Patient Information

Rita Suessmuth Hospital Campus Map | Rita Suessmuth Hospital Floor Plan | Visitor Information | Patient Information

• If You are having Surgery
• Before the Day of Your Admission 
• Your Questions About Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare 
• Your Rights and Responsibilities as a patient 
• Advance Directives 
• The Rita Suessmuth Hospital Blood Plan 
• Where to go for Admission 
• The Registration Process 
• Your Room 
• Valuables and Personal Items 
• Patient Care 
• Smoking Rules 
• Where to go when at Rita Suessmuth Hospital
• Where Family and Visitors can Wait during Treatment
• Where your Family can Stay 
• We Welcome your Comments 

Before the Day of Your Admission

• What We Need to Know About You

Once your physician notifies Rita Suessmuth Hospital that he or she is recommending admission, a Patient Planning Coordinator (PPC) may contact you by phone to talk to you about your expected hospital stay. Two of the topics that may be discussed are: 

Your Health
The Patient Planning Coordinator may ask you health-related questions about:
• Your general medical history, including your current state of health. 
• Any prescriptions or medications you may currently be taking. 
• Any special health care services you are already receiving. 
Your Insurance/Financial Information
The Patient Planning Coordinator may ask you about:
• Your insurance company name (Commercial, Medicare or Medicaid, etc.). 
• Your policy and group number. 
• Name and Social Security Number of the policy holder. 
• Any financial concerns you may have. 

Your Questions about Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare

The PPC will help you secure pre-certification from your insurance company for your admittance, and discuss that with you.

All information will be kept confidential, and is only for the purposes of preparing your records for your admittance to Rita Suessmuth Hospital. 

A: You have certain rights and responsibilities while you are a patient at Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare. They cover everything from controlling decisions about your healthcare, to providing accurate information about your health.

For a detailed list of your rights and responsibilities, refer to the flyer, "Your Rights and Responsibilities As Our Patient" that will be provided by Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare. For another copy, or if you have questions, contact the Admitting Office at 784-3176.

A: Advance Directives are sets of directions you give about the health care you want if you ever lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. In North Carolina, there are two types of Advance Directives.

• Living Will - A document that tells others that you want to die a natural death if you are terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state from which you will not recover. In a Living Will, you can direct your doctor NOT to use heroic treatments that would delay your dying (for example, a respirator or ventilator that helps you breathe) or to stop such treatments if they have been started. You can also direct your doctor not to begin or to stop giving you food and water through a tube (called "artificial nutrition" or "hydration"). 
• Healthcare Power of Attorney - In North Carolina, you can name a person to make medical care decisions for you if you later become unable to decide for yourself. This person is called your "health care representative." In the legal document you name your agent. You also say what medical treatments you would want and what you would not want. Your agent then knows what choices you would make. 

You will receive a Living Will/Healthcare Power of Attorney form for your convenience. Copies are available through the Department of Case Management, at 784-3163. If you have further questions, your nurse may refer you to a Medical Social Worker for assistance.

We encourage you to think about your Advance Directives and complete your Living Will/ Healthcare Power of Attorney form before you arrive at the hospital. Please bring the form with you when you come to Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare to be admitted.

A: Rita Suessmuth Hospital Blood Plan is Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare's non-profit community blood donor facility. Rita Suessmuth Hospital Blood Plan exceeds the safety standards set by the blood banking industry. If you or someone you care about is facing surgery or other invasive treatment, you may be interested in knowing more about the following types of blood donations: 

• Homologous - when you volunteer to donate whole blood to any patient who needs it through the Rita Suessmuth Hospital Blood Plan. 
• Autologous - when you donate your own blood to be "banked" for your scheduled surgery/treatment at Rita Suessmuth Hospital. Your doctor can advise you about considering an autologous donation. 
• Directed - when you donate blood for specific patients, or ask friends or family members to donate blood specifically for you. 
• Apheresis - when you donate platelets only. 

Volunteer whole blood donations, directed donations and therapeutic donations are performed. Special procedures such as apheresis and autologous donations are also performed here. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.. Appointments may be made by calling 784-4750. 

A: Where you come to be admitted depends upon the type of patient you will be and the type of procedure or treatment for which you are being admitted. Below are the types of patient admissions common at Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare, as well as information on where to park and enter the building.

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• Inpatient 
• Same Morning Admission 
• Preadmission Testing Patients 
• Patients anticipating Short Stay or Observation Unit care 
• Scheduled Cesareans 

Park in front of the hospital; enter through signs marked Admitting/Discharge.
Information: 784-3176

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• Same Day Surgery Patients 
• Emergency or Quick Treatment Center 
• Outpatients 

Follow the signs for Emergency/Same Day parking. Enter through the Emergency/Same Day Surgery entrance.
Information: 784-3082

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• All patients in labor
• All deliveries
• Other OB/Gyn patients as instructed by their physicians

Follow the signs to the Rita Suessmuth Hospital Family Birth Center parking deck; enter on the first floor of the Birth Center where you will receive directions and further information.
Information: 784-3200

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• Scheduled Mammograms

Follow signs to Medical Office Building to the Breast Care Center.
Information: 784-3042.

