PRE-ADMISSION  (PROCEDURE OR SURGERY) TESTING
After your physician contacts us to schedule your procedure or surgery, you will receive a telephone call from the Scheduling Office to pre-register you in preparation for your appointment. The Scheduling Office may also schedule you to meet with a Pre-Admission Nurse depending on the procedure or surgery for which you are scheduled. If you are not scheduled for a pre-admission visit, you will receive a telephone call from a Pre-Admission Nurse. When you meet or talk by phone with a Pre-Admission Nurse, he or she will seek to obtain your medical history, current health status and prepare you for your upcoming procedure or surgery.

The Scheduling Office will also assist you in scheduling any relevant pre-operative tests in accordance with your doctor’s orders. In the case of lab tests, you may visit the hospital’s outpatient clinical laboratory during the hours of 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday with no appointment necessary.

The Scheduling Office will confirm the date of your scheduled procedure or surgery as well as the time you will need to arrive on the appointed day. back to top

PRE-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
It is important that you follow any pre-operative instructions given by your physician and/or relayed to you by hospital staff. For instance, you will be instructed by your physician and/or hospital staff to discontinue all food and fluids prior to your arrival time. In addition, you may be asked to discontinue certain medications and/or not take certain over-the-counter agents within days of your procedure or surgery. 

Prior to your hospital stay, the hospital’s pre-authorization staff will work with you, your physician’s office, and your insurance company to ensure that all appropriate authorizations are in order. If your insurance company or Medicare requires that you pay a co-pay or have a deductible due, we will attempt to confirm with the payor and notify you prior to your arrival. If this information is not available until after your arrival, we will contact you during your stay if possible. If your payor does not cover a procedure or surgery, alternative payment arrangements can be made. The Patient Accounting department will bill your insurance carrier as well as Medicare. If you wish to discuss financial arrangements or have questions about insurance billing, please contact our Patient Accounting Department at 433-8096. 

After your stay, a financial statement will be mailed to you. Please contact the Patient Accounting department for questions about your bill also. 

Please note that in addition to your hospital bill, you may also receive separate bills from your physician, anesthesiologist, radiologist, or other physician specialists who cared for you. Please send any billing inquiries directly to them. back to top
 
PATIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a patient with us you have a right to considerate and respectful care, to be made comfortable and to have family members notified of your admission and health status as you choose. You also have rights to certain information regarding medical procedures, medications and billing for care. You have the right to make certain decisions about your care. As a patient we expect you to actively and honestly participate in communication with your healthcare team and to cooperate in agreed upon treatment and testing. For a full listing and details regarding those rights and responsibilities click here.  back to top

This notice is required by law to inform you of how your health information will be protected, how Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital may use or disclose your health information, and your rights regarding your health information. The Notice covers all persons who are employed by the Hospital or otherwise provide you with care through our organization. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital’s Privacy Officer at (559) 433-8026. back to top
 
THE DAY OF YOUR PROCEDURE OR SURGERY
ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS
Outpatient Procedures
Enter through the hospital’s main entrance. You may stop by the front desk in our main lobby, and staff will be glad to escort you to the Registration Lobby or, alternatively, if you know where the Registration Lobby is located, you may go directly there. 

If you pre-registered or are a former patient, Registration will ask you to review the information for any changes or corrections, including address, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth, medical information, insurance card, etc., to confirm the accuracy of the information. You will also be asked to confirm you have received the patient information packet which includes Notice of Privacy Practices, Patient Rights, etc. Registration personnel will also verify your primary care physician and other physician information.

After you are registered, you will be escorted to the Pre-Operative area and to your own private room. The Pre-Operative area is staffed by nurses whose primary task is to prepare you for your procedure or surgery. 

Time permitting, family members may visit the patient on a limited basis in the patient’s Pre-Operative room prior to the procedure or surgery.

Inpatient Procedures or Surgery
Please enter through the hospital’s main entrance. You may stop by the front desk in our main lobby, and staff will gladly escort you to the Registration Lobby or, alternatively, you may go directly to the Registration Lobby if you know where it is located. back to top
 
YOUR VIST OR STAY
Outpatient Visit
After your procedure or surgery, you will be transferred to the Post-Procedure area to a private room. Your recovery will be monitored for approximately 2 to 4 hours or as long as necessary to assure you are ready to depart the hospital for home. 

