Comments and Concerns
If you have comments, concerns or questions about Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) during your stay, please feel free to share them with the manager in charge of your patient care unit.
If you have suggestions on how we might improve care or service for future patients, please contact our Performance Improvement Line at (740) 348-4641 and leave us a message. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.
Courtesy Transportation
The Licking Memorial Health Systems' courtesy shuttle is available for patients, visitors and employees. The shuttle provides transportation from the LMH parking lots to the Hospital's Main Lobby, Surgery and Emergency Department entrances. The courtesy shuttle runs from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. All rides are free of charge.
Patient Meals
The Food Service Department takes pride in providing exceptional service to our patients. Nutrition plays a vital role in your recovery. Your physician will determine the diet that is best for your condition. Additionally, a hospitality associate will meet with you once a day to review the menu for each meal and assist you in selecting food choices that are right for you and your condition, taking your preferences into consideration. The hospitality associate will also be available when each meal is served, and adjustments to your meal can be made, if needed, which will allow you to receive food according to how you are feeling.
Although meal hours vary to coordinate with patient medication times, approximate serving times are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for lunch, and 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. for dinner.
If you have any additional concerns, please contact your hospitality associate or call extension 4018.
GUEST SERVICES
Café
LMH's Café, located on the ground floor, is open for patients and visitors every day, 24 hours a day. Hot entrées are available every day from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Cook-to-order selections are available Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. "Grab and Go" items are available every day, 24 hours a day.
In addition, vending machines are located in the Emergency Department and on the first floor by the Surgery entrance in the John & Mary Alford Pavilion.
Main Street Coffee
Main Street Coffee Shop is located just off the Hospital's Main Lobby, and features a variety of StarbucksTM coffees, specialty beverages, light breakfast and lunch fare, and Hometown Deli sugar cookies. Hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Gift Shop
A gift shop, operated by the Hospital’s TWIGS 8, is located off the Main Lobby. The shop features newspapers, magazines, greeting cards, candy, packaged snacks, books, flowers and gift items. The Gift Shop is open Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Sundays, hours are 12:00 Noon to 8:30 p.m.
Mail and Flowers
Visitors can send mail and flowers to: Licking Memorial Hospital; Patient Name and Room Number; 1320 W. Main Street; Newark, Ohio 43055. Additionally, free greeting cards can be sent to patients from the Licking Memorial Health Systems Web site, www.LMHealth.org.
ATM/Bank Machine
For your convenience, a bank machine is located on the ground floor near the Café.
Notary Services
Notary services are available to patients of Licking Memorial Hospital for their convenience and benefit. Services are available Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Arrangements can be made through the Case Management/Social Services office by dialing extension 4408. After regular hours, and on weekends or holidays, please direct requests for notary services to the patient care coordinator on duty.
YOUR DISCHARGE
Going Home from the Hospital
Your physician will determine when it is time for you to be discharged from the Hospital and will advise you of any special instructions and medications. You also will receive discharge instructions with home care guidelines, including your ongoing health care needs, activity limitations, medications, diet, therapy and procedures to follow in case of complications. Be sure to raise any questions or concerns with your physician or nurse, so you will have a complete understanding before you go home.
All efforts will be made to complete your discharge by Noon. Please arrange early in your stay for someone to pick you up from the Hospital at discharge. At the time of your discharge from the Hospital, you should also make sure you have all of your personal belongings, medications and discharge instructions. Remember to check your bedside stand, closet and bathroom for your belongings before you leave. You will be escorted to the Main Lobby by a member of our staff when it is time for you to leave the Hospital.
Social Services
Social workers are available to meet with you and your family to discuss issues related to your continuing health care needs. The social worker can help you arrange for services in your home after discharge or for admission to a convalescent center or assisted living facility, if needed. The social worker can discuss financial concerns related to your medical needs after discharge and help you to understand which services are covered by your insurance.
In addition, a social worker can help you and your family explore resources and reach decisions regarding your care.
BILLING ASSISTANCE
Your Hospital bill reflects the cost of operating a comprehensive medical facility 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It covers the cost of providing nursing care, medications, food, linens and housekeeping, as well as administrative costs and upkeep of the equipment and facility. Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) makes every effort to keep costs low without sacrificing the level of personalized care you receive.
LMH will bill your primary and secondary insurance companies if you provide us with that information at the time of registration. It is your responsibility to stay in communication with your insurance company to ensure it pays the Hospital promptly. LMH will send you a monthly statement reflecting the status of your account.
If, after leaving the Hospital, you have questions about billing or would like an itemized copy of your bill, please call the Patient Accounting Department at (740) 348-4500.
