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Patient
Information
Dorminy Medical Center strives to provide sterling care
to each of our patients. The following information details our
policies and procedures that are in place to ensure you
receive the highest level of care.
You will
also find information on patients rights and responsibilities.
Please see our frequently asked questions page as
well.
If there
is other information you would like to see, please let us
know.
Notice
of Privacy Practices
Your
Arrival
Inpatient & Outpatient: If you enter our
outpatient entrance, check in with our admission
representatives located directly down the hallway
entrance.
They are available Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to
8:00 p.m.
Inpatient: If you (or your
physician’s office) have pre-registered for your stay, you may
go directly to the room number already given to you.
After-hours, on weekends, or
in an emergency, please check in with the admission
representatives staffed in the Emergency Room. They are
staffed there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Information We Will Need from
You
The information we
gather during your admission interview is important for the
accuracy of your medical record as well as billing your
appropriate insurance plan.
Please give us your full
legal name (not a nickname), birth date, and mailing address.
We will request your Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance card,
your social security number, and any special authorizations
required by your insurance carrier. Please be prepared to give
accident information if your visit is covered by a liability
or worker's compensation insurance.
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Important Papers To
Have
If you already have a
Living Will, or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care,
please bring it with you to registration. DMC will request
that a copy be provided to place in your Medical
Record.
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Minors (age 17 or
younger)
Parents who want a
caregiver to bring their children to DMC or who want children
of driving age to present for tests on their own must make
prior arrangements with us to authorize treatment and
billing.
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Financial
Deposits
Our in-house financial
counselors are here to verify insurance coverage and review
pre-authorization requirements with our RN Case Managers. They
can also help you understand your potential financial
responsibility for hospital services. This is an estimate
based on information about your insurance coverage,
deductibles, and/or co-insurance. As needed, they will call or
visit you during your stay to request a payment based on the
estimate. We appreciate your cooperation.
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Pre-registration
Many patients find that
for a planned hospitalization or outpatient procedure,
registering insurance and other information ahead of arrival
can save time. For your added convenience, our admission
representatives may contact scheduled patients by phone,
obtaining necessary information and answering your questions
in the privacy and comfort of your home.
If you have
pre-registered, you may go directly to your assigned
room. No check-in
is needed.
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Meals
An important part of
your recovery is good nutrition. Your doctor will prescribe
the appropriate diet for you during your stay and a Dietitian
is available to assist you in planning your meals, answer
nutrition questions and help you to plan your diet for when
you go home. Guests and Visitors are welcome to dine in our
Cafeteria. Meals are served as follows:
Breakfast 7:45 a.m. to 8:20
a.m.
Lunch 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Dinner 4:55 p.m. to
5:25 p.m.
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No-Smoking
Policy
Smoking in the hospital and your hospital room is
not allowed. Visitors and guests may smoke outside the
building only at designated areas, 50 feet from hospital
doors. Please use available ashtrays.
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Social Services and Case
Management
Each department throughout the hospital has a
social worker and a case management nurse working together to
answer any questions you may have and help you plan for your
discharge. This service is available to all DMC patients. Let
your nurse know if you want to reach a member of your
team.
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Spiritual Care
Dorminy Medical Center
believes that a chaplain can contribute to your healing in
many ways. To arrange a visit ask your nurse to assist in
contacting these services. The hospital chapel is open to all
patients and visitors. This place for quiet prayer and
meditation is located on the first floor.
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Visitors are
Welcome
Family and friends may
visit during our visiting hours, which are from 9:00 a.m.
until 9:00 p.m.
However, it is important that visitors respect the
patient's need for rest so the patient may regain his/her
strength. When a particular patient needs extra care we may
even set limits on who may visit and for how long. Visitation
may also be temporarily restricted throughout the hospital at
any time - for example, during flu season. Please respect
special guidelines you see posted on patient's doors and
outside Same Day Surgery and the Intensive Care
Unit (ICU).
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Helpful Hints for
Visitors:
-
To find a patient's room assignment,
stop by or call the reception desk, 424-7100.
-
Always knock before entering a
patient's room.
-
Visit quietly, and take care not to
disturb any monitoring or intravenous equipment.
-
Avoid visiting before 9:00 a.m., when
patients may be busy with doctors, daily medications,
physical therapy or baths.
-
We sometimes recommend that families
choose one person to be a spokesperson for a patient. Staff
can then give information about the patient to this one
person, and he or she can answer questions from family and
friends.
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Don't use the patient's toilet -
visitor restrooms are on each floor (please remember to wash
your hands thoroughly).
-
Do not visit if you have a cold or
other illness.
-
Wear a mask or gown if requested to do
so by our staff.
