FAQ |
| Q: |
What are the hours of the Rural Health clinic? |
| A: |
The office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m Monday through Friday.
You may call (618) 327-2225 to schedule an appointment.
Most patients are able to be seen on the same day that they request an
appointment. |
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| Q: |
What are the hours of the Radiology/Diagnostic Imaging department? |
| A: |
The Diagnostic Imaging department is open from 6:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Staff is available after hours (on call) for in-patients and for patients seen in the emergency department. |
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| Q: |
What are the hours of the Laboratory? |
| A: |
The Laboratory is open from 7 a.m.to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Staff is available after hours (on call) for in-patients and for patients seen in the emergency department. |
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| Q: |
When do I need insurance pre-certification? |
| A: |
Pre-certification requirements depend on the individual patient’s insurance plan. All patients should check with their insurance carrier prior to receiving any healthcare services including; admission, outpatient services, or surgery. |
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| Q: |
Who is responsible for obtaining insurance pre-certification? |
| A: |
Every patient or care giver should be aware of the pre-certification
requirements
of their own insurance carrier and verify pre-certification
requirements prior to receiving healthcare services.
Frequently, the ordering physician's office assists patients by
obtaining pre-certification for
scheduled admissions, surgery, or any outpatient laboratory or
radiology procedure. The insurance companies often
ask clinical questions that require information from the health record
and sometimes need the input of the physician.
Insurance coverage can vary from company to company and from one
employer to another. Medicare does not
require pre-certification but all persons who have secondary or
supplemental insurance should be aware of the
pre-certification requirements, if any, of their specific policy.
WCH has a case manager who will contact the patient’s insurance when
the patient is admitted after an ER visit and
will update the insurance company during the hospital stay. These
updates are specific to the criteria determined
by the insurance carrier. |
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| Q: |
What qualifies a patient for admission to a swing bed (skilled care
bed)? |
| A: |
The first criteria for admission to a swing bed is that a patient has
to have had a three overnight inpatient stay
in a hospital. The second criterion is that the patient has a
documented need for services such as physical therapy,
speech therapy, occupational therapy, IV therapy, or recent insertion
of a feeding tube. The third criterion is
that the patient must be making progress and continue to make progress.
The fourth criterion is that the patient
has a physician on staff. Every week a care conference is held for each
swing bed patient. During this conference
the progress of the patient is discussed between the various therapies
that are caring for the patient, the case manager,
the patient, family members, and the healthcare providers who are
caring for the patient. The patient and/or family member
will be informed of the patient’s progress, have an opportunity to
express their opinion or concerns, and have input
into discharge plans. |
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| Q: |
How do I obtain a copy of my x-rays, medical chart, or laboratory
results? |
| A: |
Anyone who requires a copy of their x-ray or laboratory results or
their chart may visit or call the Health Information
Department (Medical Records) and request this information. The
patient/guardian of patient will be asked to sign a release
of information form. To facilitate requests, patients may call the
department in advance so that the record can be
prepared for pickup. |
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| Q: |
How long do I need to fast prior to laboratory testing for a fasting
blood sugar, chemistry profile or a lipid profile? |
| A: |
The most accurate results are obtained when a person has had nothing to
eat or drink for at least 10 to 12 hours
prior to the test. If you are taking heart or blood pressure medicine,
you should check with your physician to see
if he/she thinks that you should take your medicine the morning of your
test. |
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| Q: |
Who do I contact to obtain a copy of an itemized bill or to answer
questions about my bill? |
| A: |
If you need an itemized copy of your bill or have questions regarding
your bill call the hospital at
(618) 327-8236 and ask for the business office. |
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| Q: |
Who do I contact if I am interested in a long term care (nursing home)
bed at the hospital? |
| A: |
Call the case manager at (618) 327-2281 or the supervisor of long term care
at (618) 327-2289. You can also call the hospital at
(618) 327-8236 and ask for either the case manager or the long term care
supervisor. |
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| Q: |
Who can I call for a sitters list? |
| A: |
Call the case manager at (618) 327-2281 or the general hospital number
(618) 327-8236 and ask for the case manager. |
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| Q: |
Is there a doctor at the hospital at all times?
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| A: |
The hospital is staffed with an emergency room physician 24 hours a day
7 days a week. The patient’s primary physician
visits during hospitalizations, and is often consulted by phone. |
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