FINANCIAL AID
Licking Memorial Hospital offers financial aid to patients with limited resources and inadequate medical insurance coverage. Eligibility is determined by family size and total household income. This information is applied to the guidelines established by the Ohio Department of Human Services to determine the amount of the discount.
Before financial aid from Licking Memorial Hospital is approved, the patient should apply for other assistance (Medicaid, Medicare, insurance, etc.), which may be available for paying hospital charges.
An application for assistance should be started before the patient is discharged. If you have questions or need assistance with payment arrangements, contact our Financial Counseling Department at ext. 3733 or ext. 4733.
MAKING YOUR WISHES KNOWN – ADVANCE CARE PLANNING
Licking Memorial Hospital recognizes it is the individual’s right to accept or refuse medical care. Advance Care Planning (end-of-life care) can secure this right if you ever become mentally or physically unable to select or communicate your wishes due to injury or illness. Advance Directives can help you protect your right to make medical decisions that can affect your life. They help your familyavoid the responsibility and stress of making difficult decisions concerning your care. For more information about Advance Directives, click on the Advance Directives Packet link.
Living Will
This form allows you to put your wishes about your medical care in writing. You can choose what you would want if you were too sick to make your wishes known. You can state when you would or would not want food and water supplied artificially. A living will states how much you want to use life support methods to lengthen your life. It takes effect only when you are diagnosed with a terminal condition, in a permanent coma or beyond medical help with no hope of getting better. The people giving you medical care must do what you say in your living will. Only you can change or cancel your living will at any time. Please ask your nurse for an Advance Care Planning Packet.
Durable Power of Attorney For Health Care
A durable power of attorney for health care allows you to choose someone to carry out your wishes for any part of your medical care. The person you choose will make medical care choices on your behalf if you cannot act for yourself. You can choose any adult relative or friend you trust to act on your behalf when you cannot. If you have made your wishes known, the person chosen is required to comply with your instructions.
DNR Comfort Care Program
DNR stands for “do not resuscitate.” A DNR order means an individual, usually someone with a terminal illness or other serious condition, does not wish to have CPR performed in the event their heart or breathing fails. Resuscitation also can include other things such as drugs, electric shock, and insertion of tubes. People with terminal illnesses or other serious medical conditions may prefer to refuse CPR, even if it may result in death. You should talk with your physician about the options that are best after considering your individual health and personal circumstances. Ohio’s DNR Comfort Care Program offers individuals the option to have a physician write an order that directs health care providers not to provide CPR, but to provide whatever help is needed to make them comfortable at the end of life or as they pass away. If you elect to be enrolled in Ohio’s DNR Comfort Care Program, we will provide you with the DNR identification form that can be carried with you at all times.
COMMUNICATION
Telephone
Each patient room is equipped with a telephone and a direct dial number. Please give your phone number to family and friends so they can call you directly. The first three numbers of your telephone number will always be “348” followed by the extension number on your telephone.
Local calls: dial “8” and then the phone number.
Long-distance calls: long-distance calls must be placed as collect calls, billed to your home telephone or charged to your long-distance calling card. As an additional option, cell phones can be used in patient rooms. Please be considerate of your neighbors.
To place a calling card call, dial the toll-free access number for your preferred carrier (usually located on the back of the calling card). The toll-free access numbers for the top three carriers are:
AT&T - press “8,”then dial 1-800-225-5288
MCI - press “8,” then dial 1-800-888-8000
SPRINT - press “8,” then dial 1-800-877-8000
If you do not have a preferred carrier or do not know your carrier’s toll-free access number, dial “8-0” to be connected to an operator outside of the Hospital who will assist you in placing collect or third-party billing calls. The initial set-up fee for these calls is $3.95, and then 10 cents per minute. The cost for a three-minute call is $4.25, which will be added to your home phone bill, regardless of the calling plan you have on your home phone.
Calls to Alexandria, Buckeye Lake, Johnstown, Kirkersville, and Pataskala are local calls. Please dial "8" then the seven-digit number and your call will be processed without charge.
NOTE: If you receive a fast busy signal while trying to place an outgoing call, you could be experiencing an “all lines busy” situation. Please hang up and try your call again in a few minutes. If you continue to receive this signal, dial “0” for assistance.
Hearing and Language Interpretation Services
To ensure effective communication with patients and/or their companions who are deaf, hard of hearing, do not speak English or have limited English proficiency, we offer free of charge sign-language interpreters, assistive interpretation devices and language translation services as needed. Please let your nurse or other Hospital health care provider know if these services are needed.
Communication System
The Vocera communication system, a voice-activated phone worn around a staff member's neck, is used to improve direct communication between staff, allowing improved response times to meet patient needs.
