Your Guide to CVMC MAGNET ACCREDITATION Catawba Valley Medical Center is only the 32nd hospital in the nation and the second in the Carolinas to receive Magnet Hospital designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This designation recognizes growth and development of the staff. It also honors nursing leadership and excellence, community involvement and many other factors. Above all, it recognizes hospitals that exceed the expected rather than meeting it. ADMISSIONS Catawba Valley Medical Center treats all patients without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or physical handicap. To ease your admission, patients are asked to pre-register through the business services department. Admission requires a verifiable insurance identification card or policy. If you're uninsured, have inadequate insurance, or any unsettled accounts with Catawba Valley Medical Center, you may be required to make a deposit. VISITORS Visitors are always welcome at Catawba Valley Medical Center. However, the comfort and care of patients is our foremost concern. Please obey the "No Smoking" policy throughout the hospital. Health laws require proper dress, including shoes and shirt, when visiting patients. Every patient care unit has individual visiting hours and guidelines. Please consult the patient's nursing staff for further details. 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. CVMC IS A TOBACCO-FREE CAMPUS CVMC is committed to providing a safe, clean and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff as well as promoting health, wellness, prevention and treatment of disease within our community. We kindly request that you refrain from using any tobacco product while on our campus, in our medical practices and CVMC parking areas. This includes all forms of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chewing tobacco and smokeless tobacco). Please contact CVMC's Health First Center at 828-485-2300 if you are interested in smoking cessation classes. 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. 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. 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. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES To ensure safety, all electrical appliances brought into the hospital must be approved by the nursing staff before being used. 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. PHYSICIAN SERVICES Physicians practicing at Catawba Valley Medical Center are credentialed members of our medical staff. Their services are billed to you separately from your hospital statement. NURSING Each patient is assigned a registered nurse responsible for the overall coordination of care from admission to discharge. PERSONAL ITEMS We recommend that you bring only a few personal items, nightgowns, pajamas, bathrobes, slippers and toilet articles. Other personal items including jewelry and money should be left at home. When not in use, dentures, eyeglasses and contact lenses should be placed in protective containers. Catawba Valley Medical Center assumes no responsibility for lost or broken items. SAFETY The hospital is a smoke-free environment. We understand this may cause some anxiety. With an order from your physicians, aids such as a nicotine patch can be made available to your. Smoking cessation education is also available. During your stay, the staff may conduct a practice fire drill for the safety of our patients and our employees. A hospital staff member will close the door to your room in effort to control smoke. Your visitors will be asked to stay in your room until the 'all clear' is announced. Should evacuation be needed, a staff member will assist you and your family/visitors in the proper route of evacuation. Company Police Officers patrol the hospital building and grounds 24 hours a day. For emergency service you may dial 3911 from a hospital telephone or seek assistance from hospital staff. SPIRITUAL CARE Upon admission, you will be asked if you would like for us to notify your minister. We will only notify your minister at your request. There is a full time chaplain available to patients and their families between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you would like a visit, please inform your nurse. On call Chaplains are available to offer Spiritual Care between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ADVANCE DIRECTIVES Catawba Valley Medical Center is committed to the use of advance directives (living wills, health-care powers of attorney) to help guide patient decision-making. If conflicts arise, the hospital provides a medical ethics committee to assist in resolving your concerns. For more information, contact your nurse or the Administrator on Duty. 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. 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. GOING HOME/CHECKOUT After the doctor has dismissed you, he or she or one of the nurses will discuss your post-hospitalization care with you. As a precaution, you will be taken out of the hospital in a wheel chair by one of our staff members. There are no charges for the last day of your stay if you check out of the room before noon. A patient account representative will contact you to discuss the financial settlement of your account during your hospital stay or after discharge. We're concerned about improving the quality of care we give you as a patient. To assist us, we ask that you fill out a Patient Satisfaction Survey. Please return your survey to your nurse or you may mail to the hospital at no cost to you. QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR BILL If you have questions about your bill, or would like to make