Welcome and thank you for choosing Saint Mary's Hospital for your upcoming procedure. The caring professionals at Saint Mary's Hospital will do everything possible to make your experience here comfortable and convenient. If at any time during pre-registration, pre-admission testing, registration or a procedure you wish to speak to our hospital representatives, please feel free to do so. Your suggestions and comments help us to provide the highest quality service possible.

The following will help guide you through your procedure at Saint Mary's Hospital, from registration and pre-procedure testing through admission, recovery and discharge. You will find answers to the questions most frequently asked by our SameDay Care patients as well as important information for the family member or friend who accompanies you to the hospital to escort you home after your procedure. If you have any questions, call the Saint Mary's Hospital Patient Access Department at (203) 709-6351.

Pre-Registration

You will be pre-registered over the telephone by a Patient Access Representative. To expedite the call, please have your insurance card available. At that time, you will be notified of any co-payments and/or deductibles your insurance carrier may require. Please be aware that as part of your insurance agreement, payment is expected at the time of service.

• If you are uninsured or otherwise unable to pay for your medical care, there are financial counselors available to help you obtain financial assistance or make arrangements for payment. A financial counselor can be reached at (203) 709-7741.
  
  
• If you have difficulty understanding English, interpretation services are available.
  
  
• If you are hearing or speech-impaired, please let us know 24 hours in advance, so that we can provide appropriate services for you.

Pre-Admission Testing

(One week to 2 days before your procedure.) After stopping in the Registration Office on the first floor to complete your registration paperwork, you will be directed to One-Stop Testing. There, you can expect to spend about one hour for tests, a medical history and a physical exam by a physician or licensed practitioner. Tests may include blood work, EKG and/or chest x-ray. If your x-rays were not taken at Saint Mary's Hospital, you must obtain copies and bring them with you on the day of your pre-admission testing. You will also receive information and education pertinent to your procedure. If you are having specific types of orthopedic surgery, you may speak with a physical therapist regarding your recovery process.

• Unless directed by your physician, you do not have to fast prior to your pre-admission tests.
  
  
• Please bring a list of the medications you take when you come for your pre-admission tests, including any herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen or vitamins.
  
  
• Please bring your current health insurance identification cards and photo ID with you to the Registration Office.
  
  
• If you have Advance Directives or a Living Will, bring it with you.
  
  
• There is no charge for parking for all Saint Mary's Hospital patients. Please be sure to bring your parking ticket with you for validation.
  
  
• If, at any point prior to your scheduled procedure, you get sick or develop a cold, call your physician and Saint Mary's Hospital Patient Access Department at (203) 709-6351.

Special Note for Patients Who Require Autologous Blood Donation

• If your doctor has ordered autologous blood donation, this procedure is done in the Outpatient Therapy Department on the second floor of the hospital. Your doctor will make this appointment for you. Often, you can also have your pre-admission testing done the same day. You will need to stop in the Registration Office on the first floor prior to your appointment.
  
  
• Please notify your doctor if you are taking antibiotics or have a fever or infection. They may affect your ability to donate your blood at that time.
  
  
• Please be sure to eat a healthy meal before your appointment. You may receive a call the day before from a nurse asking some medical history questions. Please feel free to call the Outpatient Therapy Department at (203) 709-6492 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, if you have any questions for the nurse.

One Day Prior to Procedure

Depending on the type of procedure you are having, you may receive a phone call at home from the hospital to confirm the time you should arrive at Saint Mary's. If you do not receive a phone call or are instructed to call the hospital yourself for confirmation, please do so between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, at least 24 hours before your procedure.

• Call our Hotline at (203) 709-3752 before 7 p.m. if you have not been called prior to surgery. A nurse will return your call.
  
  
• Please refer to information given to you by your physician and call the Hotline at (203) 709-3752 before 7 p.m. if you have any questions or concerns about your procedure. A nurse will respond to your call.
  
  
• Your physician's office should notify you by 2 p.m., the day before your procedure, of the time you are due at the hospital.
  
  
• Make or confirm arrangements with an adult family member or friend to drive you to and from the hospital. If no one is available to drive you home and stay with you overnight, your procedure may be canceled.
  
  
• A parent or legal guardian must accompany children and young adults under 18 years of age.
  
  
• Do not eat or drink anything beginning at midnight, the night before your procedure.

Day of Procedure

• The morning of surgery, take all of your medications with a sip of water, except anticoagulants (blood-thinners), diuretics (water pills) and hypoglycemia (sugar) pills, unless otherwise directed by your physician. Do not take Glucophage (metformin) or Glucovance 24 hours prior to surgery.
  
