On your day of admission, arrive on time. If you are pre-registered, you may need to sign some final paperwork. At that time, an ID bracelet will be placed on your wrist. If it's ever removed, ask for a replacement. Again, if you have an advance directive, such as a living will or a health care agent, bring a copy with you. A living will cannot be honored unless it is attached to your chart. Papers you might need include medical insurance cards, your Social Security card and a list of all medications that you're currently taking.

Your Room

After arriving you will be introduced to your surroundings by a member of the patient care staff. When you need help or want to talk to a nurse, use the intercom system that links your room with the nurse's station. There, a health unit coordinator will relay your message and a nurse will come to your room as promptly as possible. If you think you are experiencing an emergency, please tell the coordinator. Otherwise, please allow a moment or two for the nurse to get there. If you have any questions regarding your room or nursing unit, don't hesitate to ask.

Safety First

The hospital is an unfamiliar setting to you. You may be taking medication that makes you dizzy and disoriented or your illness may cause you to feel weak and unsteady. Any of these may lead to accidents and/or injuries in the hospital. It is important that you follow your physician's instructions about time out of bed, walking, use of wheelchair, and that the nursing staff know your whereabouts at all times.

• Do not attempt to get out of a wheelchair by yourself.
• Check with a physician or nurse before taking a tub bath or shower.
• Wear non-skid slippers or shoes.
• Do not lower side rails or remove restraints. Ask the nurse for help.
• If you do fall, remain lying or seated while waiting for assistance. This will help avoid further injury.

Fire Drills

The hospital routinely conducts fire drills, inspects and tests the fire alarm system to ensure an organized and timely response to fire or smoke emergencies. If you should hear sirens, don't be overly alarmed. When a drill is performed or when the alarm is pulled you will hear the code 1-2-3 RED announced over the page system, followed by the location. There is no need to leave your room. The nurse will close your door and open it when the alarm is cleared. If the alarm is an actual emergency, appropriate action will be taken to assure your safety.

Smoking

In keeping with our mission of healing, the staff of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital asks you to respect our no smoking policy. There is no smoking anywhere in the hospital. Patients should discuss the issue with their physician prior to admission. If you are a smoker, your nurse can provide you with a "survival kit" and our Wellness Center offers a smoking cessation program that can help. For more information, call extension 2030.

Meals

Most patients are not on restricted diets. For them, our Food and Nutrition Services Department offers a wide variety of foods. If you are among our patients on restricted diet, it is important that you follow the dietary plan set by your doctor.

Each morning you will be asked to select your meal for the next day. Kosher meals and special requests are available with proper notice. Ask your nutrition service representative or nurse how to request a special meal or about receiving nutritional counseling. Call extension 2481 for details.

Meals are served each day at the following times:

BREAKFAST 7:30 - 8:30 A.M.
LUNCH 11:15 A.M. - 12:40 P.M.
SUPPER 4:30 - 5:45 P.M.

Your family and friends are welcome to use the Cafeteria or the Coffee Shop (see "Dining" pg. 12 ). There also are vending machines located on level 2, just past the cafeteria. Look for room 2.459.

Television and Telephone

Patient rooms are furnished with telephones. Each is accompanied by instructions. There is no charge for local outgoing calls, and you may make long-distance calls by two methods: collect or with credit card. You may receive calls in your room between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Amplifier telephones are provided to the hearing impaired at no cost. If you need an amplified telephone or a TTD phone, please ask the nurse.

All patient rooms are equipped with television sets that you may use at no charge. Each set comes with a remote control and private pillow speaker to ensure that the volume can be kept low. Closed captioning is on your TV, please call a nurse for information on use.

Important: Cellular phones can interfere with life-support equipment; please leave them home.

Transferring to Another Room

For any number of reasons it may be necessary to move you to another room during your stay in the hospital. For instance, if you are in a medical section and are scheduled for surgery, you may be taken to a room on the surgical floor or to an intensive care room following surgery. In any case, the reception desk will always have updates of room changes for your family. Your understanding and cooperation will be appreciated.