Wireless Internet Service
Free wireless Internet access is available to patients and visitors at various locations throughout the Hospital. A brochure may be requested to assist with any questions users may have.
VISITORS ARE IMPORTANT
We realize the important supportive role that friends and family can play in your care. To accommodate the needs of our visitors, Licking Memorial Hospital offers open visitation. Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., visitors should enter through the Hospital’s main entrance. A volunteer receptionist can help direct you to your desired destination. After hours, visitors should enter through the Emergency Department entrance.
While we make every effort to accommodate your visitors’ needs, there may be a time when it is in a patient’s best interest to limit visitation. If this situation arises, our nursing staff will work with you on visitation arrangements. Open visitation will be resumed as soon as the patient’s medical condition permits. In addition, visitation may be restricted at the request of the patient or the patient’s family.
If a patient is in isolation, we ask that visitation be kept to two visitors at a time and that visitors follow isolation guidelines. Requests for support persons during surgical procedures will be handled on an individual basis and will be at the discretion of the physician.
An adult who will be responsible for the child should accompany children under the age of 12 who visit the Hospital.
During Your Visit
Cellular phones may be used in the Hospital. For infection prevention reasons, visitors should not sit or lie on a patient’s bed. In the same regard, visiting should be avoided if a visitor is experiencing any signs or symptoms of illness. For potential health reasons, live plants and flowers are not permitted in Critical Care. Visitors are welcome to bring cards, Mylar balloons and silk flowers. In order to maintain a healthy atmosphere, Licking Memorial maintains a smoke-free environment. Visitors who wish to bring pets to Licking Memorial Hospital must follow the Feline/Canine Policy. Your nurse can assist you with obtaining a copy of the policy.
Waiting Areas
While you are visiting, waiting areas are available in the following areas:
- Emergency Department
- Maternal Child – on the third floor, immediately off the visitor elevators
- The John & Mary Alford Pavilion – first and second floors
- Intensive Care – on the second floor, left off the visitor elevators, then straight ahead
- Medical Surgical Units – seating areas at the end of each hallway
Parking
Parking is free of charge. Handicapped parking is also clearly marked in the main parking lot.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available at the visitors’ information desk in the Main Lobby.
PASTORAL CARE
For Pastoral Care Services, please refer to the Pastoral Care Section of the Web site located on the Licking Memorial Health Systems home page, www.LMHealth.org. Click on Hospital Services first, then click on Pastoral Care on the drop-down menu.
Chapel
Licking Memorial Hospital has a chapel located on the second floor adjacent to the Intensive Care waiting area. It is available seven days a week, around the clock, for private meditation or prayer.
SAFETY
Personal Items
For your Hospital stay, please bring only necessary personal items with you. We encourage you to leave valuables (jewelry, money, credit cards, checkbooks or anything else of value) at home or with a responsible person. Personal electrical items are available on the nursing units. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, dentures and hearing aids are essential, but they are also easy to misplace. If you wear dentures, glasses, or contact lenses, please keep these items in their appropriate containers for safekeeping. Do not place them on your meal tray or under your pillow where they could be accidentally discarded. Licking Memorial Hospital is not responsible for lost items or for breakage or damage to any personal items.
Electrical Appliances
Safety codes allow patients to bring personal electric devices to the Hospital. However, Hospital staff must check these devices to ensure they are safe.
Medications
Your physician will prescribe any necessary medications during your stay, and these will be provided for you. Please do not bring any medications with you from home without the consent of your physician. A current list of medicines you are taking will ensure that your physician and nurses know what medicines you take.
Emergency Codes
Routine fire drills and other emergency drills are conducted throughout the Hospital on a regular basis. These exercises help staff members practice emergency procedures to help maximize your safety in the event of an actual emergency. Patients are asked to remain in their rooms during fire drills and other drills.
Smoking
Licking Memorial Health Systems is a smoke-free facility.
Tobacco Cessation
We recognize that it can be difficult to change behavior suddenly. If you would like additional information about tobacco cessation programs or coping mechanisms, LMH provides free counseling and nicotine replacement. Contact our tobacco cessation counselors at (740) 348-7848. You may also contact any of the following telephone numbers for the same and other services:
- Licking County Health Department or Licking County Tobacco-Free Coalition – (740) 349-6535
- Cancer Information Services – (800)-4-CANCER
- American Cancer Society – (800) 227-2345
- American Heart Association (Central Ohio) – (614) 848-6676
- American Lung Association of Mid-Ohio – (800) LUNG-USA or (614) 279-1700
Guns and Weapons
Licking Memorial Health Systems prohibits any person from carrying any firearm (to include a concealed or displayed handgun), deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance onto its property. Property includes all owned, rented and leased buildings, and surrounding grounds to include parking lots.