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Your Visit To
The Hospital As An Out-Patient
Visits to the hospital for emergency care, laboratory,
radiology testing, surgical services, respiratory care,
and rehabilitative services, which do not require your
admission to the hospital, for greater than one day are
considered out-patient services. If you are visiting the
hospital for emergency and urgent care services, you
should proceed directly to the Emergency Room for
processing and treatment. If you do not have medical
insurance, you will be considered as a "self pay"
patient. A $150 deposit for the Emergency Room visit is
required from you. This amount will be applied toward
the billed charges. If the billed charges exceed $150,
you will be billed for the balance. If the billed
charges are less than the $150, a refund will be issued
to you. Payment arrangements can be discussed with the
Patient Registration staff located in the Emergency
Department.
If you have been referred to the hospital for specific
diagnostic tests, laboratory work, surgery, or therapy,
your physician should have scheduled an appointment for
you. On the day of your appointment, you should report
to Patient Registration on the first floor. At least a
half hour before your scheduled time. You should bring
with you a physician's request signed by your doctor,
which indicates your diagnosis and the hospital services
requested. When you have completed processing the
necessary paperwork, you will be directed to the
appropriate service unit for treatment and testing. If
you do not bring a form from your doctor, you may have
to wait until the necessary information can be obtained
from your doctor. If you have been referred to the
hospital by your physician for out-patient surgery, you
should bring with you your Physician's request to
Patient Registration the day before your scheduled
out-patient surgery. On the day of your surgery, you
should report to Patient Registration at least two hours
before your scheduled surgery. Don't bring valuables and
please have a designated driver. If you have been
referred to the hospital by your physician for immediate
testing, you should also report to Patient Registration
for processing.
Your Admission As An In-Patient
Prior to reporting for elective admissions, you should
complete any pre admission testing, blood work, or x-ray
that your doctor has prescribed. For non-emergency
(elective) admission, you should report to the Patient
Registration Department one day prior to admission to
complete any pre-admission tests prescribed by your
doctor. If you need a blood transfusion for major
surgery, please contact the Hospital Blood Bank
(647-2376) at least 7 work days prior to admission. This
is to ensure that blood is available on your surgery
day. The day before your scheduled surgery, please
report to Patient Registration to be processed for
pre-anesthesia consultation between 1:00pm and 3:00pm.
Be sure to bring with you:
Your health insurance card, identification cards
for Medicaid, Medicare, or the Medically Indigent
Program (MIP) which certifies your insurance coverage
slippers, pajamas, and a robe (although the hospital
will provide you with a hospital gown)
Please do not bring valuables with you. The
hospital will not assume any responsibility for
damaged or lost personal items.
Smoking
GMHA cares about everyone's health. Patients and
visitors are not permitted to smoke in the patient's
room nor anywhere inside the hospital building or on the
balconies. Smoking is only permitted outside the
building in designated areas: First floor behind the
Business Office building and behind the ICU/CCU
Department on the second floor.
Age Restrictions
Children under 14 years of age are not allowed on
patient floors. This is to protect children who are
vulnerable to infection. A written authorization form
must be obtained and approved by our Nursing
Director/Nursing Supervisor before children under the
age limit are allowed into the patient areas.
Photography and Video Taping
For Labor & Delivery/OB Ward Units:
Family members wishing to take pictures or video tape in
the Labor & Delivery or Nursery areas must request
permission in advance from the patient's physician.
Nursing representatives will prepare permission forms.
A copy of the form must be presented to Security to
allow the use of photography or video taping.
Photography of any procedure being performed will not
be allowed. Photography is allowed in the mother's
room.
For Other Units:
Photography or video taping are not allowed in
other patient areas. A request must be obtained and
approved by the Hospital Administrator before any camera
or video equipment is allowed into the facility.
Visits by Hospital Staff and Doctors
Hospital staff will be periodically visiting you to
assess your condition, in addition to administering any
medication or taking the necessary laboratory samples.
Doctors normally make their rounds between 7:00 a.m. -
9:00 a.m.. However, individual doctor schedules may
require them to make rounds at different times of the
day. On occasion, our staff may be required to interrupt
your rest or visits. This is necessary to carry out
doctor-ordered test, medication or treatments at
specific time intervals in order to be effective.
Patient Meals
Registered dietitians monitor your diet and provide
nutritional assessments and if needed or desired,
counseling. Meals are provided three (3) times a day at
the following times:
Breakfast
07:00 am - 08:30 am
Lunch
11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Dinner
04:30 pm - 05:45 pm
Nourishment of juices,
milk, and ice scream are provided by nursing staff as
requested.
