BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL AND CHECKING IN Admitting Procedures Your physician must arrange your admission to the hospital with the hospital's admitting department. Either your doctor, and/or his staff, or the admitting office will notify you of your expected time of admission. The admitting office is open 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. It is conveniently located on the lobby level, just inside the main entrance. When you register, you will need to bring your social security number, the name and phone number of the person the hospital should notify in an emergency, your employer information, all your insurance identification forms and a copy of your Advanced Directive. The Bon Secours Center for New Life (maternity department) offers a pre-registration process several months before your expected due date. Please contact the admitting office for more information. We offer both private and semi-private rooms; however, room assignments are made according to room availability and your medical and nursing needs. Your best interests are always our concern and we strive to make your stay as comfortable as possible. What To Bring You will want to bring personal items, such as a robe, slippers, sleep wear, hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving kit and other toiletry articles. Please do not bring valuables, large sums of money, credit cards, jewelry, or similar items. While you are here, please be careful with your dentures, hearing aid and eyeglasses. Don't wrap them in tissues or napkins, or leave them on your meal tray where they may be accidentally discarded. We regret that we are unable to assume responsibility for the loss of money, valuable items or personal belongings that you have kept with you during your stay with us. Medications You cannot use your personal medications while you are an inpatient and they should be sent home. While you are here, your physician will prescribe any medications you require. It would, however, be helpful for you to keep a list of medications that you have been taking during the last three months, and any medication allergies you have, so that this information can be shared with your health care team. We believe it is important that you know about the drugs being prescribed for you, including their names, use, possible side effects and how you should take them. If you have any questions about your medication, please ask your physician or nurse. FOR YOUR COMFORT & CONVENIENCE Spiritual Care The chaplains of our pastoral care department are available to serve your spiritual and religious needs. Our pastoral care employees are dedicated to the needs of our patients and the comfort of their families. They respond to patients' requests and referrals by physicians, staff, families, friends, and clergy. A chaplain is on call for spiritual needs and is available to meet the sacramental needs of Catholic patients. Clergy of all denominations are welcome to visit patients of their congregation. One of our pastoral care staff members can help you contact the clergy person of your choice. Chapel The hospital chapel is on the first floor, and it is always open for patients, residents, friends and family. Mass Schedule

Flowers
Volunteers will deliver flowers and other gifts to your room. Flowers are not permitted in the ICU / CCU.

Gift Shop
The gift shop, on the lobby level of the hospital, provides gifts, reading materials, fresh flowers, cards and snacks. Our auxiliary members, a manager and volunteers operate our gift shop, and proceeds from gift shop sales help support the replacement or upgrading of hospital equipment.

Interpreters
Sign and foreign language interpreters are available through your patient representative or volunteer services.

Mail
A volunteer will bring your mail to your room. After discharge, your mail will be forwarded to your home address. Your mail should be addressed as follows:

Your Name
Room and Bed Number
Bon Secours Community Hospital
160 East Main Street
Port Jervis, NY 12771

Telephone Service

Placing Calls:

• To make a local call, dial 8 + seven digit phone number.
• To make local calls to the following exchanges: 491, 296, 686, and 293, dial 8 + 1 + area code + phone number.
• To make a long distance call (collect or billed to your home), dial 8 + 00 to reach a Citizens Telecom Operator

If you would like to use another long distance carrier from your hospital telephone, dial "0" for hospital operator assistance
To make a credit card call, dial 8 + 10XXX + 0 + area code+ phone number (xxx=3 digit long distance "PIC" code)

To call the hospital operator, dial "0"

Receiving Calls:
Please note your number and let your family and friends know they can reach you without going through the hospital operator. Dialing 845-858 + (the four digit telephone number which appears on your telephone) can directly connect calls from outside the hospital to your room.

*At 9:00 p.m. the hospital activates the DO NOT DISTURB feature, and we allow no incoming calls into patient rooms.

MEALTIME

During your hospital stay, the food and nutrition department will provide you with nourishing, high quality meals. Your physician will prescribe a diet for you that complements your medical needs. Before your discharge, a member of our clinical nutrition staff will give you information on any specialized diet you must follow and set guidelines for the continuation of your diet at home.

In the hospital, we will give you a patient menu each day. A representative from the food and nutrition department will help you select your daily food choices and answer any questions you may have about your diet and meals.

We serve special "Memory Meals" to parents of newborns in the Celebration Room of the Bon Secours Center for New Life.

Guest Trays
Guest trays are available for visitors who wish to eat in the room with a patient. There is an additional charge for a guest tray and your visitor will need to pay the cafeteria cashier. Please ask your nurse to arrange for a guest tray.

Cafeteria
In our cafeteria, on the first floor, visitors are welcomed to dine and relax. A variety of appetizing hot, cold and grilled entrees, sandwiches, a salad bar and an assortment of desserts are available. The cafeteria is open seven days-a-week during the following hours:

Continental Breakfast 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Vending machines in the first floor cafeteria and near the main lobby entrance are available 24 hours-a-day. Snacks may also be purchased in the gift shop.

AMBULATORY SURGERY

Ambulatory surgery provides a safe and convenient alternative to conventional hospitalization when an overnight stay is not required. We are providing these instructions specifically for patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery.