payments, the Business Services Department is conveniently located across the street from the hospital. LIFELINE SERVICES Lifeline, a 24-hour personal emergency response system, offers those who live alone or have special medical needs extra reassurance. To learn about Lifeline, please call 828-485-2696. MEDICAL SERVICES ( Back To Top ) BLOOD BANK All blood products are carefully typed, cross-matched and tested. They are provided to the hospital by the American Red Cross. While no charge is made for blood, an administration and processing fee will be added to your hospital bill. CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES The cardiovascular lab performs non-invasive testing of the circulatory system, including echocardiology. Specially trained registered nurses perform testing as requested by the patient's physician. Cardiac stress testing and catherization are performed by board-qualified Cardiologists and Technologists. 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 EEG-EKG LABORATORY Electroencephalographic equipment (EEG) records the electrical impulses of the brain to aid in the diagnosis of various injuries and diseases. Likewise, electrocardiographic equipment (EKG) is used to record activities of the heart and in diagnosing the existence or the extent of heart ailments. EMERGENCY CENTER The Emergency Center is staffed 24 hours a day by board-certified or board-eligible physicians and registered nurses. Lifesaving medical care is quickly available in the event of serious injury or illness. MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most effective way to image soft tissues (muscles, tendons, tumors) and obtain detailed pictures of the brain, organs or spine without using radiation. PATHOLOGY (LABORATORY) Accredited by the College of American Pathologists, our laboratory analyzes blood samples and other body fluids. All pathology expenses will be billed to you directly. PHARMACY Staffed 24 hours a day by licensed pharmacists, the department dispenses medications and prepares IV solutions for patients. The pharmacists also review patient charts for medication allergies and drug interactions as well as assisting the physicians by calculating doses for certain medications. REHABILITATION SERVICES Therapists aid the patient in regaining the highest level of function possible and work with discharge planners at the hospital's The Center for Rehabilitation. Extensive facilities, including an inpatient rehabilitation unit, provide a wide range of therapeutic and rehabilitation services. RADIOLOGY (X-RAY) Registered technologists and radiologists administer many diagnostic tests, specialized examinations and therapeutic procedures. Our radiology department is directed by board-certified radiologists. RADIATION THERAPY Advanced radiation therapy equipment, including two linear accelerators, matched by a team of cancer experts, establishes Catawba Valley Medical Center as a regional cancer treatment center. RENAL LITHOTRIPSY Renal Lithotripsy is provided to nine hospitals in North and South Carolina. RESPIRATORY CARE Trained therapists, under the supervision of physician pulmonologists, provide treatment and rehabilitation for patients with breathing difficulties. SURGICAL SERVICES The surgical suite is staffed by highly skilled anesthesiologists, registered nurses, and surgical technologists. Advanced technology is used to perform sterile procedures in our state-of-the-art operating rooms and endoscopy suite. After surgery, patients are monitored in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) before discharge home or admission to the hospital. Patients having outpatient procedures are admitted and discharged through our Day Surgery facility. INPATIENT SERVICES ( Back To Top ) BIRTHING CENTER Our advanced Birthing Center provides comfortable, private suites where mothers labor, deliver, recover and stay in the same room throughout their stay. Family-friendly services focus on supporting the family through their postpartum experience. SPECIAL CARE NURSERY Critically ill infants receive 24 hour a day specialized developmental care. The unit is staffed with specially trained nurses, Neonatal Nurse Practitioners and a Neonatalogist. The Special Care Nursery is equipped with sophisticated monitoring equipment to meet the needs of CVMC's tiniest patients. PEDIATRICS We have a dedicated Pediatrics unit located on the second floor, which is targeted to the care and recovery needs of young people. MEDICAL-SURGICAL SERVICES We maintain one of the highest nurse-to-patient ratios to provide high-quality care for patients recovering from illness and surgery. INPATIENT REHAB Patients with special rehabilitation needs that warrant a hospital stay are treated in Catawba Valley Medical Center's Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, which has been specifically designed to help patients at all levels of need pursue courses of treatment to return them to highest possible degree of function and independence. CRITICAL CARE CENTER Critically ill patients receive specialized, around-the-clock care in our advanced critical care unit. The unit is equipped with sophisticated monitoring equipment, and specially trained nurses deliver high-tech and high-touch personalized treatment. ONCOLOGY Our skilled Cancer Center team offers specialized care for patients. We provide support for individuals and families as they confront the emotional, spiritual and physical demands of the disease. PSYCHIATRY Comprehensive care is provided for short-term adult and geriatric patients. Specially trained medical staff members care for the physical and psychological needs of patients and their families.