We have both private and semi-private rooms. They are allocated based on availability, diagnosis and level of care required, but our goal is always to provide you with as much privacy as possible. Isolation rooms are used for special conditions. All rooms in the Family Birth Center are private. Please let us know if we can provide you with earplugs or a CD player and relaxation CD to help you relax while you are away from home.

Your room has been designed for your comfort, care and safety. It has a medical center bed, a nightstand with a drawer, a small closet and a bedside table. You may notice that our medical center bed is higher and narrower than your own. It has side rails which we ask you to keep up for your safety. Push button controls raise and lower the bed. Unless you have permission from your nurse, please do not try to get out of bed by yourself. If you need assistance, a member of your nursing team will be glad to help. On most units, nursing team members make rounds to each patient room every hour during the day and every two hours at night (although they may not wake you if you are resting). These “hourly rounds” are a good time to let your nursing caregivers know if you need assistance with the bathroom or have questions about your care. If you need help at other times, you will find a convenient touch-control unit (call button) near your bed which you can use to call for help. We also provide a telephone and television for your convenience.

You will be given a personal care kit that includes a few small personal toiletries. If you need any additional toiletries, many are available by asking your tech ( in gray scrubs), by calling Guest Services at x 8400 or the gift shop by calling x8304 on your bedside telephone.

Rest is an important part of getting well. We try to keep our medical center quiet at night so each of our patients has an opportunity to rest. You can help us maintain a quiet environment by using headphones (available upon request) for TV or music, avoiding phone calls late at night and asking your visitors to be respectful of neighboring patients. Quiet at night packets are also provided that include earbuds and eye mask.

You are invited to bring personal items to help you feel more comfortable during your stay. However, please be courteous of others if you are sharing a room. Calvert Health is not responsible for lost personal articles, so we recommend that you leave valuables in a safe place at home.

You should bring:

• A list of all medications, including herbal supplements and vitamins
• A copy of any Advanced Directives you have prepared which will assist the physicians in making sure we comply with your healthcare decisions
• Toiletries (You will receive personal care kit which includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and comb).
• Essentials such as dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, walkers or canes and prosthetics. Please label these items if possible. The medical center is not responsible for lost personal articles.
• Personal clothing items such as a robe, slippers and pajamas or gown are optional.
• If staying overnight, you may wish to bring a small amount of cash to pay for miscellaneous items (from the gift shop, etc). We recommend no more than $20 cash.
• Although some will be provided for you, you are also welcome to bring an extra pillow or blanket from home.
• If you have sleep apnea, you can bring your own CPAP machine.

Please do not bring:

• Electrical appliances such as hairdryers, radios or electric razors
• Jewelry or other valuables such as credit cards
• Wheelchairs
• Medications
• Keys
• Personal papers

In addition to the nursing and clinical staff who will be caring for you during your stay, our guest services volunteers are available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Please call guest services at ext. 8400 to request:

• A visit from our patient advocate to answer questions or resolve concerns about your stay
• An extra blanket or pillow
• Books, magazines or newspapers
• Care journal/notebook
• A cell phone charger
• Children’s books, puzzles or coloring books
• A CD player and relaxation CD
• Information for family members about restaurants, hotels, transportation
• Repair for the television, telephone or heating/cooling system in your room
• Additional or replacement toiletry items

We want you to be comfortable during your stay! If you have a need that is not on the list above, please call and we will make every effort to assist you. If you need something after 4 p.m., please contact a member of the nursing team.

During your stay, a number of medical professionals may be involved in your care. These may include your surgeon, an anesthesiologist, radiologist, pathologist and other specialists who provide consulting services. Many primary care physicians have chosen to utilize the “hospitalist” program for the care of their hospitalized patients. A hospitalist is an in-house physician with acute care expertise who is on-site around the clock to care for you. Our hospitalists consist of a dedicated team of providers including physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who are specialized in inpatient care. CalvertHealth has adult and pediatric hospitalists who are here 24/7 to take care of you.

Hospitalists typically conduct “pre-rounds” on their patients early in the morning to check in, then monitor your care throughout the day and round again late in the evening. They will always see you at least once every 24 hours and your nurse will provide them with updates about your condition as needed throughout the day. Because hospitalists are caring for many patients in the medical center, it may sometime be difficult to predict the exact time they will visit your room. Our guest services department can provide you with a special notebook to write down any questions you may have, so you won’t forget to ask when they make their rounds. If you are being cared for by the hospitalist team, a staff member can provide you with a detailed brochure to help you understand the program.

For psychiatric patients, your treatment team will include a psychiatrist, social worker, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, counselor and occupational therapist. They will work closely with you throughout your stay.

Our nursing staff is committed to providing you with top-quality nursing care in a prompt and courteous manner. They may be identified by their ID and the color of their scrubs—nurses wear blue scrubs, patient care technicians wear gray scrubs and respiratory therapists wear purple scrubs. They are available to answer your questions and want you to have a pleasant medical center experience. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Working with your doctor, nurses will coordinate your day-to-day care. Nursing care may be provided by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and all patient care technicians. From time to time, nursing students may participate in your care. To help you remember who is caring for you each day, the staff will write their names on the whiteboard near your bed.

