Before Your Arrival & Checking In

Admitting Procedures

Your admission to the hospital must be arranged by your physician in conjunction with the hospital's Admitting Department. Either your doctor and /or his staff or the Admitting Office will notify you of your admission time. Once you arrive at the hospital, you should enter through the Emergency Department entrance unless you are a maternity patient. If you need assistance, please ask for help at the Information Desk.

If you are a maternity patient in active labor, please report directly to the Labor and Delivery Unit. If you did not complete preadmission paperwork, a family member should go to the Admitting Office to complete registration forms. Women scheduled for a Cesarean delivery must report to Admitting.

When you register, please bring your social security number, the name and phone number of the person the hospital should notify in an emergency, your employer information and insurance identification forms, which the admitting registrar will photocopy. If you are not covered by any health insurance, the hospital may request a deposit or arrange a financial agreement.

Many insurance companies now require preadmission authorization certification, so we recommend you check with your insurance carrier prior to your admission. Failure to do so might result in a reduction of your insurance benefits. You will also need to sign a guarantor statement and a release of information, which will be sent to your insurance company.

Once the admitting procedure is complete, your name band will be placed around your wrist and the admitting registrar will direct you to your room.

What to Bring

You will want to bring personal items, such as a robe, slippers, sleepwear, hair brush, tooth brush and tooth paste, shaving kit and other toiletry articles. Please do not bring valuables to the hospital. Send home any large sums of money, credit cards, jewelry, radios or other items you may have brought with you. If necessary, these can be secured in the Safety and Security Department until a family member takes them home for you.

Personal appliances, such as electric hair dryers, curling irons and razors, are not permitted unless they are inspected and approved by the hospital's Biomedical Engineering Department.

The use of cellular phones is prohibited inside the building.

While you are here, please be careful with your dentures, hearing aids and eyeglasses. Don't wrap them in tissues or napkins or leave them on your meal tray where they may be inadvertently discarded. A denture cup is available from your nurse.

The hospital will not assume responsibility for loss of money or valuable items that you have kept with you during your stay with us. This includes clothing, radios, wristwatches, rings, appliances, eyeglasses, contact lenses, dentures, hearing aids and any other personal belongings.

Medications

Good Samaritan Hospital provides comprehensive pharmacy services. Personal medications should not be used while you're an inpatient and should be sent home. Occasionally, our pharmacy may not stock a medication your physician orders for you so we may ask you to use your own supply. While you are here, your physician will prescribe any medications you require.

It would be helpful for you to keep a list of medications you've been taking during the last three months, as well as any allergies to medications you have, so this information can be shared with our health care team. In many instances, a pharmacist will assist your physician in monitoring your medication regimen to help prevent drug interactions or the side effects of some drugs.

We believe it is important that you know about the drugs being prescribed, including their names, possible side effects and how they should be taken. If you have any questions about your medication, please ask your physician or your nurse.