Admissions and discharge

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We appreciate the trust and faith you have placed in White River Health by allowing us to provide your medical care.

Your Hospital Room

When you are admitted to the hospital, your nurse will review all of the equipment in the room including the bed, nurse call button, telephone and television.

Your physician may prescribe a special diet for you based on your medical condition. When possible, you will be able to choose entrees from a menu for the next day’s meals. Your meals will be delivered by our dietary staff.

Our housekeeping staff will clean your room each day. If you need extra linens or towels, please ask your nurse and someone will assist you.

What to Bring to the Hospital

If your hospitalization is scheduled in advance, we’ve listed items you may bring with you to complete your registration and to make your stay more comfortable.

  • Insurance cards – Commercial Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or Military Insurance
  • Medication list
  • Driver’s License or other form of photo identification
  • Payment for applicable deposit, deductible, co-pay, and co-insurance
  • Cases for contact lenses, glasses, dentures, or hearing aids
  • Robe and slippers
  • Personal care items
  • Comfortable loose fitting clothes for the trip home

What to Leave at Home

  • Jewelry
  • Cash
  • Credit/Debit Cards
  • Checkbook
  • Fans, hair dryers, or other personal electrical appliances

We cannot be responsible for lost or damaged personal valuables during your hospital stay. If you are unable to send valuables home with family or friends, please ask your nurse about securing your valuables in the hospital safe.

What are Advance Medical Directives?

These documents could be a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care (also called a health-care proxy). They allow you to give directions about your future medical care. Having an advance directive is good for everyone young or old, since accidents and illness can strike at any time. It’s your right to accept or refuse medical care. Advance directives can protect this right if you become mentally or physically unable to choose or tell someone your wishes.

Deciding What You Want

Before making an advance directive, think about what’s important to you. How would keeping or losing the ability to do things you value affect your choice of treatment? Find out about all the treatments open to you. Then you can decide the level of care that you would want. Advance directives can help you protect your right to make medical choices, help your family avoid the stress of making hard decisions, and help your doctor by giving him/her guidelines for your care.

Recording Your Wishes

Once you know what level of medical care you want, you can protect your wishes by putting them in writing. With an advanced directive, you can name someone else to make medical choices for you (durable power of attorney for health care) or you can state the treatments you would choose or not choose (living will). A sample of a living will, healthcare proxy and optional organ and tissue donation form can be found here.

Be Clear About What's Important to You

Think about what’s important to you in life. This is the first step in deciding what medical care you’d want if you were near death. Answer the questions below and talk about the answers with family and friends...

  • How much do you value being able to do things on your own?
  • How much do you value physical activity?
  • What do you fear most about being ill or injured?
  • Is it important for you to be physically, mentally, or financially independent?
  • How would you feel if you could no longer do things that you enjoy?
  • How would you feel about being moved from your home?
  • How would you feel about being cared for in a hospital or nursing home at the end of your life?

Advance directives can limit life-prolonging measures when there is little or no chance of recovery.

You may decide not to be put in the hospital if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious. You may decide against any treatments that will not cure you. Advance directives can help you make known your feelings about:

  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • Intravenous (IV) Therapy
  • Feeding Tubes
  • Ventilators (Artificial Breathing)

Questions and Answers About Advance Directives:

Who is qualified to make an advance directive?

  • A patient who can make decisions and understand the impact of that decision on treatment
  • An adult age 18 or older
  • An emancipated minor

An advance directive will be honored if:

  • The patient is 18 years of age or older
  • The patient has declared his wishes or appointed a health care proxy
  • A doctor has diagnosed a terminal condition or a permanently unconscious state

What if I change my mind?

  • You can change or cancel your advance directive at any time. Make sure you tell your doctors, health care workers, hospital, and friends that your wishes have changed. Ask them to tear up and destroy old copies.

What can be done if my wishes are not being carried out?

  • You should talk with your doctor first. If it is not resolved at this point, talk with the nurse, social workers, and/or chaplain.

How do I Create Advance Directives?

What do I do with my Advance Directive (Living Will and/or Healthcare Power of Attorney)?

  • Keep a card in your wallet stating that you have an advance directive and where to find the document(s).
  • Give your doctor a copy to be kept as part of your medical record. If you use a durable power of attorney for healthcare, be sure to give a copy to the person who will be making decisions for you.
  • Talk about your advanced directive with your family and friends. Give a copy to a relative or friend who might be called in an emergency.
  • Review your advanced directives regularly and make changes as needed. Tell your doctor, family, and friends about any changes you make.