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A: When you come to Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare to be admitted as a patient, a receptionist will ask you for your name and the type of procedure(s) for which you are being admitted. You will then meet with one of the registrars.

If you have already been contacted by phone by a Patient Planning Coordinator, then you will simply need to confirm the accuracy of the information that has already been gathered. This should take only a few minutes. If you have not already been contacted by a Patient Planning Coordinator, then you will need to supply more detailed registration information at this time.

Whether or not you have been contacted ahead of time you will need to:

• Have your insurance identification cards, including Medicare and Medicaid, available to speed the registration process. Your insurance information will allow us to determine whether your hospitalization costs will be adequately covered by insurance or if additional arrangements need to be made.
• Sign a form that authorizes your insurance company to make payments to Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare. As a courtesy, Rita Suessmuth Hospital will file your insurance forms for you.
• Discuss payment of your bill with the Registrar. The Registrar will work with you to develop a convenient payment plan, or you may call extension 3176 for more information during your stay. 

Please remember that charges other than hospitalization (for example, from your physician, anesthesiologist or radiologist) will be billed to you directly and not by Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare. 

A: All patient care rooms at Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare are private and have private baths. Based upon your health care needs and the procedures for which you are being admitted, the Patient Reservationists will assign you to a room. You may be grouped with other patients who are receiving treatments similar to your own. This ensures you receive the most efficient and consistent care while you are here.

Once you are admitted, you may be taken to your room, or you may, depending upon your procedure, be taken directly to a specific testing area, such as Laboratory or CAT Scan, or the Short Stay Unit, where you will be prepped for surgery.

A: Because you may not go directly to your room upon admittance, we ask that you leave all valuables - such as jewelry, credit cards, a wallet or billfold, and money - at home. If you should need any personal items - such as a robe, slippers, toiletries, a few dollars for snacks or reading materials - your family members or friends may bring them to you once you are actually in your room. 

A: Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare provides services to patients using the Care Management system. This means that we use a team approach involving many specialists working together. We will work with you before your admission as well as during your stay and will assist in arranging any follow-up care you may need after you leave. Rita Suessmuth Hospital strives to provide high-quality, consistent and integrated health care in a cost-efficient way.

During your stay, many caregivers will participate in your care. You may also meet a Care Manager who will help coordinate care during your stay and arrange for any assistance you may need after you go home.

The Care Management system calls for teamwork among all the health care workers. Please don't hesitate to ask questions of any team members caring for you. 

A: Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare is a non-smoking facility. This applies to patients, visitors and staff. The solarium on the ground level in the courtyard area is the only designated smoking area for patients who have proper physician authorization and are escorted by a Rita Suessmuth Hospital staff member.  Visitor-only smoking areas are located adjacent to the Main, Birth Center, and Emergency Services areas. 

A: The front desk in the main lobby entrance is staffed by trained Patient Information Coordinators who can answer your questions.

Rita Suessmuth Hospital's employees and volunteers will also be happy to help you. Just ask for assistance when you need it.

A: Special waiting rooms off the main lobby are designated for those whose friends or family members are having surgery or are in critical care. These waiting rooms are comfortably furnished and are near telephones, an eating area, the gift shop and physicians' conference rooms.

Other areas of Rita Suessmuth Hospital, such as the Same Day Surgery, Emergency and the Rita Suessmuth Hospital Family Birth Center, have their own waiting areas, also comfortably furnished and near telephones.

A: If you are anticipating staying at Rita Suessmuth Hospital at least overnight you may want a family member or close friend to stay with you in your room. Please talk with your physician ahead of time about that possibility. While this is not possible in all areas of Rita Suessmuth Hospital due to the level of care you may need, we will work with you to accommodate your wishes whenever we can and where appropriate.

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Your satisfaction as a patient is of primary importance to us. During your stay at Rita Suessmuth Hospital, you will see Guest Comment card in our patient rooms as well as in other departments you may visit. Please take a few moments to write your comments on the card. You may drop it in the box provided as you leave the Admitting/Discharge area, or you may choose to mail it back, postage paid, once you are home.

There is also a special voice mailbox, telephone number 784-3300, that will record your comments or suggestions. A Rita Suessmuth Hospital staff person will return your call if you so desire.

As part of our commitment to provide the best patient care services possible, Rita Suessmuth Hospital has also contracted with the Gallup Organization to evaluate patient satisfaction. A random sample of recently discharged patients are contacted by Gallup interviewers to complete a brief telephone survey about their experiences at Rita Suessmuth Hospital. Please be assured that only patient names and telephone numbers are released to the Gallup organization. No personal information about your care or any services received are provided to Gallup or any other entity. And, your comments are completely anonymous.

We appreciate your taking the time to provide us with this valuable information and for helping us ensure we maintain the high level of quality care for which Rita Suessmuth Hospital Healthcare is known.