Patient Guide

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.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Cafeteria

Located on the first floor.

Hours:

Monday - Friday

Breakfast - 7:00 am - 9:00 am

Lunch - 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Dinner - 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm  

Saturday & Sunday 

Open for Lunch only from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm.

All visitors are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.

Back to Top

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the 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.

Back to Top

Case Management

At Ottumwa Regional Health Center, the Case Management Department combines the knowledge and caring of its nurse case managers and social workers to understand the emotional stress of illness. Our professionals have the skills to help patients and families during their stay. They collaborate with physicians, nurses, therapists, and others to help patients and their families deal with healthcare problems during illness and help develop discharge plans.

Case Managers and Social Workers are an essential link between patients and families, insurance companies, and physicians. Discharge planning begins the day a patient is admitted to the hospital. This department will assist our patients with needed medical equipment, transportation, crisis intervention, and links to area agencies and services.

Back to Top

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At Ottumwa Regional Health Center, 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.

Back to Top

Channel Listing for TV

Back to Top

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:

The Iowa Department of Public Health
321 E 12th St 6th floor
Des Moines, IA 50319
http://idph.iowa.gov
Email: plpublic@idph.iowa.gov

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.

Back to Top

Discharge Information

When your physician has determined you are ready to be discharged, our Case Managers will help you plan any special treatment or nursing care you may need at home and help you interpret Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and insurance benefits. They can also put you in touch with community resources you might find helpful after you leave the Health Center. After you return home, one of our nurses will call to check your progress and answer any questions you have.

Access to Medical Records

Discharged patients from Ottumwa Regional Health Center may have access to their medical records through the Health Information Management Department, 641.684.2390. Iowa Law states that medical records may be released to patients or an authorized person upon completing a release of information form.

Questionnaire

After discharge from the Health Center, you will receive a patient questionnaire with a return envelope included. Please complete the questions and list any persons you wish to compliment, list concerns you may have had during your stay, or make suggestions.

Your response helps us know how we are doing and what improvements we can make. We will respond to your suggestions and comments by passing them on to the appropriate department or staff member.

Back to Top

Electrical Appliances

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

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Flowers

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

Back to Top

Gift Shop

Location - 1st floor near the circle drive entrance.

Hours of Operation:

Mon. to Fri.: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hours may vary based on volunteer availability.

Back to Top

Hearing Impaired

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

Back to Top

Hospital Safe for Valuables

You are strongly encouraged to leave valuables at home during your stay. A hospital safe is available for valuables on a case by case basis. Please ask a member of your care staff for more information.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Housekeeping Services

A member of our environmental services team will visit your room to clean and remove trash once a day.  Should you need additional cleaning or trash removal between those visits, ask a member of your care staff or call 641.455.8783 to arrange an additional cleaning.

Back to Top

Interpreters and Translation Services

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

Back to Top

Lost and Found

Lost items are often kept on the unit where they were lost. Please ask a member of the unit staff for more information on lost & found. Additional lost and found items may be located in the volunteer area on the first floor.

Back to Top

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. Outgoing mail may be taken to the nurses station or given to your attending nurse. Postage stamps are available in the gift shop.

The following will be your address while you are with us:

[Your Name] Ottumwa Regional Health Center
1001 Pennsylvania Ave.
Ottumwa, Iowa 52501

Newspapers are available at the lobby entrance.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Parking

Ottumwa Regional Health Center is pleased to offer free parking to patients and visitors. Please park in the patient and visitor parking areas.

Back to Top

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.

Ottumwa Regional Health Center's chapel is located on the main floor (visitor's entrance floor) and is always open for prayer and meditation.

Back to Top

Patient Meals

Patients may order room service style meals by calling extension 4252 between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Back to Top

Patient Representative

We want to ensure that you receive high-quality care and service and that your rights as a patient are respected. If anything is unclear or confusing, the patient relations staff can help you resolve your question. Please get in touch with patient relations at 684-2420 at any time to offer suggestions or share your concerns about your hospital visit. It’s an extra service for your comfort.

Office hours are 8:00am – 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Call upon our Patient Relation Staff to assist with tasks such as:

• Obtaining translators for most major languages and sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired.
• Problem resolution assistance.
• Reporting lost items.
• Information regarding Advance Medical Directives
• Available to help answer questions or refer to the appropriate person for assistance.

Back to Top

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. Ottumwa Regional Health Center cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Rapid Response Team

You can call a critical-care response team to respond if your condition worsens and you do not get the immediate care you need. Dial 4444 to request this special service. Ask a staff member to learn more.

Back to Top

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 ORHC 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.

Back to Top

Telephone

All patient rooms have phones.

Your friends and family can call the main hospital number 641.684.2400 and ask to be transferred to your room (please provide them with your 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.

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

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

Vending Machines

Vending Machines are located in the following areas:

•  1st floor near the Cafeteria
• 2nd floor near admissions offices and emergency department
• 4th floor near wound care unit

Snacks and sodas are also available for purchase in our gift shop located near the first floor entrance.    

Back to Top

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: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Note: Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors from among family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.

The front entrance is open from 7:00am to 7:00pm - Visitors outside these hours must enter through the ER/Admitting entrance.

VISITOR UPDATE: 7/30/2024

To help protect our patients, providers, employees, and community, the following visitation guidelines are in effect:

• Based on the CDC guidelines, anyone entering our facility must pass the posted screening questions for symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
• We want you to stay connected with your loved ones by phone calls, texts, or asking staff for video chats. Ask staff if you have any questions.

All Inpatient Units:

• No more than two visitors are allowed at a time, but they can change out as needed. 7:00am-7:00pm. There are no restrictions on the number of times a visitor enters the building in a day.

Emergency Department and One-Day Surgery:

• Due to space considerations and the privacy of all patients, it is preferred that a maximum of two individuals of the patient's choice are allowed in the recovery room at one time.

Labor and Delivery

• ​Patients may have up to three designated coaches in the labor room. 

BHU Patients:

• By appointment only and only one visitor per patient
• Monday through Friday, visiting hours are 6:00pm-8:00pm Mon-Fri.
• The visiting hours on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays are 2:00pm-4:00pm.
• All visits are limited to 30 minutes.

Back to Top

Wifi

The Ottumwa Regional Health Center guest wi-fi network is made available to patients and visitors. The free service can be used by selecting ORHCGuest on your wireless device.

Back to Top