Patient Information

While you are here in the hospital, we want your stay to be as safe, pleasant and comfortable as possible. When you are admitted, you will be given a Patient Handbook which provides useful information. You can find some of that information on this website, and you can also view the Patient Handbook online.

Download our Patient Handbook.

• Admission
• Patient ID
• Advance Directives
• Personal Items and Valuables
• Infection Control
• Medication
• Partners in Care (Speak Up!)
• Rapid Response Team
• Safe Patient Handling
• Spiritual Support
• Telephone Service
• Internet Access
• Special Communication Needs

Admission

If your physician arranges for your admission to Franklin Square Hospital Center, your room assignment will be determined by the type of medical care you require, your doctor's orders and the availability of rooms. At time during your stay, it may become necessary for you to transfer to another floor or room in order to receive the level of care and attention you need.

Patient ID

Upon arrival, you will be given your patient identification bracelet. You may receive a red allergy or other color-coded bracelets. Your bracelets provide us with important information about your specific care needs. Please wear your bracelets during your entire stay.

Advance Directives

An Advance Directive allows you to state in advance your treatment preferences regarding healthcare should you become unable to voice your wishes. It also names an agent to make your healthcare decisions if you are unable.

When you come to the hospital, you will be asked for a copy of your Advance Directive. If you do not have an Advance Directive and would like to develop one, we can help.

Personal Items and Valuables

Franklin Square Hospital Center is not responsible for any valuables or personal belongings brought into the hospital. We recommend the following precautions to keep personal items safe:

• Send items such as keys, jewelry or cash home with a friend or family member. If you are unable to do this in an emergency situation, please contact your nurse and arrangements will be made to have these items stored in Security while you are here.
• Items such as dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids and prosthetics require special care. Be sure to store them in protective containers in a safe place such as inside the bedside table.
• For safety reasons, do not bring electronic equipment or electrical devices to the hospital with you.
• For safety reasons, patients may not use any home personal healthcare equipment while hospitalized. Every effort will be made to provide you with a hospital approved alternate while here.

If you think you have lost or misplaced a personal item, please contact the Security Department at 443-777-7242.

Infection Control

To protect our patients and visitors from infection, we follow the recommended policies of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All staff members use precautions which are designed to prevent the spread of infections.

Medication

To provide you the most safe and effective care, it is important that we have a list of all medicines you are taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicine, herbs and vitamins. A doctor or nurse will collect this information from you on admission. Please do not bring medications with you. Your doctor will make arrangements for you to receive the medications you need while you are here.

We encourage you to ask your caregivers what medicine they are giving you and why. A Med Card is available to help you keep track of your medications.

Partners in Care (Speak Up!)

As a member of your healthcare team, you play an important role in your care. Research shows that patients who take part in decisions about their health care are more likely to have better outcomes. The "Speak Up" program urges patients to get involved in their care by following these tips:

To help prevent health care errors, patients are urged to "Speak Up."

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns, and if you don't understand, ask again. You have a right to know.
• Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you're getting the right treatments and medications by the right health care professionals. Don't assume anything.
• Educated yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing, and your treatment plan.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
• Know what medications you take and why you take them. Medication errors are the most common health care mistakes. Ask a nurse about your medications before taking them.
• Use a hospital that has undergone a rigorous on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as that provided by the Joint Commission. (Franklin Square is fully accredited by the Joint Commission.
• Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the health care team.

Rapid Response Team

The Rapid Response Team at Franklin Square is made up of critical care specialists, on call around the clock, who can arrive at the bedside in minutes should a non-critical patient's condition start to decline. By bringing specialized care immediately to the patient, the team can often prevent a medical emergency, such as a heart attack, before it happens. At Franklin Square, we ask that family members and friends join us in this initiative. If you notice a loved one's health deteriorating, you can notify the nurse who can then activate the Rapid Response Team if necessary.

Safe Patient Handling

To reduce injuries to hospital staff as well as patients, we use a Safe Patient Handling/Minimal Lift Program. The program uses special lift equipment and tools to decrease manual lifting, transferring and repositioning of patients.

Spiritual Support

The Department of Pastoral Care provides religious and spiritual support for patients and families. Your own clergyperson is an important member of the healthcare team and is welcome to visit you at any time. The Pastoral Care Department has an office on the first floor across from the cafeteria. The Chaplains in the Pastoral Care Department can provide a listening ear, prayer support, print and other spiritual resources. Chaplains can help connect patients to what is meaningful for them. Your nurse can help arrange for a chaplain to visit.

Telephone Service

Your bedside telephone must be activated in order to make local calls. The charge is $5.00 per day up to a maximum of ten days or $50.00, payable by credit card or bill to your home phone. If you do not activate the service, you may still make and receive calls within the hospital and receive calls from outside the hospital.

Family and friends may call you from outside the hospital by dialing the hospital's "443" area code followed by "777" and your extension number. Please note, your room number and telephone extension are not the same. You will be given an extension upon admission. If you do not want us to give callers your extension number or want to restrict calls between certain hours, please call the Information Desk at 443-777-7344.

Television Service

Television service is available at no cost to our patients.

Internet Access

For your convenience, we offer wireless Internet connection in our patient rooms as well as desktop computers with Internet access in our Center Square Café.

Special Communication Needs

For patients with hearing-impairments: A Teletypewriter (TTY) machine is available. Amplified telephones, interpreters and other special arrangements for the hearing impairments are also available upon request.

For patients with sight impairments: Reading and writing assistance is provided as needed.

For Non-English speaking patients: A language telephone line is available at no charge.

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