Being admitted to the hospital can be a very scary event and we want to alleviate your fears and make you as comfortable as possible.  Our caring, dedicated medical, nursing and support staff are always available to answer your questions or concerns.

A physician determines whether a person has a medical problem serious enough to warrant admission to the hospital.  The first step in admission is registration.  Sometimes your physician will arrange a "direct admit" -  wherein you will be sent or transported via ambulance directly to the appropriate patient care unit.  Otherwise, you will present to the Admitting Desk in the Main Lobby of the hospital.  All admissions must go through the registration process.  Forms requiring basic personal health and insurance information, telephone numbers of family or friends to contact in case of an emergency, consenting to being treated, releasing information to insurance companies and agreeing to pay charges are most of the forms you will be given.  Upon admission you will be given an ID bracelet to be worn on the wrist.

You should bring a list of the drugs and doses being taken and any written instructions from your physician.  We also recommend that you bring an ADVANCE DIRECTIVE to the hospital as well.  All of this information should be given to the nurse responsible for getting you settle into a room.  All personal items will be marked or labeled and any valuables should be left at home or taken home by a friend or family member.

While You Are Here

Various tests, such as blood or urine tests, may be done to evaluate you for additional conditions.  Staff members may ask questions to determine whether you are likely to develop problems during your stay or need extra help after discharge from the hospital.  They may ask about eating habits, mood, vaccinations, medications taken, problems with walking/exercise, the amount of help needed with daily activities, and living arrangements.  You may be asked a standard series of questions to evaluate mental function as well.

During your stay with us, a physician will visit you at least once a day.  Nurses and other staff will come in several times a day and provide most of your care.  Physical therapists may come in regularly to help with movement and exercise to facilitate your recuperation.  Your comfort and pain level is very important to us and you will be asked to rate your level of pain several times during the course of your stay. 

As an added level of care, we also have social workers, parish nurses and volunteer chaplains available.  Should you or a family member need their services, just ask a nurse and someone will contact your as soon as possible.

The mission of Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital is to continously improve the health status of its community.  We achieve this mission through our core values of DIGNITY, COLLABORATION, JUSTICE, STEWARDSHIP and EXCELLENCE.  As a patient at our facility, you have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.

Patient Satisfaction

You also have the right to comment on your care here.  Several times during your stay, you may be told about receiving a patient satisfaction survey after you are discharged.  We ask that you take a few minutes and share with us your thoughts, feelings and comments on your patient experience.

Our Journey To Excellence recognition program is in place to highlight those staff members who exhibit one or more of our core values.  Any co-worker, patient or visitor can submit a nomination on specific cards located at all Patient Comment centers throughout the hospital.  If you are not ambulatory, you can request a card from your nurse or aide.

If you experience a problem or have a concern that you would like to share with us, you can do so by using the Customer Comment Cards displayed throughout the hospital.  Give your completed card to a hospital employee or you may drop the card in the locked boxes provided for this service.