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Services For Visitors
Cafeteria & Gift Shop
-
Cafeteria:
Breakfast: 7:00 am –
9:30 am
Lunch:
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Dinner:
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
-
Gift Shop: Cards, balloons, flowers,
stamps, candy, and other items. Open
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays,
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Cash and Vending
Machines
-
Soft drink, coffee and snack machines:
Outside of Physical Therapy entrance, Second Floor
Waiting Area, and Third Floor Waiting Area.
-
Newspaper vending machines: main
entrance.
Public
Telephones
-
Pay telephones: ER, Front Lobby, Second
Floor Waiting Area, and Third Floor Waiting Area.
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Local Accommodations and
Services
Fitzgerald has several hotel accommodations to
choose from as well as restaurants and shopping facilities.
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When Your Child is the Patient
Having a hospitalized
child can be stressful for parents and other caregivers. At
DMC, we will do our best to make you feel comfortable during
your child's stay. We realize that your support is an
important part of your child's treatment.
You may
participate in your child's care, if you wish, or even spend
the night. Please let us know what accommodations would be
helpful. Siblings may visit, but must be supervised at all
times.
You may bring your child's favorite toys and/or
blanket (marking toys decreases the chances of loss). We also
have a video player and a selection of tapes that can be
brought to your child's room.
A refrigerator and a
microwave are at the nurses' station and can be used for
family food storage and preparation. Nutritional fluids are
provided for mothers of breast-feeding infants.
In some
situations, medical treatment is more effective when the
patient deals only with the person who is providing therapy.
If so, staff may ask you to "step out" of the room for a
moment. Please do not be offended by this
request.
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Pediatric Safety
Regulations
-
Only nurses and doctors may give
medication to the patient during the hospital stay.
-
At mealtime, if your child uses a high
chair, someone must stay with the patient.
-
Children through three years of age are
placed in a crib. Crib rails should be up at all times
unless direct patient care is being provided.
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Important Medical
Information
Advance Medical
Directives
Also known
as a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare,
these documents allow you to choose the medical care you want
at the end of life, or designate the person you want to make
those choices for you. Talking with your doctor, family, and
friends and putting your decisions in writing is important.
Dorminy Medical Center can give you or your family members
additional information on advance directives at any time, and
help you obtain these documents if you don't already have
them. If you already have a Living Will or Durable Power of
Attorney for Healthcare, please speak with your doctor about
specific orders that will need to be placed in your medical
record. Bring a copy to the hospital if you have either one of
these documents.
Food and Drug
Interactions
You will receive a copy of a brochure
about some common interactions that may occur between food and
drugs. More information on this subject is available from your
doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or Registered
Dietitian.
Infection
Control
DMC has a program in place to prevent the
spread of infections among patients, staff, and visitors.
There are several major points of this
program.
Precautions: Staff wear gloves, gowns,
or masks depending on what they are doing. This protects them
from exposure to germs, and prevents germs from being passed
to others or the patient.
Hand washing:
Cleanliness is the key to infection control and infection
prevention. Hand washing is the single most important way to
prevent the spread of infections.
How should you
wash your hands?
Use soap and lots of water. Work up a
good lather. Rub your hands together for at least 15 seconds.
Get between your fingers, under your nails, and on your
fingertips. Rinse thoroughly. Use a paper towel to dry your
hands, and then turn off the faucet with another paper
towel.
Medical Records
We keep a record of
the services we provide for you. If you need your medical
records, please call the Health Information Management
Department (424-7196) for more information. We will not
disclose your record to others unless you direct us to do so
or unless the law authorizes us to do so. Release of Medical
Information forms may be picked up in the Medical Records
office.
Managing Your Pain
During your stay,
the nurses and your doctor will ask about your pain. They will
ask where it hurts and how it feels. Be honest with the nurses
or doctor. You are the only one who knows how much pain you
feel and what makes it better. Do not worry about being brave
or bothering anyone. Taking care of pain is an important part
of taking care of your health.
The amount of pain you
feel may not be the same as others feel. At DMC, we use a
"pain scale" (with words, numbers, or pictures) to talk about
how your pain feels to you. Your doctor and nurses will listen
to the way you describe your pain to decide what type of
medicine and other pain relief methods to
use.
Remember: It is very important for your nurses or
doctor to know if the pain medicine doesn't help, or if your
pain suddenly changes. It is very important for you to tell
them how you're feeling.
Patient
Rights
When you are admitted, you will be given a copy
of the DMC Patient Bill of Rights and
Responsibilities with your other admission papers. It is
very important that you understand this information. Please
ask us if you have any questions or need any part of the
information explained to you.
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Interpreter
Resources for
sign-language and foreign-language interpreters are available.
