Telephones

• To reach a patient room directly from outside the hospital, dial 768-9 followed by the patient room number.
• To reach a patient room directly from inside the hospital, dial “9” followed by the patient room number.
• For local calls outside the hospital dial “5” and then the number.
• For long distance calls dial “5,” listen for the dial tone then dial “0,” the area code and number of your party. Calls cannot be charged to a patient room. Instead, you may use a calling card, call collect, or charge the call to your home phone.
• TDD machines are also available for the deaf and hearing impaired through the Central supply Department (768-9698).
  

Cellular Telephones

Parking

A four-story parking deck is available for your convenience directly across from the front entrance of the hospital. Parking is $1.00. A change machine is available in the front lobby and is accessible 24 hours a day.

Food Services

The cafeteria and dining room are located on the First Floor. Well balanced meals are served daily. Serving times are listed below:

Breakfast: 6:45 AM - 10 AM

Snack/Beverage: 10 AM - 11 AM

Lunch - Dinner: 11 AM - 7 PM

Please note that due to health regulations patients are not permitted in the hospital cafeteria/dining room. Patients with special dietary needs may be provided cafeteria menus in their rooms. For your convenience, a soft-drink machine, a snack machine, and a sandwich machine with a microwave oven are all located on 3rd West down the hall from the nurses station.

Security

If you need the assistance of our Security Officers, please dial (256) 768-9538 if outside the hospital or extension 9538 if inside the facility. You may also dial the switchboard “0” and ask to have security paged. Security Officers are on duty 24 hours a day. Out of concern for the safety of our patients, visitors and employees, illicit items are not permitted on ECM property (including parking areas). Illicit items include, but are not limited to, drugs, alcohol, weapons, and other objects carried for the purpose of injuring and/or intimidating others. This measure will be strictly enforced.

Smoking Policy

In order to provide a healthy environment for our patients, visitors and employees, smoking is prohibited throughout the hospital. There are two designated smoking areas for visitors:

• Smoking Porch located adjacent to the Marengo Street Elevators


• Alabama Street side of Emergency Department parking area.

Visiting Hours

Visitors are welcome and can be a valuable part of a patient’s recovery. Rest is vital and optimum medical care requires that no visitors be allowed in a patient’s room during treatments or other routine care. Please ask your friends and family for cooperation. Visiting hours are restricted in the Intensive Care Unit, Coronary Care Unit, Cardio-thoracic Recovery Unit and the Behavioral health Center, because of the special needs of patients in these areas.

ICU / CCU/ CTRU Visiting Hours are:

• 9:00 am – 8:30 pm when the green light is on.
• Visits should be limited to 2 visitors per patient for a total of fifteen minutes.

Behavioral Health Center Visiting Hours are:

• 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm daily
• 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on weekends and holidays

Patient Representative

Someone to help…if there is a problem, questions or complaint…or if you just need someone to talk to, our Patient Representative is ready to help. She may be reached by calling extension 9140, or, if you feel the need is urgent, by calling the hospital operator and having her paged.

Infant Safety Seats

Your child’s safety is important to ECM. Proper installation of your car seat is essential for the safety of your child. We have staff trained in proper car seat installation methods. Please ask your nurse about this courtesy or contact the Newborn Nursery at 768-9328.

Notary Public

This service is offered to patients as a courtesy upon request. For information, call 768-9140.

Clinical Nutrition Services

At ECM Hospital our clinical nutrition department is staffed by Registered Dietitians (RD). The dietitians are available seven days a week to assist physicians, nurses, patients, and family members meet the nutritional needs of patients. The dietitians are also available for outpatient education sessions based on physician referral. For additional nutrition information, or to schedule an outpatient consult, please call 768-9344.

Volunteers

Volunteering provides a satisfying way to share personal skills, interest, abilities and time. Volunteering is a program for teens, as well as men and women of any age. Areas of service include:

• Information Desk
• Deliver patient and staff mail, LifeWise newspapers and meal cards
• Greeters and escorters
• ICU / CCU / and Cath Lab waiting areas

Your participation is eagerly welcomed if you can give time on a weekly basis or even occasionally. So, if you have something special to share and are interested in the rewarding experience of volunteering, call Volunteer Services at 768-8491.