Before You Leave . . .

Your physician or nurse will notify you of your planned discharge day so you can make transportation arrangements. Before you tell someone to pick you up at a certain time, check with your nurse to be sure all discharge arrangements have been completed.

Your doctor will let you know if you need to follow any type of treatment plan after you leave the hospital, including future appointments, medications or other therapy. Be sure you have a thorough understanding of any prescribed home regimen. The hospital's social service and case management departments will assist in making necessary arrangements for home health care or other follow-up treatments.

Please send flowers and gifts home the day before you are discharged. On the day of discharge, your nurse will assist you and arrange for a discharge escort, if necessary.

Financial Considerations

Your hospital bill will include charges that you incurred while you were in the hospital. Our business offices will assist you in making any necessary arrangements to process your insurance and you will be billed for the balance. This way you can leave the hospital immediately after discharge. You will be billed separately by physicians who participated in your diagnosis and treatment. For instance, you may get a bill from an anesthesiologist for administering anesthesia if you are a surgery patient or by a radiologist for reading and interpreting any X-rays your doctor may have ordered. Cardiologists, pathologists and the laboratory also provide separate bills. Call the Business Office at 860.444.4702 for questions on billing and payments.

Insurance

Upon your admission to the hospital you indicated your insurance company and how we should bill them. In most cases the insurance company will pay the hospital directly. You are responsible for payment of any deductible or for any services not covered by insurance.

Medicare

If you are eligible for Medicare and have any questions about how the system works, Medicare counselors, hospital staff and some volunteers can guide you through completing forms or assist you in solving a problem with payment. Some basic information about Medicare follows here.

According to Federal law, your discharge date must be determined solely by your medical needs. If you do not agree with your being discharged, you can request a review by a Peer Review Organization (PRO), a group of doctors paid by the Federal Government to review medical necessity, appropriateness and quality of hospital care provided to Medicare patients.

The first step in initiating a review is to ask your case manager for a written notice of explanation of why you are being discharged. This notice is called a Notice of Noncoverage. The next step would be to talk to our Medicare counselors or contact the Connecticut Peer Review Organization at 100 Roscommon Dr., Middletown, CT 06457, phone 860.632.2008 or 1.800.523.8208. You must make your request for review by noon of the first work day after you receive the Notice of Noncoverage.

If the PRO agrees with the Notice of Noncoverage, you may be responsible for paying for all costs of your stay beginning at noon of the day after you receive the PRO's decision. In other words, you are not responsible for the cost of your hospital care before you receive the PRO's decision.

The hospital, likewise, can request a review if they feel that your discharge is warranted but your doctor disagrees. You will be notified if the hospital goes to the PRO for a review of your case. If the PRO agrees with the hospital, you can appeal the decision, but since your case has already been reviewed once, you may have to pay for at least one day of hospital care before the PRO completes the reconsideration.

If you do not request a review, the hospital may bill you for all the costs of your stay beginning with the third day after you receive the Notice of Noncoverage. The hospital cannot charge you unless it has provided you with this Notice of Noncoverage.

Your Medical Records

Medical records are the physical property of the hospital. The information, however, is yours for the asking through the Health Information Management Department. A request for photocopies of medical records must be submitted in writing to: Release of Information, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, 365 Montauk Avenue, New London, CT 06320. Your request should include:

• Date of Request
• Patient name and address
• Date of birth
• Name and address of where the records will be sent
• The purpose of the disclosure. For instance, to send to continuing care agencies, for insurance purposes, or for personal use.
• The kind and amount of information to be disclosed. For example, "summary of my hospitalization in June of 1992." Please be as specific as possible.
• Patient's signature (If you are a guardian, include a copy of your Power of Attorney document.)

You can reasonably expect a response within two weeks. Walk-in and phone requests cannot be accommodated unless it is an emergency. At least 48-hours notice is required for response to these requests and reasonable fees will be charged for requests for personal use.

Contact Information

We will be happy to answer any questions to help expedite your request if you call 860.444.3704. The department is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.