  
• If you take insulin, call your physician for the proper dose to take the day of surgery.
  
  
• Note: Check with your doctor at least two weeks before your surgery for instructions regarding over-the-counter and herbal remedies (such as, but not limited to, ginko biloba, ginseng and St. John's wort.)
  
  
• Dress casually and do not bring any valuables or money. Remove all jewelry, including body piercing, which is an infection and burn risk during surgery. Do not wear cologne, nail polish, makeup or hair spray.
  
  
• Be sure to bring a list of the medications you take as well as any X-rays (including mammograms for women) or papers given to you by your physician.
  
  
• Cellular phones and two-way radios may not be used within 3 feet of any medical equipment in the hospital. Saint Mary's strongly recommends that patients leave all valuable personal items, including cellular phones, at home.
  
  
• Remember, Saint Mary's is a smoke-free environment.

When You Arrive

• It is important to arrive promptly at your designated time to ensure that your procedure begins on schedule.
  
  
• Stop at the hospital Reception Desk and indicate that you are scheduled for a procedure and need to go to SameDay Care.
  
  
• You will be asked to register and/or review the information you gave during your pre-registration, and to sign the necessary paperwork. You may have a 5 - 15 minute wait for this process. Please present your current health insurance cards, photo ID and any applicable co-payment at this time.
  
  
• Report to the second floor Central Waiting area where you may sign in. A Customer Care Representative will be there to assist you and to keep your family informed.
  
  
• In the order of your procedure time, you will be escorted to the SameDay Care Unit to prepare for your procedure.

After Your Procedure

• Depending upon your procedure, you may recover in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or the SameDay Care Unit. For your comfort and safety, no visitors are allowed in PACU, except for the parents or guardians of minor children.
  
  
• If you are staying in the hospital after your procedure, family and friends will be informed what patient room you will be moved to and how to find you.
  
  
• If you are designated to go home the same day, a responsible adult must drive you home. Remember, if no one is available to drive you home, your procedure may be canceled. Please make arrangements to have an adult stay with you overnight at your home, or your procedure may be canceled.
  
  
• For your safety and the safety of others, you should not drive a car, operate machinery or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours after discharge from Saint Mary's Hospital.
  
  
• Within 72 hours after your procedure, a Saint Mary's Hospital nurse or your physician's office will telephone you to see how you are doing, to inquire about any pain you may have and to answer your questions.

Pain Management

Keeping you comfortable before, during and after your procedure is important to the staff at Saint Mary's Hospital. Your nurse will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10.

• If you are in pain, you have the right to proper pain management.
  
  
• Medications and treatments are available to safely ease your pain.

Remember

• Beginning at midnight the night before your procedure, do not eat or drink anything. Your procedure may be canceled if you do.
  
  
• Pre-admission tests, if ordered, and medical clearance must be completed no later than two days before your procedure.
  
  
• You must arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you after your procedure, or it may be canceled.
  
  
• A parent or legal guardian must accompany anyone under 18 years of age.
  
  
• Be sure to bring insurance information, photo ID, any paperwork given to you by your physician or X-rays when you come. Bring your Advance Directives or Living Will if you have one.
  
  
• Leave all valuables at home, including money, jewelry, body piercings and cellular phones.

Important Information for Your Escort

If the person or persons escorting you choose to wait for you in the hospital, they will be directed to the Central Waiting area on the second floor. Information is available at the Reception Desk for the location and hours of the hospital cafeteria and gift shops. Reading materials and television sets are also available in the waiting area.

• A Customer Care Representative is available to assist with your escorts' needs and provide information regarding your progress.
  
  
• Saint Mary's Hospital is a smoke-free environment.
  
  
• Cellular phones and two-way radios may not be used within 3 feet of medical equipment. Please be aware of signs and areas where use of these items is restricted.
  
  
• Saint Mary's Hospital staff and volunteers are happy to help visitors find the cafeteria, gift shops, public restrooms, telephones, chapel or any place else they need to go.
  
  
• Parking is available in the Saint Mary's Hospital Visitors' Garage on Cole Street and the open air lot on Franklin Street, across from the hospital entrance.
  
  
• Visitor's must carry a Visitors' pass at all times inside the hospital after checking in at a Reception Desk.
  
  
• Saint Mary's Hospital respects and upholds the right of all patients to maintain their medical information with the highest degree of confidentiality. Information about your care and status will only be given by medical personnel to persons you designate during the admission process.