiver partner can alsoupdate other family members and friends on the patient’s condition.8
SPIRITUAL CARE AND OTHER HEALING RESOURCESSpiritual care staff are an important part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. Chaplains and other spiritual care staff are available topatients, family and friends of all faith traditions seven days a week,24 hours a day. Our staff will visit and counsel patients, as well as provideopportunities for prayer, sacrament and ritual. To receive care from achaplain or visit the hospital chapel, ask your nurse.Patients are invited to notify the spiritual leaders of their own faithcommunities of their hospitalization. These persons are welcomevisitors at our hospitals.A Dedicated Space for Reflection, Meditation and PrayerSamaritan Hospital’s Main Campus offers a quiet place for reflection,meditation and prayer on the second floor of the hospital’s SouthBuilding, between elevators 4 and 5. This nondenominational spaceis open 24/7 to all patients, families and staff.Continuous reflective music, scenic viewing and scheduled prayer servicescan be viewed free of charge on Channel 17 of your in-room TV.Palliative Care for the Seriously IllPalliative care provides relief from pain and other symptoms oftenassociated with serious illness. A team of doctors, nurses, and otherspecialists work with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layerof support. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patientand the family.Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage of an illness,and can be provided along with curative treatment. For more information,ask your doctor or any member of your health care team.9
Ethics Consultation ServiceSometimes patients, their families, and their health care team facedifficult ethical issues regarding treatment decisions. The St. Peter’sHealth Partners Ethics Consultation Service has individuals trainedin ethical decision-making who can discuss options for care, explainchoices, offer guidance, and work with you and your health care teamto resolve disagreements. This service is provided by each St. Peter’sHealth Partners hospital. To reach this service at your hospital, call(518) 525-1602.Institutional Review Board (IRB)The St. Peter’s Health Partners’ IRB is in place to protect the rightsand welfare of persons participating in clinical research trials. It is aboard of local doctors, scientific members, community members andnon-scientific members. This board reviews, provides oversight andapproves or disapproves local human subject research based on medicalethics, and state and federal rules and guidelines. Patients who are alreadyenrolled in a clinical research trial should inform their doctor and nurse.Patients interested in participating in clinical research should speak withtheir doctor.GUIDELINES FOR VISITING PATIENTS General visitation hours are 9 am to 9 pm. A designated support person,chosen by the patient, will be allowed 24/7 visitation access. If thesupport person plans to stay or visit between 9 pm and 9 am, he/sheneeds to check in at the nurses’ station to receive a visitor’s badge.The nursing staff has the authority to limit visitation based on apatient’s care needs. All visitors should be free of infection or illness during visitation.Persons who do not feel well or have experienced certain symptomswithin the last 48 hours should not visit the hospital. These symptomsinclude fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, skin rash, vomitingor diarrhea. All visitors should wash their hands with soap and water or alcoholbased hand rub when entering and exiting your room.10
Visitors are encouraged to be respectful of all of our patients’ needsfor rest and privacy. While family and friends are welcome, only two visitors should entera patient’s room at one time. Patient information is confidential and should not be discussedin public areas.Visiting Critical Care AreasSpecial guidelines must be followed when visiting patients in critical careareas. It is very important for guests to check in with the staff in theseareas regarding the policy specific to the unit. Critical care areas include:the Emergency Department (ED), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), ProgressiveCare Unit (PCU).Visiting Behavioral Health AreasSpecial guidelines must be followed when visiting patients in behavioralhealth areas. It is very important for guests to check in with the staffin these areas regarding the policy specific to the unit. Behavioralhealth areas include: the Inpatient Mental Health Unit, the MentallyIll Chemically Addicted (MICA) Unit and the Geriatric Psychiatry Unit.Each unit has established visiting hours. The MICA and Mental HealthUnits accommodate visitors Monday through Friday 4:30 pm to 8 pm,and weekends from noon to 8 pm. The Geriatric Psychiatry Unitaccommodates visitors from 11:30 am to 1 pm, and from 3 pm to 8 pmdaily. Special requests and circumstances are evaluated by the treatmentteam and can be accommodated by making prior contact with the unit.Children under the age of 14 are not permitted in the units.Visitation by ChildrenChildren ages 12 and under are welcome to visit any time they areaccompanied by a responsible adult. Under no circumstances maychildren be left alone with a patient.11
Special CircumstancesVisitation guidelines for children and/or adults may change duringspecial circumstances such as periods of flu prevalence or other infectiousdisease and/or New York State Department of Health alerts for visitation.General SafetyOur goal is to promote a healing environment for our patients and staff.Violence, foul language or abusive behavior are not acceptable. Verbalthreats or acts of violence will not be tolerated and may result in removalfrom this facility and/or prosecution.PATIENT EXPERIENCEIf you have a concern, problem or complaint that has not been resolvedthrough your nurses and doctors, you can call Patient Experience at(518) 525-1192 or email PatientExperience@sphp.com. If hospital staff arenot able to resolve the problem, you may contact the New York StateDepartment of Health by mail or phone.You may call the toll-free number, 1-800-804-5447, or you may filea complaint in writing and send it to:New York State Department of HealthCentralized Hospital Intake ProgramMailstop: CA/DCSEmpire State PlazaAlbany, NY 12237Questions or comments: hospinfo@health.state.ny.usNondiscrimination StatementSamaritan Hospital complies with applicable federal and New Yorkstate civil rights laws. If you believe that we have failed to provideservices or discriminated in another way on the basis of basis of race,color, national origin, religion or creed, sex or sexual orientation, age,disability, marital status, military status or source of payment, youcan file a grievance with the Samaritan Hospital patient experiencecoordinator at (518) 525-1192. Please refer to Page 8 of the St. Peter’sHealth Partners Patient Handbook for more information.12
