Specific Patient and Visitor Information

Information

Information desks are located on the first floor of both Main and North Hospitals.

Main Hospital Information (804) 828-7804
North Hospital Information (804) 828-4088

Visitor Passes


Visitor passes are required. They are available at the Information desks in the lobby of either Main or North Hospitals. No more than two visitors per patient are permitted at any one time. Additional visitors are to wait in the first floor lobby of either Main or North Hospitals. Special visiting arrangements may be in place in the Children's Medical Center and the Obstetrics Department. Please check with your nurse about receiving visitors.

Volunteers

Volunteers, wearing either pink or red jackets, or red (college students) or dark green (Junior Volunteers) polo shirts, are available to assist you. They are available to run errands, bring you a newspaper, read to you, write letters, or simply sit and visit if you need company. You may call a volunteer at (804) 828-0922.

Newspapers and Magazines

Local and national newspapers may be purchased through dispensing machines at the 12th Street entrance to Main Hospital. You may also call the Volunteer Services Department at (804) 828-0922 to have a newspaper brought to your room.

Lending Library

Donated books and magazines from the patients' library are available to all patients in the hospital. They are located in the Volunteer Services Department, which is located on the first floor of Main Hospital. You may go to the library to pick out a book or magazine, or you may call the Volunteer Services Department at (804) 828-0922 and a volunteer will bring a selection of books to your room.

Patient Mail

Mail is delivered Monday through Friday and brought to your room by a volunteer. There is no mail delivery on holidays or weekends. Patient mail should be addressed to:

Patient's Name
VCU Health System
40l North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298-0001

A hospital volunteer will be glad to write or mail letters for you. Mailboxes are located in the first floor lobby of both Main and North Hospitals.

Gift Shop

The Three Bears Gift Shop is located on the first floor of Main Hospital. The Gift Shop offers many unique gifts as well as everyday items for both patients and their families. Balloons, flowers, snacks, all-age gifts, wearing apparel, and toiletries are just some of the items available to you seven days a week. Deliveries to your room can also be made. For more information, call (804) 828-5999.

Flowers

Volunteers will deliver any flowers you receive directly to your room. Weekend and holiday deliveries should be made by the florist.

Flowers are not permitted in the nurseries or in the intensive care, burn, oncology, or transplant units. However, balloons and silk flower arrangements are allowed in these units. To help insure the safety of our pediatric patients, please request balloons made of mylar instead of latex.

In-hospital flower sales. Flowers may be purchased 24 hours a day from an automatic flower dispenser called 24 Hour Flower, located in Main Hospital Cashier's Lobby on the first floor.

Surgical Waiting Area

The Surgical Waiting Area for families of patients undergoing surgery is located on the second floor of Main Hospital. A volunteer is on duty from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday to answer your questions, check on patient progress, and assist families while they wait. The telephone number of the Surgical Waiting Area is (804) 828-1988. If a volunteer is not on duty, call (804) 828-0922.

When it is time for you to leave the hospital, your doctor will prepare an order for your discharge. Your nurse will provide you with a Discharge Information Form that will help you understand what to do about your care after you leave. Plan to leave your room by 11:00 a.m. Make sure that you have made arrangements for your transportation home. If you need assistance, please contact your nurse or social worker.

Filling Prescriptions

Around the time you leave, your doctor may order prescription medications for you to take at home. You can have your prescriptions filled before you leave at the Emergency Room Pharmacy located in the Main Hospital, Ground Floor. Either you or a family member will need to go to the Pharmacy to make the appropriate payment before the prescriptions are filled. The Pharmacy will accept cash, check, Visa or MasterCard, and most major insurance prescription cards. If you prefer, you may have your discharge prescriptions filled at the community pharmacy of your choice.

Outpatient Observation

Outpatient Observation status is a designation by your doctor to determine whether you need to be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient. Your doctor may need to place you in observation after examining you in the Emergency Room or after outpatient diagnostic or surgical procedures.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient Treatment status is a service similar to Outpatient Observation, except that your doctor has requested that you use MCV as part of your medical treatment to recover. Your doctor will decide whether you should be admitted as an inpatient or discharged within 12 to 24 hours of your stay.

Both of these outpatient services are not considered a hospitalization. Therefore, assignment to this status does not affect your Medicare Part A benefits. No hospital days are used and Part A deductible is not required. Since this is not a hospitalization, it does not constitute a qualifying stay should you require skilled-nursing facility care after being released from Outpatient Observation and Outpatient Treatment.

Outpatient Observation and Outpatient Treatment are covered by Medicare Part B. Charges for this outpatient status are compiled hourly based on the actual time you spend on the nursing unit. Your insurance company is billed for an outpatient service.

If you do not need to be admitted as an inpatient or if no longer require outpatient care, please make advance arrangements for transportation home.

For further information, please contact the Admissions Department at (804) 828-0973.

Date Last Modified: April 26, 2001
Questions or Comments? Contact Us
401 North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298
VCU Health System Information: (804) 828-9000
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