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Partnering for the Safest Care

Preparing for Surgery

If you are having surgery, there are steps you can take to ensure you receive the safest care. Here are some tips:

  • Be sure to read the consent form before you sign it to make sure that all written information is correct.
  • On the day of surgery, tell the doctor and nurse your name, date of birth and what part of your body is being operated on.
  • If your surgery is going to be on your spine or the left or right side of your body, expect that our staff will confirm the location with you and will mark that side with a checkmark, for example: your left arm, right knee or right side of your head. If your procedure is on your left lung and cannot be physically marked, staff will mark the side on a drawing of the human body on your chart.
  • Speak up if you believe the staff has any information that is wrong or not completely correct. We want to make sure that your surgery or procedure goes exactly as planned.

Rapid Response

Rapid Response is a way to receive immediate help from a doctor for a sudden and worrisome change in your loved one's condition.

While we keep a close watch on our patients so that we are alerted early to any possible problems in their condition, family members are often the best eyes and ears for the staff. We respect that you may notice changes in your loved one before we do. If you have particular concerns that your loved one's condition is taking a turn for the worse, be sure to ask the nurse taking care of him or her to start the rapid response process.

When you request the patient's nurse to start the rapid response process, he or she will assess the patient right away and contact the doctor to come to the unit if needed.

If called by the nurse, the doctor will come right away to assess the problem and begin the necessary treatment.

Reporting Concerns About Your Care

You may have concerns about the quality of care you or your loved one is receiving. Please alert us right away so we may address these concerns and take care of the problem. You may call any of the numbers below if you are not satisfied with how your nurse, doctor or charge nurse is handling the problem:

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