PATIENT AND VISITOR SERVICESDINING INFORMATIONNutrition is an important component of your overall health and recovery.If you have been admitted, your doctor/provider will write your diet orderprescription. At Samaritan Hospital, our meal service program, Cateringto You (CTY), makes it possible to meet the nutritional needs of all ofour inpatients while offering a variety of food choices to enhance yourdining experience.All inpatients at Samaritan Hospital are automatically enrolled in theCTY program. A patient dining associate is assigned to each patient.Your patient dining associate will receive your meal requests and willdeliver meals to you. For more detailed information about CTY, pleaseask your nurse.Meal service occurs between the following time intervals:Breakfast, 7 am – 8:30 amLunch, 11 am – 1:30 pmDinner, 4 pm – 6 pmThe exact time of delivery varies for each floor. If your meal or mealservice is not consistent with your expectations, please feel free tocontact food service management at (518) 271-3496.Inpatient Food PolicyPatients receiving food from home or outside of the facility should limitthis occurrence to special circumstances. When you are admitted to thehospital, your food must agree with the doctor’s current diet order. If yourguests are unsure of what foods are appropriate, they should contactFood and Nutrition Services before 7 pm at (518) 271-6621.13
All visitors carrying food items must check in at the nurses’ station beforeentering into a patient’s room. Guests who plan to bring food to patientsshould only bring amounts that can be consumed at one sitting.Do not walk in the patient’s room with any food that will not be eatenimmediately. Any perishable food that is not to be consumed immediatelyshould be appropriately sealed, labeled, dated, and stored in the pantryunit refrigerator. Any refrigerated food that is not consumed within threedays will be discarded.Any food that has been inside the patient’s room cannot be stored in thepantry unit refrigerator with other food. It must be disposed of.Dining for VisitorsOur cafeteria is available for guests. If for any reason a guest needsto stay in the room with you, guest trays are provided for a fee of 5 pertray. Contact your patient dining associate or call Food and NutritionServices at (518) 271-6621 to discuss guest tray procedures.CafeteriaThe cafeteria offers a wide range of dining options including freshly madesoups, hot and cold specials, salads, deli bar, desserts and beverages.The hospital cafeteria is open Monday through Friday, from 6:30 amto 6:30 pm. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, the cafeteria is open from8 am to 6:30 pm.Vending ServicesVending machines are available 24 hours a day. They are located: on P2, P3, P4 and P5 near the elevators on the ground floor near the elevators in the Emergency Department waiting room14
HEARING AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORTSt. Peter’s Health Partners provides communication/language assistanceat no cost to patients and their caregivers. Professional interpreter services(telephonic, video and on-site) are available 24/7 so you may communicatein your preferred language. See Page 6 in the St. Peter’s Health PartnersPatient Handbook for more information.All patient telephones are equipped with volume control to improvehearing, and closed-caption TV is available. For deaf patients, a TTY isavailable upon request. Patients who have vision problems may havetranslated, large print and electronic versions of patient materials madeavailable. Contact the SPHP Communication/
of outpatient services, including urgent care and is home to the Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. In 2020, Albany Memorial Hospital merged into Samaritan Hospital to become Albany Memorial Campus offering emergency, inpatient, and outpatient care. The important information in this booklet may be useful during and after your stay.
Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing is affiliated with St. Peter's Health Partners, the region's most compre-hensive not-for-profit network of healthcare, supportive housing, and community services. Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing enjoys a close working relationship with our sister school: St. Peter's Hospital College of .
The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) constitutes the entire canon of sacred text for the Samaritan community. Its prominent role within the Samaritan community is clear. Public reading of the Pentateuch is a central component of communal worship and religious festivals. Inscriptions taken from the Pentateuch decorate public buildings and private homes .
many centered at Good Samaritan Hospital. Rita's Good Sam experiences began in 1954 when she left her parents and 11 siblings in Holton, Indiana to attend the Good Samaritan School of Nursing. "Talk about a fish out of water!" says Rita. "My high school graduated 14 students; most of my nursing school classmates came from huge schools."
Susan Macy, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Good Samaritan Region . Susan Macy, MBA, BSN, came to TriHealth in January 2019 as Director of Critical Care at TriHealth Good Samaritan . Hospital. Her previous position was Nurse Manager of Advanced Care Units at the now closed Good Samaritan . Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
Milwaukee and Evangelical Deaconess Hospital merged to become Good Samaritan Medical Center in 1980. In . 1984, an affiliation of Good Samaritan Medical Center and St. Luke's Medical Center created St. Luke's Samaritan . Today, as the only hospital operating in downtown Milwaukee, Aurora Sinai is in the unique position of providing
College of Nursing enjoys a close working relationship with our sister school: Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing Our educational relationship with Hudson Valley Community College enables our nursing students to earn college credits for liberal arts and science support courses. Our educational relationship with
23 Eastman Dental Hospital 24 Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital 25 The Nuffield Hearing and Speech Centre 26 Moorfields Eye Hospital 27 St. Bartholomew's Hospital 28 London Bridge Hospital 29 Guy's Hospital 30 Churchill Clinic 31 St. Thomas' Hospital 32 Gordon Hospital 33 The Lister Hospital 34 Royal Hospital Chelsea 35 Charter .
Step 1: Fold paper into triangular fourths. Cut along one line from the outer point to the middle. Step 2: Fold paper into a pyramid shape by putting one triangle beneath the other to make the base of the pyramid. Staple in each of the front corners. Step 3: Make the desired number of pyramids and staple them together. You can do 1, 2, 3, or 4 pyramid sections. This photo shows 4 pyramid .