Contact Social Services for more information.
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Mail Delivery
Have cards and
letters sent to:
Your Name, (Room Number if
known)
Dorminy Medical Center
P.O. Box
1447
Fitzgerald, GA 31750
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Going
Home
Checklist
-
Did you check with your nurse about
instructions for home care?
-
Were arrangements made for any
services necessary after your hospital stay?
-
Are all your personal belongings
packed? Double-check to be sure you have everything.
Discharge
After your doctor has
given the order for your discharge, your nurse will instruct
you on your discharge needs. If you have any questions or
concerns, please ask.
The discharge
process can sometimes take a few hours. Check with your nurse
on the time of your discharge so you can arrange for your ride
home. After your discharge is completed, a staff member will
escort you to the door and provide any assistance you may
need.
Because the hospital does not have a retail
pharmacy onsite, any medications you may need after your
discharge must be obtained from a community pharmacy. We will
assist you in getting the appropriate information transferred
to the pharmacy of your choice.
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Patient Billing Services
DMC recognizes its
responsibility to render necessary acute hospital care to all
persons in need of such care, regardless of race, creed, or
economic circumstances. We further recognize our
responsibility to the community to encourage payment of all
accounts in a timely manner. This helps to keep everyone's
costs down.
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General Billing Procedures
Your bill represents the
charges for the services you received during your hospital
stay. The daily rate includes bed occupancy, meals, and
nursing care. In addition to the daily rate, you will see
charges for laboratory tests, x-rays, medications, use of the
operating room, and any other tests, procedures, or supplies
your doctor may have ordered.
Our patient account
representatives will send a copy of the bill to the
patient/guarantor. That bill will show the total charges, and
will indicate the patient's insurance information.
Your
bill contains other helpful information, such as the name and
phone number of your patient account representative and what
to do if you suspect an error. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
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Doctors' Bills
In addition to hospital
services, the hospital will bill for emergency room doctors,
physicians who read medical imaging results, etc. Patients will receive
separate bills from the private doctors, surgeons, assistant
surgeons, as well as from any consulting or professional
groups such as radiology (x-ray), anesthesiology, and
pathology (laboratory). If there are any questions about any
of these bills the patient should contact the doctor from whom
the bill has been sent.
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Insurance Coverage
The hospital
participates with Medicare, Medicaid, Champus/Tricare, and
Worker's Compensation. We accept Employee Group Health and
private insurance coverage if we receive complete billing
information. For inpatient, surgical, and selected outpatient
therapies, procedures, and testing, we will verify that the
insurance is in effect at the time of service.
The
patient/guarantor is responsible for complying with their
insurance company's requirements. Those requirements may
include obtaining referrals, pre-certification, second
opinions, and/or ensuring that the hospital belongs to their
particular network of managed care providers.
DMC will
file your insurance claims, and will also file any secondary
insurance that you report to us. If your insurance company has
not paid on a timely basis, we will send you a letter
requesting your help in solving whatever problems have led to
the delay in payment. You are responsible for seeing that your
insurance company pays us correctly and on a timely
basis.
Once your insurance company has paid, we will
send you a statement requesting payment of any remaining
balance in full within 30 days. If you cannot make payment in
full, please call us to explore other options in working out
arrangements for payment.
If you need to make
corrections to your insurance information, please call our
Business Office immediately when you receive your bill, and we
will be able to re-file your claim. If you receive a summary
billing, you may request an itemized statement of your
charges.
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If You Are Without Insurance
Coverage
Our patient
representatives will assist you in exploring all possible
resources for medical assistance within the community,
including welfare and other State and Federal
agencies.
Qualifying accounts will be financed and
managed by the CSI Financial Services program.
DMC will
accept monthly payments after all other alternate methods of
payments have been exhausted. Monthly payments are set
according to the current board-approved payment schedule and
personal financial information may be required to set
appropriate payment arrangements.
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Community Relations
The staff of Dorminy
Medical Center is committed to providing you and your loved
ones with the highest quality of healthcare. The hospital is
continually striving to maintain and exceed standards set
forth by the State of Georgia, the Joint Commission on the
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, as well as other
regulatory institutions. These standards govern your safety,
the quality of the care you receive, and how that care is
delivered to you. These are but a few of the ways that these
regulations directly effect you while you are in our
care.
Our facility has in place
several programs to monitor, address, and improve
compliance, customer relations and quality. If you, a
friend, or a loved one have been a patient of our facility
and you have a question or concern regarding the care you
received, we hope you will let us know. Your feedback
matters to us! We will respond to you promptly and with the utmost of
confidentiality. Your comments and concerns are welcome.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Public Relations
Department with your opinions, at
jmccranie@dorminymedical.org.
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