St. Nicholas Hospital Patients & Guests Special Services

Special Services

We know it’s not easy staying at the hospital or supporting a friend or family member in need of care. To make it a bit easier, we offer many services to make your stay as pleasant, convenient and comfortable as possible.

Care of Valuables

We recommend that you leave your valuables at home, or that you send them home with your relatives or friends. If this is not possible, Patient Registration staff will place your valuables in a safe (free of charge) and give you a receipt. The hospital is not responsible for loss of or damage to valuables, clothing, cash, or other personal items kept in your room. To help ensure personal items are not lost, do not wrap dentures, hearing aids, wristwatches, or eyeglasses in a handkerchief or tissue. Also, do not place them on your food tray. Please label items with your name. Please ask a staff member if you need help.

Ethics Committee

Making a difficult medical decision for yourself or a loved can be confusing, frightening or painful, especially if it is about your or a loved one’s end of life care. Having a good understanding among your family members and health care providers may lessen your fears that these kinds of decisions can cause. Our hospital has an Ethics Committee to help you.

The Ethics Committee is a group of people prepared and trained to listen and help you and your physician make decisions. To speak with someone from the Ethics Committee, please call Extension 38505.

Flowers, Balloons, Newspapers

Florists deliver flowers directly to the hospital. For infection control reasons, flowers and metallic-coated balloons are not allowed in Intensive Care Units. The materials in the metallic-coated balloons can cause static electricity and pose potential risks to the patient. For the safety of our patients and guests with latex allergy, we also ask that you do not bring latex balloons.

Interpreters

We can provide an interpreter for a number of foreign languages. If you need an interpreter, please ask a nurse for help.

Notary Public

A notary is available for patients free of charge. Your nurse can assist you in locating a notary on our hospital campus.

Mail

We will forward mail that arrives after you go home.