Welcome to North Monroe Medical Center!

As our patient and guest, we are dedicated to providing you with the best care in North Louisiana. We feel responsible for your care, and you will find our staff courteous, respectful and enthusiastic to serve your every need.

We hope the information that follows will be helpful to you and your family by answering questions and acquainting you with procedures and services. If you have additional questions, please ask us. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Admission/Pre-admission
Arrangements for your hospital stay are made in advance by your private physician unless you are admitted from the Emergency Room by your physician. You may be admitted through the Emergency Room 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by your physician. You may also visit the hospital prior to your admission date for a pre-admission interview. Pre-admission reduces delays that may be encountered in the admission process.

At the time of your admission, you will be asked to present insurance information for proper handling of your claim or you will be encouraged to make payment arrangements. On the day of admission, please bring the following items, as they pertain to your specific situation, to the admissions office:
Insurance identification cards
Medicare or Medicaid card
Social Security card of the patient and the insured
Driver's license and/or photo identification card of the patient and the insured
Any required insurance forms
Emergency notification of someone outside your home, including: name, address, telephone number and relationship

Your Hospital Bill
The hospital will submit the bill to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim. But you should remember that your policy is a contract between you and your insurance company and you have the final responsibility for payment of your hospital bill.

We have several payment options available to assist you in paying your bill.
Your bill reflects all of the services received during your stay. Charges fall into two categories: a basic daily rate and charges for special services, which include items your physician orders for you, such as X-rays or laboratory tests.

If you have certain tests or treatments, you may receive bills from physicians you did not see in person. These bills are for professional services rendered by these physicians in diagnosing and interpreting test results while you were a patient. Pathologists, radiologists, internists, anesthesiologists, emergency room physicians and other specialists are required to submit separate bills. If you have questions about these bills, please call the number printed on the statement you receive from them.

What to Bring to the Hospital
Personal items you will need such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, bathrobes, slippers, combs and other personal articles should be brought from home. Protective containers for eyeglasses and dentures are recommended. Please do not bring electrical appliances. Patients are asked not to bring items of value to the hospital. If you do bring a valuable item, it should be deposited in the locked valuables repository at the nurses' station. The hospital does not accept responsibility for items of value unless they are deposited in the repository.

Medications
All medications you take while in the hospital are prescribed by your doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacy and administered by a nurse. Patients are not permitted to administer their own drugs or keep personal medications at their bedsides without specific doctor's orders.

Visitor Information
Visitors can be good medicine for patients. Family members and friends are welcome to visit. However, patient care is our primary concern at North Monroe, and in order to enhance the quality of care, visiting hours are flexible. Short visits are best, we request that you limit visitors to no more than two at a time. We request that you do not have food brought in to you without first checking with you nurse. Also, please remember that children are not to be left unattended in any part of the hospital, including waiting rooms.

Smoking
Smoking is prohibited throughout the hospital, with the exception of designated smoking areas outside. Visitors are not permitted to smoke in any patient room.

Dismissal
Your physician will determine when you are ready to be discharged from the hospital. Your physician will usually discuss your release with you and will write a discharge order on your chart. Your physician and nurse will give you instructions about post-hospital care. If you have questions about diet, activities, medications or other matters, please be sure to ask. Your nurse will coordinate your discharge, review any discharge instructions and arrange for a hospital representative to accompany you to your vehicle.

Advance Directives
Federal law directs that any time you are admitted to a healthcare facility, or served by certain organizations, you must be told about Louisiana's laws concerning your right to make healthcare decisions. This requirement applies to all adult patients no matter what their medical condition.
You have the right to have an advance directive, such as a living will or healthcare proxy. These documents express your choices about your future care or name someone to decide if you cannot speak for yourself.

If and when you are unable to make your own decisions, Louisiana law allows you, your guardian, your agent under medical power of attorney or a substitute decision maker to make your healthcare decisions. In the absence of an advance medical directive or guardian, Louisiana law allows a person close to you to be a substitute decision-maker.