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Our Mission:
“To improve the quality of life for all those
we touch through excellence in patient care, education,
research and community service.”
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To Our Patients:
Welcome to The University Hospital. We realize that
a stay in the hospital can be a stressful experience
for you and your families and we pledge to do everything
we can to make you as comfortable as possible. Our commitment
to you includes keeping you fully informed about how
things are done at University Hospital. This information
was designed with your questions and concerns in mind.
As a major academic medical center, with the largest
teaching program in the state and numerous centers of
excellence not found in other facilities, University
Hospital is uniquely qualified to provide you with the
highest level of care. Here you’ll find the most
complex technology and techniques combined with old-fashioned
concern and compassion and an institution-wide respect
for your right to actively participate in the decisions
regarding your care.
If you have any questions or concerns about anything
related to your stay at University Hospital, do not
hesitate to contact our Patient Advocate at (973) 972-6410
or to speak with your nurse manager. Your health and
comfort is our very special responsibility and we are
determined to resolve any problems as quickly as possible.
We wish you a speedy recovery and good health in the
future.
The University Hospital Family
Admitting Office
When you arrive at the Admitting Office, located just
off the main lobby, you will meet an admitting specialist
who will talk with you, answer your questions and verify
certain information. This information is kept confidential.
Consent Forms
The Patient Access Representative will also ask you
to sign a consent form, which is an agreement to allow
our staff to treat you. A parent or guardian must sign
for a minor. Additional forms may be required for special
procedures during your stay. Your physician will discuss
these with you.
Notice of Privacy
When you are admitted, you will be given a
copy of the hospital's Notice of Privacy Practice, which
identifies your rights to privacy and the ways in which
the hospital works to protect your privacy. If you object
to having your name in the hospital's patient directory,
or if you would like to limit or restrict communications
with persons involved in your care or payment of services,
it is your responsibility to inform hospital personnel
of that decision. You may make or rescind this decision
at any point in your hospital stay.
Advance Directives
Federal and State laws require all hospitals to ask
patients upon admission if they have developed an advance
directive or health care proxy and if they have not,
to offer assistance in the drafting of such a document.
An advance directive, sometimes referred to as a living
will, clearly states the types of health care measures
the patient would and would not want to have applied
if the patient was unable to speak for him/herself.
If you are interested in developing an Advance Directive
or Health Care Proxy, please contact the Social Work
Services Department at (973) 972-5842 or the Department
of Pastoral Care at (973) 972-5668 for assistance.
Financial Arrangements
The Patient Access Representative will verify and pre-certify
your insurance coverage. A financial Counselor will
determine the extent of benefits available on your policy
regarding your hospital stay. This is not a guarantee
that your insurance carrier will actually pay the bill.
They will make their final decision once they receive
the hospital bill. However, the Financial Counselor
will assist you in every aspect of securing payment
for the hospital bill, including requesting claim forms,
medical information and signatures.
If you are not insured or your policy does not provide
100% coverage, a Financial Counselor will interview
you about your family size, income, and other related
financial matters to evaluate your eligibility for Federal,
State, County, and/or Municipal programs that pay for
hospital services. Our patients are also counseled on
and assisted with eligibility requirements for the New
Jersey Hospital Care Assistance Program (also known
as Charity Care).
Hospital Financial Counselors will assist you in making
arrangements for the hospital bill. All arrangements
for physician bills are between you and your doctor,
although we do make your insurance information available
to staff physicians for billing purposes.
The physicians and staff of University Hospital are
trained to respect each patient’s right to receive
considerate care that safeguards personal dignity and
is respectful of the patient’s cultural, psychological
and spiritual values. A copy of the Patient Bill of
Rights will be provided to you and it is also posted
in most public areas and in the patient rooms.
University Hospital also respects and safeguards the
confidentiality of each patient's health information
that can identify him/her. For a complete description
of the hospital's responsibilities and practices in
using and disclosing your health information, see the
Notice of Privacy Practice, which is posted in most
public areas of the hospital and was provided to you
upon admission. If you would like another copy, please
contact the Admitting Department at (973) 972-4044.
If you have questions about your rights or disagree
with your treatment or other ethical issues, you should
first discuss the issue with your attending physician
or with your nurse. If additional assistance is needed,
University Hospital offers a Bioethics Consultation
Service to clarify a treatment issue or resolve a dispute
regarding the withholding and/or withdrawing of life
sustaining treatment. To convene a formal consultation,
the Bioethics Consultation Service may be contacted
through your nurse or you may call (973) 972-7251.
Your Role in Healthcare
Decisions
We encourage patients and their families to take an
active role in their health care decisions. Speak up
if you have questions or concerns about your diagnosis
and treatment. It's a good idea to have a relative or
friend with you who can help you ask questions and to
understand the answers.
