Patient & Visitor Services | Print |

AHEC Services

Located at Catawba Valley Medical Center, the Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is northwest North Carolina's regional health care teaching center. In a cooperative endeavor, physician residents from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center work at Catawba Valley Medical Center under the direction of local physicians. AHEC also provides continuing education classes and maintains medical library services.


Cafeteria
Hot meals are served in the cafeteria, located on the service floor, between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 12:00 midnight. Vending services are also available in the cafeteria and Emergency Center 24 hours a day.


Care Line
If you have compliments or concerns regarding your stay, please call our CARE Line at (828) 326-2273.


Clinical Resource Management
Registered Nurses and Medical Social Workers support patients and their families through the emotional and financial burdens associated with illness and hospitalization. Referral services include home health, nursing home placement, patient and family counseling, and identifying necessary community resources

Environmental Services
Your room has been cleaned and sanitized for your health and comfort. We ask that you and visitors not sit on unoccupied beds. This allows for the next patient to have a clean and sanitized environment. If you have any questions please call the Environmental Services Department at ext. 3358.


Ethics Committee
Catawba Valley Medical Center's Ethics Committee is available to assist when a conflict pertaining to patient care arises. A patient, family member, guardian or a healthcare provider may make a request for consultation.

To contact the Ethics Committee, use any telephone within the hospital and dial "0." Ask the operator for the Administrator on Duty. When the Administrator on Duty returns your call, state that you are requesting assistance from the Ethics Committee to help resolve a conflict in patient care.  There is no charge for an ethics consultation.

Food Services
Menus for regular and modified diets are provided to patients to allow them to make meal selections for the following day. Clinical dietitians are available to explain any special diet requirements, and a certified diabetes educator can assist in determining the patient's nutritional needs.


Gift Shop
Operated by Auxiliary volunteers, the Magnolia Square gift shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Mail And Flowers

All mail or flowers addressed to you as our patient will be delivered to your room. After discharge, any additional mail will be forwarded to you.


Spiritual Care
Catawba Valley Medical Center acknowledges the need to nurture the spiritual needs of our patients. We value the diversity of views related to spirituality from our patients, visitors, and employees. In order to address spiritual needs, the Spiritual Care department offers the following services:

  • Chaplaincy. Interfaith spiritual support is offered by our chaplains 24-hours a day. To request a Chaplain visit, patients or families may ask their nurse to make the referral or dial “0” for the operator who will assist them.\
  • Chapel. The Chapel is located in the main lobby area and remains open 24-hours a day.
  • Parish Nursing & Faith Community Wellness Programs. Community Parish Nurses receive support from our CVMC Parish Nurse Coordinator. The coordinator assists faith communities in assessing their particular areas of health needs and interests.
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). One extended unit of CPE is offered annually. CVMC’s program is accredited by the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy, Inc. (CPSP). For more information, please visit the website at www.cpsp.org or call 828/326-3377.
  • Conversation in Ethics. Healthcare professionals and the community are invited to attend Conversation in Ethics. These one-hour sessions center on bio-ethical dilemmas that are encountered in the present day. If you would like to attend please call the Spiritual Care Department at 828/326-3365 to add your name to the mailing list.
  • Labyrinth. In 2002, the Catawba Medical Foundation funded the purchase of a 36-foot portable canvas labyrinth. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. The winding one-way path that leads walkers into and back out of a central space, offers a kind of body meditation that parallels the inner journey of prayer and reflection. For dates when the labyrinth will be available please contact the Spiritual Care Department at 828/326-3365.

To learn more about the Spiritual Care department at Catawba Valley Medical Center or any of its departmental services, please call 828-326-3365.

Telephone Service
All patient rooms are provided with telephone service.

  • To place a local call, dial 9, the area code, and the number.
  • For operator-assisted, long-distance calls, dial 9 and 0 for the long-distance operator so your call can be charged to your home phone or credit card.

Family members may call you directly by dialing (828) 326-2 and your room number. To assure a restful atmosphere for patients, phones in patient rooms will not ring incoming calls between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.


Volunteers
Auxiliary and Red Cross volunteers contribute many hours to the hospital and patients, delivering mail, escorting patients, operating the information desk and providing magazines.