As soon as you arrive on the unit, a staff member will visit you and show you how to use your lights, phone, television and call button. When you press the button, your call will be answered by either a member of the nursing staff or a unit secretary, who will respond to your request as soon as possible. The nurse and/or nursing assistant will also review the following with you: safety precautions (checking ID band, preventing falls, etc.), equipment, infection control and hygiene, nutrition and meals as well as how and when to call the STAT team if your condition changes quickly.

To protect you during your hospital stay, your nurses and other caregivers take every precaution to prevent the possible spread of infection within the hospital. This includes wearing disposable gloves whenever your care involves contact with blood or other body fluids.

Your safety is one of our pharmacy staff’s top priorities during your stay. The process begins with a review of your home medications, vitamins and supplements for continuation while you are here in the hospital. Every new medication added is reviewed against this list for possible interactions. Our technician staff expertly prepares your medications with a focus on safety. We also work closely with your doctors and nurses to manage all of your medications during your stay.

If you have questions concerning your medications, we encourage you to ask your nurse to have one of our clinical pharmacists visit you at your bedside. When you are ready to leave the hospital, our Transitional Care pharmacist is there to help with concerns related to your medications including how best to take them, how to manage adverse effects and where you can find support in your community. Home visits to help you make the most of your medications are available upon request. Your pharmacist can provide tools and tips for making your transition home a successful one.

Keeping you comfortable and controlling your pain are very important for your recovery. Your nursing team will work closely with your doctor and pharmacist to help keep you as comfortable as possible. You can help us manage your pain by letting your healthcare team know how you feel. We are here for you.

If you are in pain, tell your nurse right away. Ask for pain medicine when you need it, don't be embarrassed or ashamed. It is important to ask before your pain becomes severe. If the pain is not relieved by the medicine we give you or if you are having side effects, tell your doctor or nurse. Don't be worried about taking pain medicines, they are safe and effective when given under supervision.

Our patient and family services department is here to help you. Patient care is our most important job. We want to make sure your experience is the best it can be.

If you have a concern about your own or a loved one’s care while a patient, we encourage you to let us know so that we can address it as soon as possible. Please call 410-535-8446 (inside medical center, dial ext.4623).

Our Patient Advocate Program is designed to help you and your family find solutions to special concerns and answers to questions you may have.

A patient advocate can provide:

• A connection to medical center resources
• Information concerning your rights and responsibilities
• A neutral person for you to speak with about special needs
• An explanation as to how we will respond to your concerns or issues

A patient advocate will:

• Act on your behalf to review concerns, inquiries and needs
• Advocate for patient rights
• Promote good customer service
• Help facilitate quality patient care

If you have a question and don’t know who to ask for help, please contact a patient advocate. Confidentiality is highly respected and maintained. To speak with a patient advocate, please call 410-535-8446 (inside the medical center, dial ext.4623).

You can trust that your personal medical information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. At the time of admission, you will be given a copy of the CalvertHealth privacy policy and asked if you would like your name to be listed in our patient directory. If you elect not to participate in the directory, you will not receive mail, flowers or telephone calls that are sent to you through the patient information desk. The information desk and medical center operators use the patient directory to forward telephone calls and deliveries to your room. If you would like an additional copy of the privacy policy or want to change your status on the patient directory, please let a member of the nursing staff know.

We know that meal service is an important part of your hospital experience. This is why we launched our new Hostess Program that allows us to give more individualized attention to our patients.

To help make your stay with us as pleasant as possible, we offer a varied menu from which you can make meal selections. Each day, a member of the nutrition services team will visit to help you with your menu selections. We can often accommodate special requests, so feel free to let us know if there is something you’d prefer that is not on the menu.

Your doctor may place you on a special diet during your hospital stay. If so, you will receive a special menu that corresponds with your diet. If you are on a special diet, please ask your visitors not to bring food or snacks.

If your doctor advises long-term changes in diet, our dietician will explain them to you and give you information to help you succeed in making theses changes after you go home.

Our outpatient dietitian can also provide nutritional counseling after you go home to help you adjust to long-term diet changes. There is a fee for this service. To schedule an appointment, dial extension 8233 from inside the hospital, or call 410-535-8233 or 301-855-1012 ext. 8233 from outside the hospital.

Guest meals from the regular daily menu are available upon request for family members or friends who wish to eat in the patient’s room. Meals must be paid for in advance in the cafeteria. Contact the nutrition services department at extension 5376.

Hostess Program

We know that meal service is an important part of your hospital experience. This is why we launched our new Hostess Program that allows us to give more individualized attention to our patients. The service allows patients to speak directly with a host or hostess about their dining options.

Patients are given a dedicated phone number to call if they have any food-related special needs, concerns or requests. Additionally, a host or hostess visits each patient twice a day – in the morning to select lunch and in the evening to order dinner and breakfast the next day.

Most patients typically work with the same host or hostess when ordering all their meals. Together, they develop menu choices that satisfy the patient’s nutritional needs and suit his or her specific tastes. Even more important, patients and the hosts/hostesses come to know each other on a first name basis and receive more thorough, personalized care.