Please let us know of any food allergies, aversions, or
preferences. Inform the nursing staff for a dietitian to
visit you. for medical reasons, you are only allowed
foods ordered by your doctor. If you are an exclusively
breast feeding mother of an infant in Pediatrics or
Nursery, you will be served meals from the regular menu
during patient meal times. Your baby's physician will
order for you to be given a food tray. Parent Food Trays
are also available to other parents of children in the
Pediatric Ward who feel they cannot leave their
children's side. To have a tray delivered, a parent must
go to the Cafeteria cashier ahead of time, order a meal
tray, and prepay it. Please indicate which room it must
be delivered to. IT IS THE HOSPITAL POLICY THAT NO
OUTSIDE FOOD BE BROUGHT INTO THE BUILDING.
DISCHARGE OF CHILDREN FROM THE
HOSPITAL
For newborns and infants being discharged from the
hospital, an approved car seat must be brought into the
patient's room along with baby clothes and a blanket.
For toddlers being discharged, an approved car seat and
clothes are also required. Discharge instructions for
children must be given to mother or parents by the nurse
prior to leaving. All discharged patients must be
accompanied by a nursing representative to the first
floor lobby area (usually in a wheel chair).
General Rules Regarding
Visitors:
Visiting hours and rules
have been developed to ensure that care of patients is
not disrupted. Visitors must abide by the rules.
Visitors must park in the
patients and visitors parking areas only.
Visitors must check in at
the Security Booth in the front of the hospital before
proceeding to their destination.
Visitors must present
their bags for security inspection.
All big/bulky bags will
be inspected before visitors leave the hospital
premises.
Visitors must leave the
hospital during a disaster or fire alarm.
Visiting hours may vary
from unit to unit.
Visitors are required to
dress and conduct themselves appropriately.
All visitors must be free
from recent exposure to communicable disease and without
fever or visible signs of illness. During times of
infectious outbreak in the community, the hospital may
restrict visitation.
Visitors will refrain
from sitting on patient's bed and are not permitted to
use toilet facilities reserved for patients. Public
restrooms are available for visitor's use on each floor.
Visitors will refrain
from sitting or lying on floors of patient rooms.
Visitors are not
permitted in non-patient areas such as utility rooms,
nurses' stations, and kitchens. Visitors may use the
cafeteria and family lounges.
No food or beverage may
be brought into patient rooms.
No electrical appliances
such as coffee makers, toasters, rice cookers or popcorn
machines may be brought in the hospital.
Televisions, VCR's and
radios may be brought into patient rooms. However, the
Bio-Medical Department must test all types of equipments
as a safety precaution. The Bio-Medical Department is
located on the first floor of the hospital. Please ask
the Security Guard for assistance.
Visitors are not
permitted to administer any medical treatment(s) to
patient.
All sliding doors in all
patient rooms are to remain lock at all times.
Visitors will refrain
from loud conversation and from any behavior that may
disturb a patient/patients.
GMHA is a non-smoking
facility, and that smoking is allowed only in designated
smoking areas.
Visitors are not to consume alcoholic
beverages or illegal drugs, litter or loiter in the
hallways while at GMHA. Children should be supervised
by an adult at all times.
Visitors to patients in an isolation area
are subject to isolation guidelines. Visitors should
check with the patient's nurse for specifics.
Nursing staff may restrict the number of
visitors if the condition of any patient in the room
requires it.
Children Visitors:
Children under 14 years are not
permitted in patient rooms except as follows:
When a mother is rooming in with her
newborn infant.
When a patient is terminally ill and
is not expected to live.
When a patient is to be transferred
off-island for further treatment.
Visiting Hours:
Medical & Surgical Units
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
OB Maternity Unit
Visitors limited to 2 at a time.
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Labor & Delivery Room
Support persons are allowed during labor
and delivery at the discretion of the physician/nursing
staff.
Pediatric Unit
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Nursery
Open 24 hours for parents only.
Operating Room
Support person will be allowed for
cesarean section patients only with the approval of the
physician and anesthesiologist.
Critical Care Unit (ICU/CCU)
Two visitors from the immediate family
may visit for 15 minutes every hour between
10:00 a.m. - 8:15 p.m.
The patient's nurse, depending on
patient's condition, can arrange special visiting times.
Pre-Operative Area
Adult patients will be allowed to have
one (1) family member accompany them to the
Pre-Operative area provided that they leave at the
request of the nurse. Pediatric patients may have both
parents accompany them to the Pre-Operative area.
Post-Operative Area (Recovery Room)
Parents of pediatric patients are
allowed.
Hemodialysis
Only 5 minutes are allowed for family to
visit during dialysis treatment.
Emergency Room
For pediatric patients, one (1)
parent/guardian is allowed in the treatment and holding
area. For holding area, only one (1) visitor at a time
is allowed. Head Nurse/Charge Nurse may implement
restriction at any time. Waiting area in ER is limited
to 1-2 family escorts.
