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 Pre-Anesthesia Screening (PAs) department at (203) 709-3791 or (203) 709-3360.

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.

(Five to seven 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. Tests may include blood work, EKG and/or chest x-ray.

• 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. Complimentary valet parking is available from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  
  
• If, at any point prior to your scheduled procedure, you get sick or develop a cold, call your physician and Pre-Anesthesia Screening department (203) 709-3791 after 4:00 p.m. call (203) 709-6096.

Depending on the type of procedure you are having, you can expect 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 (203) 709-3791 and after 4:00 p.m. call (203) 709-6096.

• 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.

• An RN from the Pre-Anesthesia department will contact you prior to surgery to review your health history; current medications and pre-operative instructions.

• 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.

• 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.

• Depending upon your procedure, you may recover in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or the SameDay Care Unit. Visitors in PACU may be permitted at the discretion of staff.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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 24 hours after your procedure, a Saint Mary's Hospital nurse will telephone you to see how you are doing, to inquire about any pain you may have and to answer your questions.

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.

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 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.
  

• 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.

Thank you for choosing Saint Mary's Hospital where we provide exceptional care for every patient everyday.