A Guide to Your Visit at an Albany Med Health System Hospital
Your wellbeing is our highest priority, and everyone involved in your care will work to make sure that you receive the attention, support, and compassion that you deserve.
We hope this information answers some of the questions you may have about your stay with us. If you need additional assistance, we encourage you to talk to your nurse or physician, or call Patient Relations at 518-262-3499. And don’t hesitate to ask questions or express concerns. Your input and feedback play an important role in our commitment to continuous improvement.
The patient guide to Albany Medical Center is on this page. For other system hospitals, follow the links:
Columbia Memorial Health Patient Guide
Preparing for Your Visit to Albany Medical Center
The day before your scheduled admission, you will receive a call between noon-1:30 p.m. from Pre-Operative Care to confirm the time of your procedure. You also will be provided with instructions on what time to arrive, where to park, and any dietary restrictions your physician has placed prior to arrival.
If you do not receive a call, call the Pre-Operative Care Unit at 518-262-4200.
While we will provide you with nearly everything you will need during your stay, it can be helpful to bring the following items with you:
- Insurance cards and information
- A list of the medications you are taking, along with the dosages and timing. Please do not bring medications with you. Your medications list can also include the name of your prescribing doctor and pharmacy, any drug allergies or side effects you've experienced while taking them, and if you are taking any over-the-counter medications or supplemental or herbal treatments.
While we are committed to ensuring a safe environment, we are not responsible for your personal belongings. We urge you not bring large amounts of cash or items of value including:
- Credit cards
- Jewelry and other valuables
- Medications
- Personal papers not related to your hospitalization
Advance Directives (sometimes called Living Wills) allow you to express your desire to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical care under particular circumstances. By completing and signing an Advance Directive, you can help make sure that your rights and wishes are respected whether or not you can express them.
Keep in mind that you can always change your Advance Directive. To obtain an Advance Directive form, receive guidance on completing it, or to receive a new one, contact one of the following departments:
Case Management/Social Work | 518-262-3012
Pastoral Care | 518-262-3176
Patient Relations | 518-262-3499
During Your Stay
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.
The Ethics Consultation Service assists patients, families, and care providers in resolving the ethical dilemmas that modern medicine can present. To request an ethics consultation, talk to your physician or nurse or call 518-262-3111 and ask for the on-call ethics consultant.
You can count on your health care team to follow protocols that help prevent infection.
There also are measures you can take:
- Shower or bathe the night before and the morning of surgery
- Wash your hands carefully with soap and water or waterless alcohol-based cleanser after handling any type of soiled material or body fluids
- Let your nurse know if your gown or linens are soiled; notify your physician or nurse if wound dressings or intravenous catheter sites are loose, dislodged, or wet
- Follow your doctor’s instructions about breathing treatments and getting out of bed
- Tell friends and relatives not to visit if they are sick
- Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed
- Contact your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms that may indicate an infection (unexpected pain, chills, fever, drainage, or increase redness of a surgical wound)
The Albany Med Health System strictly enforces a no smoking policy in our buildings and on our grounds. Ask your nurse if you are interested in 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.
Your Rights
- 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 Albany Medical Center should any issue arise
Amplified Telephones | 518-262-3759
Augmentative Communication Devices | 518-262-4526
Braille Transcription Service | 518-463-1211
Closed Caption Television Programming | 518-262-3759
Hearing Assistance Device | 518-262-4535
TYY Service | The hospital has TYY machines for individuals with speaking or hearing difficulties.
Language Assistance | Services are available by contacting Patient Relations at 518-262-3499 or Telecommunications at 518-262-3756.
B Building (Patient Pavilion) Basement Level
Equipped with free Wi-Fi and convenient access to phones and vending machines, as well as a charging station, this Waiting Area offers loved ones a comfortable place to wait and stay abreast of your progress while in surgery. The Surgical Waiting Room is staffed by coordinators who serve as the information link between your surgeon and your family.
For Your Convenience
These are delivered on a daily basis. Patients in critical care units cannot accept deliveries. In these cases, items will be kept at the nursing station until you are ready to leave the hospital.
Mail can be sent and received Monday through Friday. Mail received after you are discharged will be forwarded to you.