Cafeteria Hours
The GMHA cafeteria, located on the ground floor of the
hospital, serves hot meals, sandwiches, salads, and
various snacks, and is open to the public seven days a
week including holidays during the following hours:
Weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Weekends 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Holidays; 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Vending machines selling hot and cold beverages along
with snacks are located outside the Emergency Department
on the second floor and next to the Security Booth on
the ground floor. For infection control purposes, all
foods should be consumed in the Cafeteria. The only
food permitted in the nursing units is that which is
prepared for and served to patients by the Dietary
staff.
Family Patient
Assistant (Watchers)
As it is customary for
one family member to observe and assist the patient
during their hospital stay, the hospital will permit
family patient assistants under any of the following
conditions:
- only one (1) family assistant at a
times is allowed;
- during the first 48 hours following
surgery, when a private duty nurse is not available.
- when a patient is in critical
condition or disoriented;
- at the request of the patient.
Family patient assistants may be of the same sex as
patients when
in semi-private rooms.
Services for Persons with
Disabilities
The Guam Memorial Hospital has services
for persons with disabilities which included: a T.D.D.
machine (telephone device for the hearing and speech
impaired), admission documents available in Braille, and
access to American Sign Language translators. Service
animals are allowed into the hospital for persons who
visually impaired. For more information, call our EEO
Office at 647-2218.
Pastoral Care
A team of pastoral caregivers are
available to assist you in your spiritual and emotional
needs in dealing with illness and hospitalization;
respecting your own religious beliefs and tradition.
Your spirituality and religious values are integral to
holistic health which is important to life, illness,
coping and healing. We are available to help you and
your family in whatever pastoral care or concerns you
have. Patient visits are done daily. Nurses and
doctors identify patients who may need pastoral care
assistance. Upon request, reading materials, prayer
cards and Bibles may be provided. The Pastoral Care
department is located next to the chapel on the fourth
floor.
Chaplain Services
In addition, clergy of all faiths are
welcome to visit patients of their congregation or as
requested by patients. For your convenience, a chapel
is located on the fourth floor of the hospital and is
opened between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Eucharistic services are offered on weekdays at 11:30
a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.
Interdenominational prayer services are encouraged. To
request for a priest or chaplain, please contact the
Charge Nurse on duty or the Pastoral Care Coordinator at
647-2394.
Gift Shop
The GMH Volunteers Gift Shop is located
on the ground floor of the hospital and is opened Monday
through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is
closed on Sundays. The shop sells cards, stationary,
prepaid phone cards, flower arrangements, reading
materials, snacks gifts, and clothing. The Gift Shop is
operated by volunteers from the community. To join the
GMH Volunteers, please call the Gift Shop at (671)
647-2138 or the Volunteer Services Coordinator at (671)
647-2502.
Telephones
Public pay phones are located on all
floors of the hospital next to the patient visitor
lounge areas. Patients are not allowed to make phone
calls from the nurses' stations. Courtesy phones are
also available in each nursing units. Patients may
request for telephone installation in their room. They
must contact the Hospital Operator and complete an
application form. An installation fee of $35 payable to
Guam Telephone Authority is required and $15 is charged
for the first month. Cellular/Mobile telephones are
strictly not allowed in certain areas where heart
monitoring devices are utilized.
Translators
Translator services are available for the
following languages: Chamorro, Tagalog, Japanese,
Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Pohnpeian, Chuukese,
Yapese, Kosraen, Ulithian, German, Spanish, Palauan,
Creole, Cezech, Slovak, Russian, Ukranian and Polish.
Your Daily Newspaper
Newspapers may be purchased from the machines located on
the ground floor by the Security Booth or in front of
the Emergency Department on the second floor.
ATMs
A Bank of Guam and Government of Guam
Employees Federal Credit Union ATMs are located on the
ground floor in front of the Cafeteria and is limited to
cash withdrawals.
Complaints
Complaints regarding hospital service or staff should
immediately be discussed with the supervisor on duty of
the department in which you have a concern. Immediate
steps will be taken in an attempt to resolve the
problem. The Guest Relations staff may be contacted at
any time you feel the problem has not been resolved to
your satisfaction. The staff in this department serve as
Patient Advocates. They visit patients daily to greet
them, inform them of their rights, resolve problems,
discuss the patient satisfaction survey program, and to
discuss medical advance directives. Various reading
materials for patients are also available. Contact the
Guest Relations Coordinator, Ms. Maria Perez, at (671)
647-2443, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. or email
maria.perez@gmha.org.
Patient satisfaction is important to all of us at GMHA.
We are always looking for ways to improve our services.
Patient Satisfaction Survey forms are given to patients
prior to their discharge. Please take time to read
through the forms, and evaluate our services. After the
form is filled out, simply drop it in the various drop
boxes throughout the hospital or mail it to us. Survey
forms are also available in each hospital department.
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