Preparing For Your Stay

You may want to have a few personal items with you during your stay. Bringing your own bathrobe, nightgown or pajamas, your slippers and toiletries may help make you more comfortable.

Sky Lakes Medical Center safety and security officers can put your valuables in a safe. We encourage you not to bring personal valuables, credit cards, cash or jewelry to the hospital.

You generally will want to leave your prescription medications at home. Your doctor may allow you to bring your medications to the hospital if, for example, the Sky Lakes Medical Center pharmacy does not carry a particular medication you need. Be sure to remind your healthcare team of the exception so they can help you stay on your medication schedule while you’re here.

Do not take any medications, herbal supplements or vitamins that you may have brought with you from home without first speaking with your physician, nurse or a hospital pharmacist. Unless your doctor wants you to take your own medications during your hospital stay, you will want to have us keep them in our pharmacy while you are here. They will be returned to you when your stay is over.

So we can provide you the best care possible, bring an accurate list of the medications—prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and herbals—you routinely take.

Sky Lakes Medical Center is a nonsmoking facility. Smoking is not allowed.

As a patient, you can expect:

• Information about pain and pain-relief measures.
• Concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management.
• Health professionals who respond quickly to reports of pain.
• Reports of pain will be believed.
• State-of-the-art pain management.

The following is a checklist of items to bring to your hospital appointment:

• Physician order/script.
• Typically your physician will call in an order when he/she schedules your service. If instead, you receive a written order, bring it with you.
• Photo identification, such as a drivers license, passport, military or government-issued card.
• Insurance card(s).
• Insurance cards usually provide the insurance company name, phone numbers, plan ID number, group number, member name, primary care physician (PCP), co-pay amounts, billing address, insured name, policy type, policy number and other financial information. All of this information is important to the successful and timely payment of your claims. Contact the insurance company beforehand to correct any mistakes.
• Employer information for workers compensation claims. We must have the name and address of your employer’s workers’ compensation liability carrier as we must forward the first report of injury information as well as a bill.
• If you are a minor, be sure about who will be the person responsible for paying the bill.
• Automobile insurance card (in cases of automobile accidents). Like work-related injuries we are required to bill your auto insurance prior to billing you health plan.

When you arrive at Sky Lakes Medical Center, you’ll check in with an admissions clerk who will verify your personal information. You’re welcome to bring a friend or family member with you during the admission process.

To help the admission process proceed as quick and easy as possible, please bring:

• Your health insurance plan card.
• Your prescription insurance plan card.
• Personal identification (such as a driver’s license).
• Medical records, x-ray films, or prior test results (if your physician has requested them).
• Written letter of authorization from your insurance carrier (if you are covered by worker’s compensation).
• A copy of your advance directive.
• Essential personal items, such as glasses, dentures, hearing aids, cane or walker.

Once admitted, you will be given an identification bracelet with your name and a Sky Lakes Medical Center medical record number. For your safety, do not remove the bracelet until you are discharged from the hospital.