Parking is free for patients. Parking is available in the 40 and 60 New Scotland Avenue lots on the Albany Medical Center campus. For patients with outpatient appointments, the James J. Barba Physicians Pavilion lot is available at the A Building entrance.
Valet services are available at the Physicians Pavilion and Emergency Department entrances. Public transportation information is available at cdta.org.
The pharmacy is located on Floor 1 at Albany Medical Center. It is open to the public for prescriptions, as well as discharged patients and employees of the main campus, with a variety of over-the-counter medications and other items available as well.
Monday - Friday | 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday | 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sunday | Closed
518-262-3263
A daily menu will be available based on your dietary needs. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and kosher meals are available upon request. If you have any questions, call 518-262-3205.
Please do not bring food from home unless you receive permission from your nursing staff.
Cell phones are allowed in most areas of the hospital. Signs are posted in areas where phones are prohibited. Free bedside phone service is available; call 2-6000 from the phone in your room or 518-262-6000 from a cell phone.
Cable TV (including closed-caption programming) is available on a rental basis. To activate your service and make a payment, call 518-262-6000.
Wi-Fi is complimentary.
Key Bank and SEFCU ATMs are located at the Choices Café entrance.
Bank of America
33 New Scotland Ave.
Key Bank
62 New Scotland Ave.
SEFCU
- E Building, Floor 1
- 16 New Scotland Ave.
Some hotels in the area offer a reduced rate for hospital stays but may require verification of a hospital stay to apply that rate. Patients and families are encouraged to contact the hotel of their choice directly for booking. Hotel representatives can verify eligibility with hospital staff.
Choices Cafe
E Building, Floor 1
Monday - Friday | 6:15 a.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday | 6:15 a.m.-8 p.m.
Concourse Cafe
B Building, Floor 2
Coffee bar, baked goods, and snacks
Open Daily | 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dunkin'
E Building, Floor 1
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Subway
E Building, Floor 1
Open Daily | 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Additional off-site restaurants and dining options are available along New Scotland Avenue, including Bellini's Counter, Chipotle, Panera, the Recovery Sports Grill, and Starbucks.
For information on lost items, call 518-262-3777.
The Dr. Alfonso J. Marcelle Chapel is open 24/7. It is located in the basement level of the B Building.
Pastoral care is available 24/7, regardless of one's faith. Call 518-262-3176 or ask a staff member for more information.
Gift Shop
B Building, Floor 2
Monday - Friday | 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday | 6:15 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Offering flowers, gifts, apparel, and more.
Thrift Shop
M Building, Basement Level
Monday - Friday | 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Offering secondhand clothing and household accessories in good condition at discounted prices.
The Ronald McDonald House offers a home-away-from-home for families of seriously sick or injured children being treated at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital. Your child’s nurse can check room availability and make arrangements for your stay should you need overnight accommodations.
Call 518-438-2655 for more information.
Rapid Response
At any time, if you or your loved one feels that you need additional medical attention, dial "0" from any hospital phone and request the Rapid Response Team.
Voicing Your Concerns
For issues that you believe may represent acts of non-compliance such as fraudulent of abusive billing practices or possible violations of federal or state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you may contact Albany Medical Center's Corporate Compliance Hotline at 518-264-TIPP (8477).
If you or a family member have a complaint that cannot be resolved by our clinical staff, contact Patient Relations at 518-262-3499.
You can also contact the Joint Commission or New York State Department of Health.
Joint Commission
Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
[email protected]
New State Department of Health
Centralized Hospital Intake Program, Mailstop: CA/DCS
Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237
1-800-804-5447
Going Home
When your providers determine that you are ready to leave the hospital, our nursing team, with the assistance of social workers, will determine what (if any) services you will need upon discharge and make all arrangements. This may include physical therapy, nutritional guidance, special medical equipment, or home nursing care through Albany Med Health System member Visiting Nurses.
Medications
Let your health care team know if you are interested in having prescriptions filled at Albany Medical Center before you leave. If your insurance requires a copay, it will be collected at the time of prescription pick-up or delivery. Prescriptions cannot be added to your hospital bill.