Gift Shop

Located in the main lobby, The Gourmet Shoppe carries a wide variety of gifts for any age. You may shop for gift baskets, magazines, greeting cards, snack foods and toiletries without leaving the hospital. The Gourmet Shoppe carries a large line of gifts for the newborn and mother. You will find balloons, decorative bows, stuffed animals and much more. Remember…you will find everything you need at The Gourmet Shoppe and you won’t have to leave the hospital! The Gourmet Shoppe may be reached by calling (256) 246-0202.

Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Emotional/Spiritual/Pastoral Care

A non-denominational prayer room / chapel is located on the 2^nd floor across from the Critical Care Waiting Room. Request for assistance with pastoral care may be made to patient care services, Case Management or the Patient Representative.

Telephones

Telephones are provided in each patient room, except in the Intensive Care Unit. (This exception is intended to help more critical patients get needed rest for recovery.) Patients may receive calls in their rooms from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Local calls may be made at any time from the room by dialing 8 and the number.

Long distance and toll calls can be made at any time by dialing 0. The operator will place the call on your calling card. Long distance calls cannot be charged to your room. You can make a credit card call or charge a long distance call back to your home phone number.

Your family and friends can call you in your room by dialing 386-1 and your room number. For example, to call room 412, dial 386-1412.

You may call the hospital operator by dialing 0 at any time for assistance.

Cellular Telephones

Cell phones are permitted throughout the hospital except in the critical care areas. Please try to avoid cell phone use when in the room with a patient on telemetry.

Helpful Hospital Telephone Numbers

Following is a list of telephone numbers that may be useful during your stay at Shoals Hospital. You only need to dial the four-digit extension from any telephone within the hospital to reach the department.

Department Number 
         Administration                                        386-1601
         Admitting                                               386-1635
         Housekeeping                                        386-1612
         Food Service                                          386-1656
         Gift Shop                                               386-1517
         LifeWise/Volunteer Services                    386-1640
         Nursing Service                                      386-1607
         Operator                                                    “0”
         Day Surgery                                           386-1730
         Patient Accounts                                    386-1639
         Physical Therapy                                    386-1641
         Patient Representative                            386-1577
         Case Management (Social Services)        386-1704

Patient Accounting

A representative from the Patient Accounting Department can answer questions about your hospital bill and help you interpret financial policies and billing procedures at the hospital. You may contact Patient Accounting by calling 386-1673 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria at Shoals Hospital is open every day of the week for breakfast and lunch. While it is primarily designed to serve hospital employees, visitors are welcome to eat in the cafeteria any time it is open.

Monday-Friday a hot breakfast is served from 7 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. A hot lunch, salad and deli bar, and soup are available from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Vending Machines

Vending machines for snacks and beverages are located on the first floor close to Radiology and Outpatient Admitting, and on 2nd floor near the ICU. They are available 24 hours a day.

Smoking

Visitors may smoke only in the designated smoking area located adjacent to the front entrance to the hospital.

Visiting Hours

Visitors are welcome and can be a valuable part of a patient’s recovery if they are considerate. However, patient care is our primary concern at Shoals Hospital, and, in order to enhance the quality of care, specific visiting hours and regulations have been established for each unit. If you need additional information, please check with the nurse on each unit.

Hospital-wide visiting hours: 10 a.m. – 8 pm.

Visiting hours are restricted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because of special needs of patients in that area. Visits are scheduled as follows:
6 a.m. – 6:20 a.m.
9 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
1 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
5 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.
9 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.

Visits should be limited to 2 visitors at a time for a total of 20 minutes.

Gifts for Patients 

Visitors should check with the nurse before bringing gifts of food or drink to patients. Please check with the nurse to make sure your gift is appropriate. On the intensive care unit, please check with the unit regarding any gifts for patients.

Parking

Parking for patients and visitors is available in front of the hospital. Outpatient parking is available behind the hospital near the Outpatient Admitting entrance, and adjacent to the entrance to the Physical Therapy and Pain Center areas. Parking is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All parking at Shoals Hospital is free. Patients and visitors are cautioned not to park in reserved areas or certain designated areas. Please be sure to lock your car.

Waiting Areas

There are specially designated lounge areas for visitors on the main floor and on the 2nd floor near the ICU. Specific waiting areas have been designated for families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department and Surgery. During certain hours, a volunteer hostess is on duty in the surgery waiting room to keep family members informed about the progress of surgery.

Gift Shop

The hospital Gift Shop, staffed by volunteers, is open from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Gift Shop is located on the first floor, and has gift items, magazines, books, greeting cards, stamps, candy, toiletries, flowers and balloons. The Gift Shop phone number is 1517.