Patient Guide

We are committed to your care.

Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.

Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care

Fast facts about your stay.

Support for Caregivers

We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.

Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.

What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:

What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.

If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network

Facts About Your Stay

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.

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.

Cafeteria

Location: First Floor

Hours:

Breakfast

Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Lunch:

Monday through Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

All visitors and the public are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE 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. An additional emergency call button is located in the bathroom.

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At Fleming County Hospital, 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.

Centralized Scheduling

To schedule an outpatient test, please call 1.833.248.1274.

Channel Listing for TV

Channel 11-1	ABC
Channel 11-6	CBS
Channel 12-1	FOX
Channel 12-6	NBC
Channel 32-2	History Channel
Channel 36-1	Hallmark Channel
Channel 37-3	HGTV
Channel 38-1	Food Network
Channel 39-3	Lifetime
Channel 46-3	CMT

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 Kentucky Department of Public Health
275 E. Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: 502.564.3970

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.

Electrical Appliances

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

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.

Flowers

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

Food Service

The Fleming County Hospital Dietary department prepares patients' meals as prescribed by their physicians. You will be asked about any food allergies and preferences, and requests will be honored within your specific diet guidelines. A Registered Dietitian will assess patients at nutritional risk and nutrition counseling will be provided to assist you after discharge. Meal Service for patients is approximately: Breakfast 8am; Lunch at noon and Supper at 5:00pm. Each patient area is stocked with various snacks if you want something to eat between meals. Ask a staff member for items available.

Visitors are invited to enjoy a meal in the Hospital Cafeteria located on the first floor. Hours of Service are: Breakfast at 7:00-9:00am (8:00-9:00 on weekends); Lunch Monday-Saturday at 11:00am-1:00pm (Sunday 11:00am-2:00pm). There are also vending machines throughout the hospital, in the vending area on the Second Floor, outside the Cafeteria and next to the ER on the first floor.

Gift Shop

Location: First Floor near main hospital entrance

Hours of Operation:

Tues. to Fri.: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Cash, check and credit cards accepted.

Hearing Impaired

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

Hospital Safe for Valuables

Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your beside 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 cast at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. If you cannot send valuables home, please ask to put them in the hospital safe. Fleming County Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings unless they are placed in the safe.

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.

Housekeeping Services

For housekeeping or room maintenance concerns, please ask a staff member. Someone will be sent to your room as soon as possible. Extra towels, washcloths and gowns are available on request. Please ask a staff member for more information.

Interpreters and Translation Services

Fleming County Hospital has 24-hour access to a language interpretation line if you need translation services.

Lost and Found

If you misplaced an item during your hospital stay, please call our main hospital phone number (606.849.5000) and ask to speak to the director of the specific unit.

Mail

Mail is delivered daily to the Nursing Station. Mail will be brought to your room. Outgoing mail may be given to your nurse or left at the Nursing Station. Letters and parcels that arrive after you have been discharged are forwarded to your home.

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.

Open Admission Policy

It is the policy of Fleming County Hospital to admit and treat all persons without regard to race, color, sex, handicap, national origin, or religious creed. Admission requirements and assignments of the hospital facilities are the same for all persons.

Parking

Fleming County Hospital is proud to offer convenient and free parking. Often times, you can find a parking spot near one of our entrances. Please do not park in spaces designated for physicians.

Pastoral Care

If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact a chaplain or provide a list of pastoral services. The chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor.

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, please ask to put them in the hospital safe. Fleming County Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

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.

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.

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 FCH 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.

Telephone

All patient rooms have phones. Your direct number is 606.849 + 5 + the 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 or call the nurse directly using the phone number listed on the whiteboard. Long distance calls can be made by dialing 0 for the operator. Calls can not be billed to your room, but you may use a calling card to place the call. We ask that cell phones not be used in the CCU, OR and ER patient care areas as they can interfere with some life saving equipment.

To call patient rooms in the CCU, call the nurses station at 606.849.5275 or 606.849.5276.

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.

Vending Machines

There are two vending areas in the hospital: One on the first floor near the Emergency room, and another on the second floor to the right as you step off the elevator. Snacks and drinks are available 24 hours a day.

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.

Note: Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors from among family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.

Guidelines for Visitors

General Visiting Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Telephone Quiet Time: 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.
Visits should be brief to avoid tiring the patient.
When the physician is consulting, or special care is in progress, visitors may be asked to leave the room.
Observation of all smoking restrictions is required. Fleming County Hospital is a tobacco-free campus.
Visitors should not bring food to patients without the approval of a physician.
Please be courteous to others and keep noise to a minimum.

Visiting Overnight
Overnight visitation with a patient must be coordinated with the charge nurse and/or nurse manager and is only permitted under certain circumstances. If overnight visitation has been approved, you will be given a visitor card by the nurse, who will provide you with instructions for obtaining a visitor pass from the security guard. Please wear this badge and remain in the waiting room or the patient’s room at all times during your overnight visit. We reserve the right to revoke overnight privileges.

Wifi

Fleming County Hospital furnishes free guest internet access to its patients and visitors. You may connect your laptop to the internet using the wireless system with the ssid of FCHPublic.

To access the hospital wifi, select “Guest Access” on your device settings and agree to the terms and conditions.

Additionally, you will need to configure your system to use DHCP address with no proxy server. Since every computer manufacturer has different instructions, please reference your computer's user manual to obtain exact setup instructions.

Your Bed

Controls for adjusting your bed can be found on the side rails. If you need help operating your bed, please ask a staff member for assistance. Side rails are for your protection. These restraints may be raised at night or during the day if you are resting, recovering from surgery or taking certain medicines.

Your Room

Your room assignment at Fleming County Hospital is based upon your admitting diagnosis and the bed availability on the day of your admission.