Make sure you understand what will happen if you need
surgery. Ask your doctor about what to expect before,
during and after the surgery. Tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist
and nurses if you have allergies or have ever had a
bad reaction to anesthesia.
When you are being discharged, ask your doctor about
the treatment plan you are to follow at home.
Wrist Identification
Bands
An identification band indicating your name,
date of birth , address, age, religion, sex, and hospital
number will be placed on your wrist by the Patient Access
Representative. Please verify that the information on
the band is correct and do not remove it during your
hospital stay as it is an important means of identification
for all hospital personnel with whom you will come in
contact. During your stay, staff may ask you to give
them your name and date of birth – this is our
way of making sure the medication or treatment to be
provided is given to the correct patient.
Your Room
We want to make your stay as comfortable as
possible. You will be instructed on how to operate your
bed and how to use the call button for assistance
Your Medications
Keep a list of all the medicines you take.
Tell your doctor and nurses about the medicines you
take, including over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin,
ibuprofen, and dietary supplements like vitamins and
herbs. Tell them about any drug allergies you have.
Infection Control
Every effort has been made to make your hospital
room safe and clean. However, because there are many
sick people in the hospital who have germs that can
cause additional illnesses, we would like your cooperation
with the following:
- Wash your hands before and after going to the bathroom
and especially before eating.
- Daily bathing is important. Please ask for assistance
if needed.
If additional information is needed concerning your
protection from infection, it will be provided by the
hospital staff.
Medical Equipment
During your stay, medical equipment may be used as part
of your treatment. For your safety, do not touch the
control buttons or attempt to change the settings on
the equipment. Immediately notify a nurse if the equipment
alarm sounds; do not try to turn it off or silence the
alarm yourself.
Safety Precautions
We need your cooperation to provide a safe
environment. Occasionally, you will hear a loud siren
ringing which, most likely, is an indication that a
fire drill is in progress. Please do not be concerned.
Fire drills are a major and necessary component of the
hospital’s safety program. Patients and visitors
are asked to remain in their rooms, unless instructed
otherwise by our staff.
As a patient you can also participate in helping to
keep the hospital in safe order by reporting to the
nursing staff anything that might lead to a dangerous
situation.
Smoke-Free Policy
University Hospital is a smoke-free facility.
This applies to all patients, physicians, visitors,
and employees. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Bloodless Surgery and
Medicine
The University Center for Bloodless Surgery
and Medicine provides the latest transfusion-free treatment
techniques for a wide range of elective and emergency
procedures. Bloodless surgery and medicine provides
proven treatment alternatives to patients, regardless
of their reason for avoiding donor blood transfusion
and raises the standard of safety in patient care. To
learn more about this option, call the program coordinator
at (973) 972-3836.
Pain Management
Control of any pain or physical discomfort you may experience
is an essential part of the care you will receive at
University Hospital. Patients of all ages are entitled
to express their pain; have their pain thoroughly assessed;
have their pain managed effectively; receive a prompt
response to unrelieved pain; and be involved in all
decisions about their pain management.
Your physician or nurse will ask you on a regular
basis if you are experiencing pain and will ask you
to describe the nature/severity of your pain by using
a standard pain rating scale of 1 through 10. Do not
hesitate to tell your physician or nurse about any pain
you are experiencing, even if you have already received
pain medication
Massage therapy to relieve pain and stress is available.
Ask your nurse for information about this service.
Patient Valuables
As a patient, you will need only a few personal items.
These should be limited to a toothbrush and toothpaste,
comb and brush, shaving kit, nightgown or pajamas, robe,
and slippers. You are urged to leave your valuables
and cash at home. You will need a small amount of money
on hand to obtain daily newspapers and telephone and
television services, if you wish. If you wear eyeglasses,
a hearing aid, and/or dentures, please try to keep them
with you at all times, or in the bedside table. Ask
your nurse for a denture cup to prevent the possibility
of them being lost or discarded with the food tray or
linen.
For your safety, personal electrical appliances, such
as radios or hair dryers, should not be brought with
you to the hospital.
Telephone and Television
Services
University Hospital has contracted with an
outside vendor to provide patient telephone and television
services. You can request service at the time of your
admission or have your nurse manager arrange for the
representative to come to your bedside. If you experience
any problems with your telephone or television service,
please contact the representative at (973) 972-5687
or ask your nurse to notify their office. Representatives
are available in the hospital between the hours of 10
a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Telephone Service
When you order telephone service, you will actually
purchase the telephone for $10.00. In addition, there
is a daily telephone line charge of $4.00. The telephone
is yours to keep — you may use it at home and/or
bring it back to the hospital with you if you should
return as a patient. By doing so, you will only have
to pay the daily line charge of $4.00.