Patients are offered refreshments and a light meal. If you have any specific dietary restrictions or food preferences, please communicate this to your nurse.

Once settled in your room, family and friends may visit you as you so desire.

As you prepare to depart the hospital, your nurse will review discharge instructions as indicated by your physician.

Inpatient Stay
After your procedure or surgery, you will be transferred either to a recovery room, an inpatient room or the CardioVascular Unit (CVU) depending on your surgery/procedure. There you will begin your recovery initially focused on awakening from anesthesia.  Depending on the surgery or procedure you have undergone, you will continue to be treated in the CVU or you may be transferred to one of the Telemetry units or Medical/Surgical units on the 3rd or 4th floor. back to top
 
YOUR ROOM
The majority of the patient rooms are located on the third and fourth floors. In addition, there are patient rooms located on the second floor which houses the CardioVascular Unit (CVU). Each patient room is assigned based upon the level of care required for individual patients and room availability. All rooms are private rooms. For detailed information on your room's features click here.
Each room is equipped with a flat screen color television set for your enjoyment. Click here for the Channel Guide. back to top

DINING
Wholesome, nourishing, tasty and well-balanced meals are planned in coordination with a registered dietitian and our qualified chefs. Patients are provided with menus with meal selection choices consistent with any dietary parameters ordered by their physician. Please communicate any food dislikes and allergies to your nurse as well as our food services wait staff and dietitians. It is important to be aware that certain diet restrictions, medications, and/or illness may decrease your enjoyment of food at this time.

In addition, you may request to speak with a clinical dietitian to discuss your nutrition therapy and/or diet education needs at any time.

Wait staff from the Food Services department will take your order and serve each meal. Patients are served breakfast between 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m., lunch between 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. and dinner between 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. It is our goal to assure you enjoy your meals, so if there is anything we can do in this regard, please let wait staff, the dietitian or your caregiver know. 

The wait staff will gladly provide a tray to a patient’s family member or guest for a nominal cost.
 
FOOD FROM HOME -- We discourage patients and their families from bringing in prepared foods from home. Sometimes for cultural reasons, patients will only eat foods familiar to them. If this is your preference, please notify your caregiver. If you have been prescribed a special diet because of your medical condition, your caregiver may need to obtain permission from your physician for you to bring in food from home. If approved, we ask that you follow basic food safety guidelines to assure safety of all food brought in from home. When transporting food from home, drive directly to the hospital to minimize the amount of time that the food is at room temperature thereby reducing the possibility of food borne illnesses. During hot weather, place food in an ice chest.  Food from home should be reheated and eaten as soon as possible. Please note that we are not allowed to store/refrigerate any prepared food brought in from home. back to top
 

YOUR HEALTHCARE TEAM
At the Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, you will receive care from the finest of healthcare professionals. Our staff is experienced, competent and focused on the delivery of quality care and service excellence.  The staff works closely together to coordinate the provision of care ensuring that patient needs are met.

The members of our healthcare team primarily wear khaki or navy- colored hospital scrubs with the Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital logo embroidered on the front. Surgery and Cath Lab staff wear blue hospital scrubs. Staff wear name badges noting their name and credentials for easy and clear identification.  For more information on our staff click here. back to top

“GET UP AND GET GOING"
The Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital encourages patients along with family and friends to become an active participant in their care and recovery. Patient and family involvement in the patient’s overall care and safety is critical. The hospital has informational packets available to provide guidance in terms of the patient’s recovery, post surgery or procedure. Ask your caregiver for additional information.

INTERPRETERS / HEARING IMPAIRED DEVICES
Any communication needs, hearing or speaking deficits will be identified in the pre-registration/registration process so the appropriate arrangements can be made as well as any necessary resources accessed. Documentation of each patient’s primary language and hearing or speaking deficits will be made in the patient’s medical record as well as noted on the patient’s arm band. The hospital has set up protocols to assure effective and understandable communication assistance in the language(s) of the predominant population group(s) that we serve as well as with patients who may have impaired hearing or speaking skills.

SUPPORT SERVICES
Undergoing surgery or being hospitalized can potentially be a difficult time. We recognize that health goes beyond physical healing. We employ social workers to provide counseling or referral services. In addition, your entire healthcare team is certainly here to support you.