Preparing at Home for Your Surgery
Your surgeon will order preoperative testing and a nurse will call you to schedule an appointment for these tests.

If you develop a cold, virus or sore throat, or are otherwise not feeling well, please contact your physician. If necessary, your procedure will be postponed.

It is very important that you follow the pre-op instructions given to you by your physician or by the preadmission nurse. In addition, follow these basic rules:

• Get a good night's rest
• Do not eat or drink after midnight, unless otherwise instructed by your physician
• Come to the hospital dressed in casual, comfortable clothing and do not wear make-up or hair accessories
• Do not bring any jewelry or valuables with you
• If you are taking daily medication, discuss with your doctor whether you should continue. If you are taking blood pressure, cardiac or diabetic medication, take it with no more than ¼ ounce of water, if your doctor agrees.

Please note that aspirin, one of the most commonly used medications available, can, in some individuals, produce an unwanted side effect, namely prevention of normal blood clotting, which can result in abnormal bleeding. If you are to undergo surgery, please inform your doctor if you have taken any prescription or over-the-counter medication before the surgery.

It is imperative that you arrive at the admitting office at your scheduled time. For your safety, a family member or friend should accompany you after surgery, as you will not be allowed to drive yourself home.

Going to Surgery
If you are going to be admitted, the floor nurse will ask you questions about your medical history and may need to shave or prep your operative site. Sometimes additional lab work, x-rays or tests are ordered and performed at this time. We will ask you to change into a hospital gown and to remove your eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, dentures or prosthesis. If you have a severe hearing impairment, you may request to keep your hearing aid which you can give to a nurse before you enter the operating room. Your doctor may order preoperative medication to help you relax. Your family is welcome to stay with you until we take you to the OR; then they should wait in the surgical waiting room where your doctor will meet with them after surgery.

In the waiting area of the OR, you will meet your nurses and anesthesiologists, and can talk with your surgeon. Staff will make any additional preparations for surgery and will start an IV.

After Your Surgery
Following surgery, you will be taken to the recovery room where nurses will check your pulse, blood pressure and other vital signs, encourage deep breathing and check your operative site. If you need it, your doctor will prescribe pain medication. Pain tolerance is individual and it is important that you express your needs to your nurse.

Once your vital signs are stable and you are responsive, the anesthesiologist will discharge you from the recovery unit. If you received spinal or epidural anesthesia, the anesthesiologist will want to make sure that you have sensation and movement in your lower extremities before discharging you. Upon your return to the unit, the nurses and your surgeon will continue to aid your recovery before discharging you. They will give you postoperative instructions about diet, activity, rest and medication.

VISITOR INFORMATION
Only two visitors are permitted at a time. Visitors under the age of 12 need permission from the nursing supervisor to visit. Visitors should always be sensitive to the patient's need for rest and the physicians' and nurses' efforts to provide care. Visits should be kept brief and cheerful.

Visitors are welcome to use the cafeteria or wait in the lobby anytime during visiting hours. Family and friends of surgical patients may wait in the Surgical Waiting Room.

Visiting Hours
Medical/Surgical Nursing Units:
11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Critically and Terminally Ill:
Individualized and flexible arrangements can be made with the charge nurse.

Bon Secours Center for New Life:
11:00 a.m - 8:00 p.m.
Fathers of newborns: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

ICU / CCU:
Visiting is limited to members of the immediate family three times daily at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.. We allow only two people at a time at bedside.

Crossroads:
Restricted to authorized visitors only.

Mental Health Unit (2 West):
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
We permit visitors according to the psychiatrist's orders and unit program schedule.

St. Josephs Place:
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
There are no restrictions regarding age or number of visitors to a resident of St. Josephs Place.

Visitor Parking:
Free visitor parking is available behind the hospital.

GOING HOME

Discharge
Your doctor will notify you and your family as to the day and time of your discharge. You should not leave the hospital before your attending physician formally discharges you. When your physician sets a discharge date, please arrange for your transportation home. Throughout your stay, your case manager will help you orchestrate a smooth and timely transition from the hospital.

On the day of your departure, a discharge slip will be available at the cashier's office in the lobby where we will verify your insurance coverage and you can settle any outstanding financial matters. For your convenience, the hospital accepts cash, check, Visa and MasterCard.

Reminder: Before leaving your room, please check your closet and all drawers for personal items.

Home Health Care Services
Our home healthcare coordinator works with your physician and case manager to arrange home care services, if appropriate. The coordinator works through Good Samaritan Home Health Agency in Suffern, New York. For more information, please contact your case manager or call the Case Management Department at extension 5289.

ABOUT YOUR BILL

Bon Secours Community Hospital makes every effort to keep your hospital bill as low as possible while maintaining the highest level of care.

You will receive a separate bill from your attending and consulting physicians, including radiologists, pathologists, surgeons and their assistants.

Please direct any questions concerning your hospitalization insurance or payment of your bill to the credit office, extension 7065. If you anticipate any difficulty in paying your bill, please contact our financial advisor, extension 7065 and ask about the St. Francis Assistance Program.

Medical Records
Your medical records are available to you through our Health Information Department, 845-858-7092.