To make local calls or calls within the hospital,
dial 9 – 1 – area code – the number
you wish to call. To make toll or long distance calls,
dial 8-0-area code-the number you wish to call. Charges
are to be billed to your home phone or credit card,
or you can call collect. To call an 800 number, dial
9-1-800-the number you wish to call.
Devices for the hearing-impaired are available upon
request.
Television Service
The daily rental charge for television service
is $4.50 per day. Closed captioned devices are available
upon request.
If you do not wish to obtain paid television service,
you can still take advantage of the hospital’s
free in-house educational television channels.
Gift Shop
The Gift Shop is located off of the main lobby
on C-level. Toiletries, magazines, cards, plants, candy
and a variety of gift items are available. Hours of
operation are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday
and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Deliveries to your
room can be arranged everyday between the hours of 8
a.m. and 7 p.m. by calling (973) 972-6539.
An ATM machine is located in the cafeteria on B-level
of the hospital.
Services for the Speech
and Hearing Impaired
If you have a speech or hearing impairment,
please make your needs known to your healthcare provider
(doctor, nurse, dentist, social worker or others). Let
them know how best to communicate with you (sign language,
in writing, etc.). Do not assume that they know what
you need.
Please tell us in advance if you need a Sign Language
Interpreter or other assistive devices so that the hospital
has sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements.
To access these services during business hours (weekdays,
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), please ask your nurse or call
(973) 972-5114 or (973) 972-5643 (voice or relay) or
(973) 972-3674 (TTY only). After hours, your nurse will
obtain assistance for you.
Services Available:
- Loan of a TTY while hospitalized (arranged through
the telephone rental service at the same rate). Call
(973) 972-5687.
- Closed caption TV is available through the television
rental service. Call (973) 972-5687.
- Sign Language Interpreter whenever possible. Ask
your nurse for assistance or call (973) 972-5113 or
(973) 972-5643.
- Public TTY in the main lobby near the security
desk.
- Public telephone with amplifier in the outer lobby.
- All Fire/Smoke alarms include a strobe light. Please
stay in your room during alarms unless instructed
otherwise by the staff. Alarms are a major part of
the hospital’s safety program.
Translation Services
If you have trouble speaking or understanding
English, we will provide translation services to assist
in your communication with hospital staff. These services
include volunteers from the hospital staff who are proficient
in various languages as well as the AT&T Language
Line, which provides professional translations services
via the telephone.
Organ Donation Program
University Hospital supports the concept of
voluntary donation of organ and tissue either by prior
gift by an individual or by a subsequent gift by the
family. By law, University Hospital must report all
deaths to the New Jersey Organ & Tissue Sharing
Network. The Sharing Network is a federally designated,
non-profit agency whose sole purpose is to save lives
through the recovery of donor organs and tissue for
transplantation.
Patient and family members of a patient who meets criteria
for organ donation shall be provided the option of donation
in conformance with the law. Ask your nurse or call
the Social Work Services Department at (973) 972-5842
if you are interested in learning more about organ donation
and the Sharing Network.
Meals
Patient meals are prepared by our Food and Nutrition
staff. All patients receive a nutritional screening
and your nutritional care will be planned with you by
a clinical staff member. Menu selections in both English
and Spanish will be made available to you on a daily
basis. Kosher and Halal meals are available upon request.
Meal service begins at the following hours:
Breakfast 7 a.m.
Lunch 11 a.m.
Dinner 4 p.m.
Meal delivery times vary depending on your location
and if any tests have been ordered for you.
Gourmet meals are also available for a fee as a special
gift to patients. For additional information regarding
Gourmet Meals or Guest Trays, please call Food and Nutrition
Services at (973) 972-6152 or (973) 972-4026.
Dining Services
Visitors to University Hospital are invited to use the
Garden Cafe (Cafeteria) on the B-level of the hospital.
The Cafe serves a variety of hot and cold foods daily,
including weekends and holidays, from 6:30 a.m. to 7
p.m.
Vending machines and access to microwaves are available
in the B-level dining area at all times.
The Bistro Cafe
Located in the B-level dining area, The Bistro Cafe
offers restaurant-style table service in a quiet and
comfortable atmosphere. Lunch is served Monday through
Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Burger King
A Burger King franchise is located in the B-level
dining area.
Hours of operation are:
Monday – Friday 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Saturday 7 a.m.. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Visiting Hours
Visitors are an important part of the recovery process
for our patients and we encourage visits by friends
and family whenever appropriate. However, the safety,
comfort and care of our patients sometimes call for
limitations on visiting hours and the number and ages
of visitors. General information on visiting hours can
be obtained at the visitor reception desk located in
the Main Lobby, or by calling (973) 972-4040. The nurse
manager of the unit should be consulted about special
requests.