The Hostess Program is already getting rave reviews for order accuracy, prompt delivery and customer service.

Future plans include the implementation of a computerized system that will:

• Produce pre-printed meal tickets
• Streamline the ordering process
• Allow meals to be prepared in advance
• Enable faster delivery
• Result in fewer mistakes

At CalvertHealth, your safety is our first priority. Even people who are normally very steady on their feet are more prone to falls in the hospital. Sometimes your illness or the medications you are taking can make you unsteady on your feet. In addition, the hospital may feel unfamiliar to you – especially at night.

We take special precautions for our patients. Your nursing team will be assessing your risk for falls throughout your stay. If they determine you are at risk for falls, a special alert will be placed outside your door and you will be given a yellow arm band to wear. A rehabilitation team member may visit you and make recommendations. The pharmacy will check your medication list to see if your prescriptions are contributing to your risk of falling. If appropriate, staff will use safety devices like an alarm on your bed, non-slip, color-coded booties and gait belts for walking and transferring in and out of bed.

You can also help by:

• Using your call bell when you need to get up.
• Trying to keep items you need within easy reach.
• Wearing rubber soled slippers or shoes to prevent slipping.
• Using good lighting and a nightlight.
• Keeping the path to your bathroom clear and dry.
• Asking staff about your level of risk for falls.

At CalvertHealth we are committed to the health and well being of our patients. This is why we use the most advanced cleaning systems available. Housekeeping is here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you find anything that needs attention, please call ext. 8200.

Linen Changing Policy:

In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, we change bed linens on the even days of the month. If you want to have your linens changed sooner, please tell the nursing staff. Your comfort is very important to us.

We consider the use of physical restraints a temporary and unusual measure. We believe that the ability to move around freely is important for our patient's health and dignity.

There are, however, times when a physician may order restraints for a patient whose behavior is unsafe. If restraints are used, the patient is monitored and reassessed frequently by trained staff and the restraints are removed as quickly as possible based on the patient assessment.

Often, diversional activities like frequent visitors, television, music, activity pillows, family videos and physical exercise can be used in lieu of physical restraints. Family and friends may be asked to visit as often as possible to provide extra support or to bring some familiar items from home, which may be comforting to the patient.

The hospital's Behavioral Health Unit serves both adolescents (ages 13-18) and adults. All of the information above applies to the Behavioral Health Unit, with these exceptions:

• In addition to sleepwear and a robe, please bring casual clothing, as all behavioral health patients are required to wear street clothes during the day.
• You may bring your own electric razor, curling iron, blow dryer, etc.
• A washer and dryer are available on the unit for personal laundry. Laundry detergent is also provided.
• You may wish to bring change for telephone calls. A pay phone is available on the unit. There are no telephones or televisions in patient rooms.

Special restrictions apply to the Behavioral Health Unit.

Restricted items include telephones, pagers, cameras, recorders, digital music players, electronic games, videotapes, CDs, DVDs and video games.

Please note the visiting hours below:

Behavioral Health Unit
One to two visitors at a time with patient and/or parental permission.
6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
2:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday

A healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is an infection that may occasionally occur as a result of your treatment or stay in the hospital. Surgical site infections, catheter-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia (an infection of the lungs) are some types of HAI. Some people, particularly the very young or elderly, may be more at risk for an infection related to an operation, suffering from an underlying disease, or undergoing certain types of treatments. HAIs can be caused by many organisms including some that are multi-drug resistant like Methicillin Staphylococcus Aureaus (MRSA).

What does your healthcare team do to prevent HAIs? We use evidence-based infection prevention and control guidelines that are proven to reduce and prevent infections. Hand hygiene is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection.

Below are some of the ways we help:

• CalvertHealth has hand sanitizers inside and/or outside all patient rooms. We teach staff, patients and visitors that washing your hands is the #1 way to prevent infection.
• Equipment, instruments and surfaces are thoroughly cleaned after each use.
• Each patient room and bathroom is cleaned daily and between patients. Surfaces are disinfected with a special solution, proven to kill germs.
• Patients who have known or suspected infections may be placed on isolation. This is important in stopping the spread of infection. Special clothing is worn by staff and visitors when they enter the room to prevent the transmission of infection.
• Patients may be given antibiotics before surgery.
• Medication and IV fluids are handled very carefully.
• Special care is given to patients that have a urinary catheter. We will help you to make sure the tubing is not kinked and the bag stays lower than your bladder.

What can you do to help prevent HAIs?

• Ask your visitors to clean their hands when entering and leaving your room.
• Feel free to ask our staff if we have washed our hands before procedures.
• If you have a bandage or catheter, keep the skin around it clean and dry. Tell your nurse or doctor if the bandage becomes loose, dislodged, wet or dirty. Tell your nurse or doctor if the area around your urinary catheter or around your IV is painful, swollen or red.
• Ask family or other visitors to stay home if they are sick.
• Make sure you understand your instructions about caring for your surgical site before you go home.
• Quit smoking. Patients who smoke get more infections than those who don’t. If you are interested, ask your nurse or doctor to give you more information on how to quit.