Advance Directives Information

Patient Rights 

At White River Health, we believe the basic rights of human beings for independence of expression, decision and action and concern for personal dignity and human relationships are of great importance. Further, we believe that a prime responsibility for us is to endeavor to ensure these rights are preserved for our patients. It is in recognition of these beliefs that the following patient rights are affirmed:

You have the right to...

  • considerate and respectful care.
  • appropriate assessment and management of pain.
  • privacy concerning your medical care program.
  • an explanation of your bill, regardless of the payment source.
  • participate in the planning of your care.
  • refuse care provided by students.
  • refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law.
  • be informed of the medical consequences of refusing care.
  • receive any information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure or treatment.
  • expect that all communication and records are confidential.
  • expect that we will make reasonable responses to your request for services.
  • know what hospital rules apply to you, as a patient.
  • You have the right to be informed of the WRMC policy on advance directives and living wills.

Patient Responsibilities

In order to provide high quality patient care that meets your satisfaction, White River Health respectfully requests behavior on the part of patients, their relatives and friends, which considering the nature of their illness, is reasonable and responsible. Areas where we need your assistance and understanding are as follows:

You have the responsibility to...

  • provide accurate and complete information about matters relating to your health.
  • report changes in your condition to your physician or nurse.
  • report whether you understand the treatment plan and what is expected of you.
  • follow your treatment plan.
  • be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel and assist us in the control of noise and number of visitors.
  • assure the financial obligations of your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
  • communicate your level of comfort and your pain management needs.
  • follow hospital rules affecting patient care and conduct.
  • refrain from smoking on the WRMC campus, in accordance with Arkansas law

Commitment to Quality Service

It is our goal that you are always satisfied with the care you receive.

However if we fail to meet your expectations during your hospital stay at White River Medical Center, please contact our Patient Grievance Line at ext 1254. To access from outside the hospital, dial (870) 262-1254.

This number can be used to report any concerns, incidents or grievances without fear of reprisal. If you leave a message between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, a representative will return your call. Messages left over the weekend will be returned on Monday.

If our representative cannot resolve your concern, you may contact the House Charge Supervisor at (870) 262-1200 or our hospital Administrative Team at (870) 262-1450 and a hospital representative will address your concerns.

At White River Health, please speak to your nurse or dial 0 to ask the Operator to contact the Administrator on call.

You may also direct complaints to the Arkansas Department of Health at the following address:

Arkansas Department of Health Facility Services

5800 West Tenth Street,
Suite 400 Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: (501) 661-201

Information for Patients Scheduled for Surgery

Prior to your surgery, a professional from our Surgical Services Department will call you for a pre-admission interview. During the interview we will ask for information about allergies, medications, and general health. We will also provide important information for how to prepare for your surgery and what you should bring with you on the day of surgery. If laboratory tests and/or diagnostic imaging are ordered by your physician before your surgery, we will make appointments for you as needed. Patients are encouraged to ask questions and to let us know about any concerns during the pre-admission interview.

We will also call you before your surgery to verify your insurance information, confirm precertification if required, and discuss your financial responsibility.

Before Surgery

  • To prevent infection, it is important that your skin be as free from germs as possible on the day of your surgery. To accomplish this goal, we ask that you bathe with a special soap, Chlorhexadine Gluconate, also known as Hibiclens®. 
  • Do not eat or drink anything after midnight on the night before your surgery.
  • If you have a cold, fever, or new infection, tell the nurse or your physician.
  • Ask your physician if you should take daily medications on the day of surgery.
  • You will be asked to sign a surgical consent before any medications are given. A parent or guardian will be asked to sign the consent for minor children.
  • Please make arrangements for a responsible person to drive you home after surgery.
  • You will need comfortable loose fitting clothing for the trip home.

After Surgery and the First 24 Hours

After your surgery, the surgeon will speak to your family. As soon as possible, a member of your family will be allowed to see you. If you are to be discharged, your nurse will give you and your family detailed instructions about your care at home.

Please follow this list of instructions during your first 24 hours at home.

  • Do not drive or operate machinery until your physician tells you it is safe.
  • Do not drink alcohol.
  • Do not participate in strenuous physical activity.
  • Do not make legal or financial decisions.
  • Stay at home and ask a responsible adult to stay with you.