Once you are brought to your room, a nurse will be there to assist you. For example, the nurse will instruct you how to call for help with the Nurse Call Bell. Each bed is equipped with a white hand-held device - to call the nurse, press the red button. An audible bell at the nurse's station will alert a nurse that you need assistance.

Visitors may park in the parking lot off Harmon Road (emergency entrance), in the Garau Street lot or in the spaces marked in front of the Garau Street entrance. Visitors needing handicapped accessible entry may want to enter from the Harmon Road entrance.

If you need assistance, our Ambassador Volunteers are stationed near the Emergency Department entrance on the first floor and at the front desk of the main lobby entrance. They will be glad to help you in any way possible.

Patients who are able, other than maternity patients, may go to waiting rooms to visit with children. Children should not be left unattended in the waiting areas. Exceptions to the visitor guidelines may be made. Please ask your nurse if you have a special request.

• First Floor (Med/Surg): 10:00am to 9:00pm (only immediate family may visit within 24 hours of surgery)
• Second Floor (Maternity): 12:30pm to 9:00pm
• Special Care Unit: 5 to 10 minutes each hour (immediate family only)

Your day-to-day care will depend on the nature of your illness, injury or surgery. You can probably expect to be awakened fairly early in the morning so that your nurse may check your blood pressure, temperature and other vital signs before your doctor visits or before you are taken to other departments for tests, surgery or therapy. Monitoring or administering of your medications may also require you to be awakened during the night.

Patients are encouraged not to bring large sums of money or valuables requiring safekeeping. If you have items requiring safekeeping, please ask for assistance. Dentures, hearing aids or glasses should be stored in proper containers to avoid being accidentally misplaced.

You may bring your own pajamas, robe, slippers, and personal toiletries in a small suitcase or bag. Hospital gowns are available, but you may bring your own unless your physician indicates otherwise.

Personal care appliances, such as electric curlers, curling irons or electric razors, must be checked by the maintenance department to ensure that there is no electric current leakage to interfere with medical equipment. Cellular phones may not be used within the hospital.

The hospital's dietary department tries to accommodate personal food preferences whenever possible and within the guidelines specified by your physician. Meals are usually served according to the following schedule:

Breakfast: 8:00am
Lunch: 12:00pm
Dinner: 5:00pm

The cafeteria is open to visitors for lunch (12:00pm - 1:30pm) and dinner (5:15pm - 6:30pm). The dining room is located across the hall from the cafeteria. Visitors may also take their trays to the patient's room. 

Vending machines are located on the first floor close to the Med-Surg/Surgery waiting area. The machines are stocked with fruit, yogurt, cookies, snack items, juices and soda pop. Coffee is available in the cafeteria.

When you are admitted, you may be asked if you would like your pastor notified to be notified. A nurse will attempt to contact your pastor, if you wish. If you are not affiliated with a local church, but would like a pastoral visit, a volunteer will contact the hospital chaplain.

Family members of critically ill patients are encouraged to contact their pastors directly, since nurses are not always able to immediately reach ministers.

The hospital periodically conducts safety drills to ensure that staff is prepared to handle emergency situations. Patients will be notified when drills are being conducted and staff will attempt to avoid any inconvenience to our patients. Nursing care will be available at all times during the safety drills. All staff members are required to attend in-service presentations annually on fire and electrical safety.

Personal telephones are available in patient rooms. Additional public telephones are located throughout the hospital.

Individual televisions are provided to each patient, courtesy of the Bluffton Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary. TV's are also located in the Emergency Room, OB and Med-Surg/Surgery waiting areas.

Please let our staff know if you or a family member needs an interpreter.

Patients needing notary services should contact the Business Office at Ext. 2348 or Administration at  Ext. 2302.

To place a call from a patient room:

Local calls: Dial 9, plus local phone number.

Collect call: Dial 9, then 0 plus number.

Calling card: For long distance, calling cards can be used by dialing 9, then the 800 number. Prepaid phone cards are available in the hospital gift shop.

For your convenience, pay phones are located: (1) across from the ER waiting area; and (2) across from the nurses station in the Med/Surg unit.

To call a patient room from outside the hospital, dial (419) 358-9010 and request to be connected to the patient's room. We ask that friends and family be considerate of the time and patient's condition when placing phone calls to a patient.

The channel directory is:

2....WNWO
3....WTLW
4....WBGU
5....WUPW
6....TBS
7....QVC
8....WBOH
9....WLIO
10....WOHL
11....WTOL
12....WGN
13....WTVG

BVHS will act as a billing agent for you and will submit a copy of your bill to you and your insurance company. Since insurance coverage varies widely for each patient, the hospital cannot assume responsibility for ensuring that your insurance company pays for your medical bill(s) in full.

Should your insurance plan not cover the full amount of your bill, you will be responsible for any unpaid balance due.

Don't hesitate to ask any of our hospital associates if you have any additional questions or concerns. If an associate doesn't have an answer to your question, they will help you find someone who does!