Your Hospital Visit - Glens Falls Hospital

We are accredited by both the Joint Commission and the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care for meeting or exceeding nationally recognized quality and safety standards.

To further ensure your safety, we will:

• Ask frequent questions about your illness and other health care related issues and document the answers in your chart as a way of communicating to all members of your health care team
• Use two identifiers: an ID band, as well as asking you to verify your name and date of birth before the start of your treatment
• Carry out pre-procedure checks, which include review of your records and test results, and verification of your name and date of birth, the procedure you are having and the exact site of the procedure
• Assess your risk of falling and implement prevention if needed
• Ensure that you are on the right medication upon admission and after discharge

We urge you to ask questions if anything is unclear to you. Report any concerns you have about your care or safety right away so that we can help you.

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, please contact the Patient Experience Department at 518-926-3450 or [email protected].

Sometimes a health care choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our Ethics Committee can help you and your support people navigate challenging decisions. Ethical concerns can be discussed with your care team at any time, or you can contact the Patient Experience team Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 518-926-3450.

New York State law strictly prohibits smoking anywhere on hospital grounds, and Glens Falls Hospital maintains a tobacco-free environment.  Ask your health care provider about resources to help you quit smoking.

New York State law requires that all providers, including the Albany Med Health System hospitals and our outpatient offices, electronically prescribe all medications, including controlled substances. Prescriptions will be securely sent to your pharmacy electronically.

• Any pharmacy within a chain can fill or refill your prescription even if it was sent to a different location
• Your medication should not be delayed. Please ask your pharmacist to contact Glens Falls Hospital should any issue arise

If translation services are needed, patients will receive our Video Remote Interpreting devices. These are available for languages other than English, including American Sign Language. More information is available through the Patient Experience Office at 518-926-3450 or after hours asking for the nursing supervisor.

For patients with hearing impairments, pocket talkers are available upon request. For patients with visual impairments, auditory recordings and large print copies of Transition of Care summaries are available.

Visiting hours are subject to change based on community infections and hospitalizations. Any restrictions or limitations to visitation will be based on patient consent or clinical need. New York State Department of Health may also issue specific guidelines and precautions, particularly during flu season.

Visitors are asked to observe Quiet Times daily from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. to allow for rest and recuperation.

Glens Falls Hospital encourages the use of virtual visitation, and will provide iPads to those interested. For more information, please contact Patient Experience at 518-926-3450.

To ensure the safety and security of all patients, visitors, and staff, all visitors are greeted by Security at all entrances, and asked for photo ID. They will then be issued a visitor badge to allow access. Visitors are advised:

• Glens Falls Hospital maintains a smoke-free campus
• All visitors are asked to wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after visiting patients
• Do not use bathrooms in patient rooms – staff can direct you to the nearest public restroom
• Firearms and other weapons are not permitted on hospital property, except in the case of on-duty law enforcement

Patients have the right to choose and prioritize visitors, and choose a support person to be present throughout their stay, unless it impacts patient health or safety.

The Glens Falls Hospital Care Management Department’s case managers and social workers ensure patients receive medically appropriate services during and after hospitalization. Our goal is a seamless transition to the next level of care, whether post-acute rehabilitation or home. If you have questions about the discharge planning process or wish to speak to your case manager, please contact your nurse.

Your Glens Falls Hospital team may reach out within 48 to 72 hours of being discharged. One of our nurses or other staff members will confirm you:

• Understand your discharge instructions
• Made follow-up appointments
• Filled any prescriptions

They will also answer any questions you may have.

Once you leave our care, we will seek your feedback through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. This survey is a tool to measure and report patient satisfaction. It is made up of questions on key care topics such as:

• Doctor and nurse communication
• Medicine and discharge information
• Staff responsiveness
• Overall quality of the hospital environment

Inpatients may receive a survey from Press Ganey through the mail, email or text message.

Please consider completing these surveys. The results help us know what we are doing right and areas we can improve.