If you are an elective admission, the Admissions Department will be your first stop. Admissions is located just inside the Patient Care Center lobby entrance off Central Avenue. Please bring all necessary insurance and medical coverage information, including HMO referral forms.

Giving us correct information each time you visit Jeanes Campus is very important, as insurers require the most up-to-date information. Likewise, we have many patients who share the same last name and middle initial. We ask that you bring a photo ID with you for the registration process.

The registration process should validate past information or correct changes, leading to greater convenience in record retrieval for future health visits and insurance/billing processes. By checking your address, birth date and other key data each time you register, we are making sure your medical records and bills are handled smoothly.

If you have questions, ask your doctor or call the Admissions Department at 215-728-2144.

Prior to your admission to Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, your doctor must receive approval from your insurance company. Your doctor is required to contact your insurance company, explain your medical problem and outline the proposed treatment and care.

Your insurance company will review that information and decide if you should be admitted to the hospital, and whether it will pay for the services recommended by your physician.

In emergency situations, the hospital is permitted to treat you and admit you (if necessary) without prior approval. However, any additional care you may need as part of your recovery will be subject to approval by your insurance company.

You may need pre-admission tests before being admitted to the hospital. Only your doctor can order these tests, which may include a blood test, an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a chest X-ray.

If you are having a surgical procedure, you will also talk with an anesthesiologist to decide the best option for your procedure. 

If you have questions, ask your physician or call the Pre-Admission Testing Department at 215-728-2338. 

Hospital room assignments are based on your illness. In order to ensure the right level of care, we may need to transfer you from one room to another. Please discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor or nurse.

Your nurse will show you how to use the nurse-call system located on the remote attached to your bed and in the bathroom. The nurse-call system lets the nursing station know you need help.

During your hospital stay, you may be asked to get various tests. Due to the nature of certain tests, you may be asked to not eat or drink during specific time periods. For other tests, you may be asked to take special preparations or drink specific liquids before the test is given.

Following all instructions is important and will help to ensure the accuracy and reliability of test results. Regardless of what tests you may have, we will fully explain each one to you and tell you about any special preparations or restrictions.

We strongly encourage family members to take a patient’s valuables home. The hospital cannot be responsible for the loss of or damage to hearing aids, dentures, eyeglasses or other assistive devices. If you lose something, please tell your nurse immediately. We will make every effort to help you find it.

Remember that patients are responsible for valuables left in their rooms. The hospital will not be financially responsible for your belongings.

The Security Department provides protection and a safe environment for patients, visitors and employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Officers patrol the hospital and surrounding campus.

Jeanes Campus frequently holds drills and trains for all emergencies, including the unlikely event of fire. If you hear the fire alarm sound, please stay calm and do not leave your room. Your caregivers are well trained in fire safety procedures and will advise you in the event of an actual fire.

Your nurse will ask if you prefer that your health care be provided in a language other than English. If so, your nurse will arrange for an interpreter for you or other appropriate means to enhance your communication with us.

Available services include:

• Special telephones that will connect you with an interpreter
• Professional agency interpreters
• Employees who have been credentialed to act as medical interpreters
• Translated written information

As a hearing or sensory-impaired patient, you will be asked to choose the communication option most helpful for your needs. We will make every effort to meet your request. If your request cannot be fulfilled in a timely manner, you will be asked to choose another option while we work to secure the requested service.

Available services include:

• Credentialed sign language interpreters
• Telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) teletypewriters
• Special nurse-call buttons
• Closed caption televisions

For your safety, be sure to wear your hospital identification bracelet at all times during your stay. When a member of your healthcare team enters your room to provide care and treatment, he/she will need to verify your identity by looking at your identification bracelet and asking you your name and date of birth.

Our Environmental Services staff seeks to provide you with excellent care by keeping your room and your nursing unit clean. Before you were admitted, a housekeeper fully cleaned and disinfected your room.

Each day during your stay, someone will remove trash and clean your room and bathroom. Any spills or other housekeeping issues should be reported to your nurse when they happen so Environmental Services can be notified to come to your room.

Your bedding will be changed on a regular basis and whenever needed. The general routine is for the staff to freshen your bed and assist you with your bath during the day shift. However, there may be times when this is done on evenings or nights to accommodate testing, surgery or patient preference.

Remember that it is very easy to misplace small personal items in your bedding. Please be careful to keep your belongings in your plastic bag or bedside table.

Medications are an important part of your treatment plan. You must tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about all the medicines you take as well as the doses. This includes prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements (also known as herbal drugs) and/or vitamins. This is very important because even the most common drugs can cause problems when taken with other medications or treatments.

Some patients find it helpful to bring in their medications so the staff can be sure of the exact drug type and dosage you have been taking. (Your personal medications will then be sent home with your family.)

It is also important to inform your healthcare team about any allergies or adverse reactions to food, drinks, medications or sensitivity to latex. 

When a member of your healthcare team enters your room to give you your medications, he/she will need to verify your identity by looking at your identification bracelet. He/she will ask you your name and date of birth. 

To ensure the safe use of medications for you during your stay at Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, we use what is known as unit dose packaging. This means that the doses of medication given to the nurse for you are packaged individually with the drug name, strength, expiration date and a barcode that identifies the drug and its manufacturer’s lot number. One of our pharmacists is always available to talk with you about questions or concerns. Just tell your nurse that you would like the pharmacist to see you.

Consistent with our mission to improve the health of our community, and in response to the increasing evidence of health and safety risks associated with tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, tobacco use is prohibited in and around all buildings and campuses of Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes and vape pens.

As an organization, Temple University Health System has a vital interest in maintaining a healthy, safe and hazard-free environment for our patients, visitors, physicians, employees and volunteers, and is committed to offering positive and helpful intervention strategies and treatment resources. 

Smoking-cessation materials and a resource guide with approved smoking cessation programs are available upon request from the Respiratory Care Department. Dial ext. 2095 to ask for information or a visit from a smoking cessation counselor.

We do not have a designated cell phone area. Please ask one of your caregivers where it is safe to use cell phones.

Your doctor may discharge you at any time during the day or evening. Please make every effort to leave the hospital as promptly as possible when you are discharged, since another patient may be waiting for your room. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.