Parking
Visitor/patient parking is available in the 1,000 car
parking garage across the courtyard from the hospital
and through a valet parking service available at the
main entrance of the hospital. The parking garage is
open and attended 24 hours per day and the valet parking
service operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through
Friday. There is an hourly fee for both garage and valet
parking.
Medical Staff
Your medical care will be directed by your attending
physician. If you do not have a private physician, one
will be assigned to you.
Because University Hospital is a teaching hospital,
most patients will also meet interns, residents and
medical students. The house staff and students are important
members of your healthcare team and are supervised by
the attending physician who has the responsibility for
your care.
Nursing Staff
The nursing staff of University Hospital is
also part of your healthcare team. Registered nurses
and nursing assistants provide many of the services
and much of the care you will require during your stay.
Private Duty Nurses
Private duty nurses are not employed by University
Hospital. If you feel a private duty nurse is needed,
contact the Nurse Manager on your unit and arrangements
will be made through the Nursing Office.
Social Workers
Being hospitalized can be an emotional time
for you and your family, and social workers are here
to offer their support and assistance. There is a social
worker assigned to each nursing unit, and they see patients
upon request; that request can come from the nursing
staff, the physician or the patients themselves. They
can also help you, your family and the healthcare team
make arrangements for special services after discharge.
Pastoral Care
Hospital Chaplains of various denominations
are available for patients and their families 24 hours
a day upon request. You may call the Pastoral Care Department
directly at (973) 972-2668 between the hours of 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m. or ask your nurse to arrange for a chaplain
to visit you. Your nurse will make arrangements for
you after normal hours. In addition, Staff Chaplains
make daily visits to patient areas.
The Chapel, which is located on the D level of the
hospital, is open to patients and their families 24
hours a day. A schedule of religious services is posted
outside of the chapel. For further information, please
call (973) 972-5668.
Other Hospital Employees
During your hospitalization you will be visited
by other hospital employees who participate in your
care. These might include physician assistants, laboratory
technicians, respiratory therapists, physical therapists,
etc. All hospital employees wear identification badges
with their picture, name and department. Do not hesitate
to ask for identification.
Discharge Planning
Discharge planning actually begins when you are admitted.
Your health care team will work closely with you and
your family to help you with any necessary arrangements
needed to make the transition from hospital to home
or to another setting more appropriate to your needs.
Our social services department can assist in arranging
for nursing care and therapy services for those in need
of continuing services at home. The Social Work Services
department can provide assistance with transfers to
long term care facilities, specialized hospitals or
rehabilitation programs.
Discharge
Your physician will determine when it is appropriate
for you to go home and will discuss it with you.
As soon as you know your discharge date, please make
all necessary arrangements to have someone pick you
up at the hospital on the day of your discharge.
.
Help us improve our services.
A few days after your discharge, you will receive
a patient satisfaction survey from us in the mail. We
know that you are probably more interested in getting
your life back to normal than completing a survey form,
but your candid thoughts on your experience at University
Hospital are critical to our efforts to improve our
services.
We always strive to provide the best possible services
to our patients and their families and visitors, but
we know that sometimes we don’t measure up. We
can’t correct our mistakes or improve our performance
without input from you. At the same time, we want to
reward those staff members or departments that may have
shown you extra kindness and concern. The survey you
will receive is an easy way to register both your complaints
and your compliments.
Please take a few thoughtful moments to complete the
survey form and return it to us at your earliest convenience.
Your ratings of several different aspects of your hospital
experience will be reviewed as soon as we receive it
so we can immediately address any areas of particular
concern. In addition, your completed survey will be
compiled along with other surveys we receive from patients
to provide us with an overall assessment of our performance.
We sincerely appreciate your cooperation with this
important effort and look forward to hearing from you.
| Admitting
|
(973) 972-4044/4045 |
| Bloodless Surgery and Medicine
|
(973) 972-3836 |
| Cafeteria
Menu |
(973) 972-4023 |
| Chaplains |
(973) 972-5688 |
| Emergency
Room |
(973) 972-5123 |
| Food and Nutrition Services
|
(973) 972-4148 |
Financial
Counselor
|
(973) 972-4049 |
Gift Shop
|
(973) 972-6539 |
Hospital
Operator
|
(973) 972-4300 |
Medical Records
|
(973) 972-5608/5604 |
Nursing
Office
|
(973) 972-5677 |
Patient Advocacy
|
(973) 972-6410 |
Pre-Admission
Testing
|
(973) 972-2999 |
Public Relations
|
(973) 972-6273 |
Social
Work Services
|
(973) 972-5842 |
| Telephone/Television |
(973) 972-5687 |
|
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