Patient Guide

We are committed to your care.

Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.

Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care

Fast facts about your stay.

Support for Caregivers

We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.

Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.

What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:

What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.

If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network

Facts About Your Stay

ATM

For your convenience, an ATM is located on the first level of the hospital at the front entrance.

Bedside Shift Report

We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.

Bedside Technology

During your stay, you may see your doctors and nurses using computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

Cafeteria

Location: First Floor

Hours:

Breakfast: 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Dinner: 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Closed at 2pm on weekends.

All visitors are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located at your bedside. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At Raleigh General Hospital, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. Employees are not allowed to use phones for non-work-related activities. There are many work related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.

Channel Listing for TV

2	Network West Virginia	26	C-SPAN	50	CNN
3	WSAZ – NBC	27	C-SPAN-2	51	Headline News
4	Local Government	28	QVC	52	CNBC
5	WOAY-ABC	29	HSN	53	MSNBC
6	WVVA - NBC	30	Lifetime	54	BBC America
7	WSWP-PBS	31	LMN	55	USA
8	WCHS-ABC	32	TruTV	56	FX
10	WVNS-DT-FOX	33	TBS	57	FXX
11	WVNS-CBS	34	TNT	58	A&E
14	WVAH-FOX	35	ESPN	59	History
15	WLFB-IND	36	ESPN2	60	Discovery
16	Jewelry Television	37	Fox Sports 1	61	TLC
17	EVINE Live	38	AT&T SportsNet	62	National Geographic
18	WVVA-DT-CW	42	INSP	63	Freeform
19	Leased Access	43	NBC Sports Network	64	Disney
20	Local Access	44	Golf Channel	65	Universal Kids
21	Leased Access	45	El Ray	66	Cartoon Network
22	Trinity Broadcasting Network	46	The Tennis Channel	67	Disney XD
23	EWTN	47	Fox Business	68	Animal Planet
25	The Weather Channel	48	Fox News	69	HGTV
70	Food Network	80	WE tv	90	GAC
71	Hallmark Channel	81	Travel Channel	91	Outdoor Channel
72	Hallmark Movies and Mysteries	82	Syfy	92	Nickelodeon
73	Investigation Discovery	83	I24 news	93	Nick Jr.
74	AMC	84	UP	94	TV Land
75	Turner Classic Movies	85	WGN America	95	Comedy Central
76	Bravo	86	GSN	96	Paramount Network
77	E!	87	Disney Junior	97	BET
78	OWN	88	AXSTV	98	MTV

Concerns About Your Care

Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact the hospital patient advocate. You also have the right to file your complaint with either:

West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources
Office of Health Facility Licensure & Certification
408 Leon Sullivan Way
Charleston, WV 25301
304-558-0058

Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report patient safety event”

Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions.

Electrical Appliances

For your safety, we reserve the right to inspect any electrical appliances brought into the hospital.

Fire Safety

We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will tell you what to do.

Flowers

Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by individual florists. Please note that flowers are not allowed in Intensive Care Units.

Hearing Impaired

We have services available for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.

Hospital Safe for Valuables

Raleigh General Hospital takes all possible precautions to safeguard your property but disclaims responsibility for valuables surrendered to wrongful holder of identification slip and will not be responsible for any claim or loss. You may claim valuables with security by checking them in and signing an acknowledgement form.

Hourly Rounding

A nurse will visit you every hour during the day and every two hours at night to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call light, and personal items easily.

Interpreters and Translation Services

Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.

Lost and Found

Raleigh General Hospital's lost and found is handled through Security. All items are kept for 90 days and then discarded. Talk to your nurse if you need to contact Security.

Mail

Mail and email sent to our website are delivered to patients Monday through Friday by hospital volunteers. Flowers may be delivered by individual florists, staff or volunteers. Fresh flowers are not allowed in critical care areas.

Mail received after discharge will be forwarded to the patient’s home.

Medicines

Please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medicines to the hospital. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor about any medicines you regularly take. If you still need them, hospital staff will give them to you.

Parking

Raleigh General Hospital provides free parking to all visitors and patients. Parking is located in front of the hospital with handicap access, behind the hospital and any overflow and employee parking is off of Carriage Drive to the side of the hospital.

Pastoral Care

If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain on call. Your loved ones also may fill out a request card in the chapel. A chaplain will address your concerns by the next business day after receiving the request. The chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor, near the registration area.

Personal Belongings and Valuables

Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand when not in use. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. If this is not an option, valuables may be locked up by Security at your request. Raleigh General Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Public Restrooms

For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one.

Rapid Response Team

How to call rapid response:
1. Dial 7 on the bedside phone and ask the operator for the MET Team.
2. Tell the operator: your name, room number, patient’s name and your concern.
3. The MET Team will be sent to your room.

Smoking

Given the serious health hazards of tobacco use, we have chosen to become a 100 percent tobacco-free campus. No smoking or tobacco products will be used while on RGH property, parking lots, associated buildings and vehicles. Patients and visitors are asked not to smoke during their hospital visit.

If You Smoke or Use Tobacco
While you are in the hospital, please do not suffer from nicotine withdrawal. You can receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other appropriate support during your hospital visit. Please ask your nurse for more information.

Telephone

All patient rooms have phones. If you are in a private room or bed A, your direct phone number is 304-256 + 4 + your room number.
To call bed B rooms on the 2nd floor dial 304-461-38 + last two digits of room number.
To call bed B rooms on the 4th floor dial 304-461-39 + last two digits of room number.

If you need to make a phone call, dial 9 + area code + the phone number you want to call. To reach your nurse, use your call button or call the nurse directly using the phone number listed on the whiteboard.

Calling from INSIDE the hospital? Dial the last four digits only

TV

Each patient room has a television. Please be considerate of others by keeping the volume down and turning off your TV at bedtime. TVs are controlled by the bedside pillow speaker or side rail controls. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV.

Vending Machines

Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Located on the first floor in the main lobby next to the cafeteria or outside the Emergency Room.

Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are subject to change. Please ask your nurse for official hours during your stay.

To promote healing and safety and limit infection, some units may limit the number of visitors you can receive at one time.

General Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Note: Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors from among family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.
Pediatrics: One parent or other adult support person is permitted to stay 24 hours a day.

Visiting Overnight
Overnight visitation with a patient must be coordinated with the charge nurse and/or nurse manager and is only permitted under certain circumstances.

Wifi

Patients and visitors may access wifi using Guest-Access from their smartphone or device.