General Patient Information
Room Service and Cafeteria
Soon after your admission to the hospital, your physician will prescribe a specific diet to meet your needs. Use the menu in your room to order meals. To place your order, dial 835-4100 (or ext. 54100 if dialing from within the hospital). Your order will be verified for diet compliance and prepared according to your wishes. You may pre-order up to three meals in advance. Please order only the foods you plan to eat, so accurate calorie counts may be taken.
Guest meals are available for $5 per tray, with payment required upon delivery.
Family and friends are invited to eat in our cafeteria. Hours are:
- Breakfast:: 7 to 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday (Closed on weekends.)
- Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Sunday
- Snack: 2:30-4 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Dinner: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday
- Midnight: 12 to 2:00 a.m. Monday through Sunday
The hospital also has vending areas on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors near the Patient Tower Elevators.
Medicines from Home
To ensure your safety our pharmacists carefully review and dispense all medications while you are in the hospital. If you are currently taking any medications you brought from home, it is very important to tell your nurse. You may be asked to send these medications home. All medications taken in the hospital must be administered by your nurse or physician.
Nurse Call System
When you need nursing assistance, just press the nurse call button. The unit secretary will answer the call and relay your request to your nurse.
Television
Each room has a remote-control television for your convenience.
Valuables
The best place for your jewelry, cash, credit cards and other valuables is at home. If you brought any of these items with you, please deposit them in our vault for safe keeping. Your nurse will help you with this process. The medical center cannot be responsible for loss or damage of personal possessions left in your room.
Reading Material
Volunteers will loan books and magazines at your request. Please call Volunteer Services at 835-4170 (or ext. 54170 if dialing from within the hospital) or ask your nurse for this service.
Electrical Appliances
Electrical devices that are defective or misused may injure patients, visitors and staff. We ask that you leave your personal appliances at home.
Smoking
The medical center doesn't permit smoking inside the building. Visitors, patients and employees who wish to smoke may use specially designated outside areas. We developed this policy to provide you and others with a healthy environment that enhances patient care. Smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches and gum are available. Please ask your doctor or nurse for more information.
Visiting Hours
- General - 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Maternity - Visiting hours for the Family Birthing Center are flexible and at the discretion of the mother. Fathers and grandparents are allowed to visit anytime. Siblings of the newborns are permitted to visit their mothers, and must be accompanied by an adult. Only one visitor is allowed overnight after the birth of a baby.
- Critical Care Units (Intensive Care, Coronary Care and Cardiovascular Surgical) -
10 to 10:30 a.m.
1 to 1:30 p.m.
3 to 3:30 p.m.
5:30-6 p.m.
8:30-9 p.m.
Only immediate family members may visit, although friends may substitute in the absence of family. Visitation is limited to two people for 30 minutes at a time. A separate brochure about the Critical Care Units is available from a nurse in those departments.
Telephones
- Local calls: Dial 9, then dial the local phone number.
- Long-distance calls: Dial 9, then 0 and the number. Long-distance calls cannot be charged to your room, but you may make collect calls or charge calls to a third number or credit card.
- Incoming calls: People outside the medical center may call your room directly by dialing 835-1, then your room number. Incoming calls will not be directed to patient rooms between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., although patients may continue to call out during those hours.
- Inside the medical center: To call another patient's room, dial 1 and the room number. Medical center departments have five-digit phone numbers that you may reach by dialing direct.
Telecommunications Device for Hearing Impairments
Methodist Medical Center has a PortaPrinter enabling people with hearing impairments to interpret telephone messages. Tell your nurse if you need this service, and someone will connect the assistive device in your room.