Patient Services
When you're admitted to Providence Hospital...
Your doctor or the office staff will arrange for you to be admitted as either an elective admission (scheduled some time in the future) or a direct admission (immediate). The admitting procedure is slightly different for each of these.
Elective Admission
Prior to Your Admission Date:
Someone from our Admitting department will call you to obtain demographic and insurance information. If you have no insurance, some type of payment arrangements must be made in advance.
We will tell you what time to come to the Hospital, or tell you who will call with that information.
On the Day of Admission:
You should enter through the Nine Mile Road entrance of the Hospital, where the Admitting department is located. The Nine Mile entrance is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. At any other time, patients must enter through Emergency.
When you come to Admitting, you must sign an admission consent form, and we will ask if you have a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. We will place an identification band around your wrist and give you a Patient Handbook and TV guide. We will escort you to your room or to the department performing your test or surgery.
Direct Admission
You should enter through the Nine Mile Road entrance of the Hospital, where the Admitting department is located. The Nine Mile entrance is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. At any other time, patients must enter through Emergency.
In the Admitting department, we will ask you to provide demographic and insurance information, sign an admission consent form, and whether you have a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
We will place an identification band around your wrist and give you a Patient Handbook and TV guide. We will escort you to your room or to the department performing your test or surgery.
The Admitting department registers all inpatients, all Heart Institute patients, all patients going to the Short Stay Unit and to the Pediatric Unit (including outpatients for stitch removal, etc.).
Admitting is open and staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week; we never close. To better serve you, our main telephone number (248-849-3484) is always answered by a person, never by voice mail.
Pre-Surgical Admitting
The Pre-Surgical Testing (PST) department at Providence Hospital and Medical Centers is responsible for collaborating with your surgeon, medical doctor and anesthesiologist to ensure your safety and prepare you for your surgery.
A Registered Nurse from PST will contact you prior to your surgery to ask you some questions about your health and to give you pre-operative instructions. In most cases a PST nurse will obtain your medical history by interviewing you over the phone. (In the future, the health questionnaire will be available on this Web site for patients to complete and return by e-mail.) The nurse will then review your history and plan your pre-operative care, following strict guidelines from your surgeon and the anesthesiologist. We will make several attempts to reach you at the phone number(s) provided by your surgeon’s office.
Our nurses generally call patients between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. If we can’t reach you in person, we will attempt to leave a message. If you haven’t received a call by three days before surgery, please contact our business office at (248) 849-3089 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
In some cases, your health history may make it necessary for you to come to the hospital a few days before surgery for Pre-Surgical Testing. At this visit you will be fully evaluated by an anesthesiologist and have some laboratory tests completed. The information obtained at this visit will allow us to provide the safest possible care to you during your surgery. We encourage you to see your primary doctor prior to surgery so that he or she can evaluate you and provide recommendations to our Anesthesiologists.
We hope this information has been useful. If you have any additional questions about Pre-Surgical Testing please contact us: (248) 849-3089 . We know you have many choices in hospitals and we thank you for choosing Providence for your surgery.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
When you are admitted to Providence Hospital, you will be asked if you have a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. Reviewing the following information prior to admission will be helpful to you and your family.
What is a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
It is a legally binding document in which you appoint someone you trust to speak for you about medical treatment decisions if you become unable to make them for yourself. This person is known as your advocate.
Must I have a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
No. It is strictly voluntary. It's against the law for health care providers or insurance companies to require a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care as a condition for treatment or coverage.
Who can establish a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
Anyone who is at least 18 years old and legally competent can establish one.
Do I need an attorney to establish a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
No. You need only discuss your wishes with your advocate, fill out the proper form, sign it, and have two witnesses sign it. If you have specific questions, you may wish to discuss it with your personal attorney, or you can attend a community health education class.
Where can I get more information about a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
You can get more information from your state senator or from a community health education class. Call 1-888-440-7325 for information about Durable Power of Attorney classes offered through Providence.
