Your Hospital Visit

A Guide to Your Visit at an Albany Med Health System Hospital

Your wellbeing is our highest priority, and everyone involved in your care will work to make sure that you receive the attention, support, and compassion that you deserve.

We hope this information answers some of the questions you may have about your stay with us. If you need additional assistance, we encourage you to talk to your nurse or physician, or call Patient Relations at 518-262-3499. And don’t hesitate to ask questions or express concerns. Your input and feedback play an important role in our commitment to continuous improvement.

The patient guide to Albany Medical Center is on this page. For other system hospitals, follow the links:

Columbia Memorial Health Patient Guide

Glens Falls Hospital Patient Guide

Saratoga Hospital Patient Guide

Preparing for Your Visit to Albany Medical Center

The day before your scheduled admission, you will receive a call between noon-1:30 p.m. from Pre-Operative Care to confirm the time of your procedure. You will be provided with instructions on:

  • What time to arrive
  • Where to park
  • Any dietary restrictions your physician has placed prior to arrival

If you do not receive a call, call the Pre-Operative Care Unit at 518-262-4200.

While we will provide you with nearly everything you will need during your stay, it can be helpful to bring the following items with you:

  • Insurance cards and information
  • A list of the medications you are taking, along with the dosages and timing. Please do not bring medications with you. Your medications list can also include the name of your prescribing doctor and pharmacy, any drug allergies or side effects you've experienced while taking them, and if you are taking any over-the-counter medications or supplemental or herbal treatments.

While we are committed to ensuring a safe environment, we are not responsible for your personal belongings. We urge you not bring large amounts of cash or items of value including:

  • Credit cards
  • Jewelry and other valuables
  • Medications
  • Personal papers not related to your hospitalization

Advance directives are documents that outline your wishes to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical care if you are unable to express them. Completing and signing an advance directive can help ensure that your medical providers know your choices. Please keep in mind you can always change and update your advance directives, and should bring them to all hospital visits to ensure the most current is on file.

Directives can include:

  • Living Will: Instructions on the type of life-prolonging medical care you would wish to accept or refuse
  • Health Care Proxy: Names an agent who can make medical decisions for you if you are unable
  • Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment: Outlines your Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Attempt CPR orders

To learn more about advance care planning, receive guidance, or request forms, please contact:

Case Management 518-262-3012
Spiritual Care 518-262-3176
Patient Relations 518-262-3499

Information about different advance directives is also available through the New York State Department of Health.

During Your Stay

We are accredited by both the Joint Commission and the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care for meeting or exceeding nationally recognized quality and safety standards.

To further ensure your safety, we will:

  • Ask frequent questions about your illness and other health care related issues and document the answers in your chart as a way of communicating to all members of your health care team
  • Use two identifiers: an ID band, as well as asking you to verify your name and date of birth before the start of your treatment
  • Carry out pre-procedure checks, which include review of your records and test results, and verification of your name and date of birth, the procedure you are having and the exact site of the procedure
  • Assess your risk of falling and implement prevention if needed
  • Ensure that you are on the right medication upon admission and after discharge

We urge you to ask questions if anything is unclear to you. Report any concerns you have about your care or safety right away so that we can help you.

Specially trained medical ethics consultants can help identify and address the diverse issues that can develop in modern medicine.

Their role is to assist and support, not make decisions for patients, caregivers, and families. They advocate for the best interests of the patient and often help families clarify what those interests are. The options presented by the Ethics Consultation Service are of an advisory nature only and are not binding. All services are confidential.

To request an ethics consultation, talk to your physician or nurse or call 518-262-3111 and ask for the on-call ethics consultant.

The Albany Med Health System strictly enforces a no smoking policy in our buildings and on our grounds. Ask your nurse if you are interested in resources to help you quit smoking.

New York State law requires that all providers, including the Albany Med Health System hospitals and our outpatient offices, electronically prescribe all medications, including controlled substances. Prescriptions will be securely sent to your pharmacy electronically.

Your Rights

  • Any pharmacy within a chain can fill or refill your prescription even if it was sent to a different location
  • Your medication should not be delayed. Please ask your pharmacist to contact Albany Medical Center should any issue arise

Amplified Telephones | 518-262-3759

Augmentative Communication Devices | 518-262-4526

Braille Transcription Service | 518-463-1211

Closed Caption Television Programming | 518-262-3759

Hearing Assistance Device | 518-262-4535

TYY Service | The hospital has TYY machines for individuals with speaking or hearing difficulties.

Language Assistance | Services are available by contacting Patient Relations at 518-262-3499 or Telecommunications at 518-262-3756.

B Building (Patient Pavilion) Basement Level

This Waiting Area offers loved ones a comfortable place to wait and stay abreast of your progress while in surgery. The Surgical Waiting Room is staffed by coordinators who serve as the information link between your surgeon and your family.

Visiting hours are subject to change based on community infections and hospitalizations. Any restrictions or limitations to visitation will be based on patient consent or clinical need. New York State Department of Health may also issue specific guidelines and precautions, particularly during flu season.

The most current visitation guidelines are available here.

For Your Convenience

These are delivered on a daily basis. Patients in critical care units cannot accept deliveries. In these cases, items will be kept at the nursing station until you are ready to leave the hospital.

Mail can be sent and received Monday through Friday. Mail received after you are discharged will be forwarded to you.

Parking is free for patients. Parking is available in the 40 and 60 New Scotland Avenue lots on the Albany Medical Center campus. For patients with outpatient appointments, the James J. Barba Physicians Pavilion lot is available at the A Building entrance.

Valet services are available at the Physicians Pavilion and Emergency Department entrances. Public transportation information is available at cdta.org. Discounted parking passes are available for purchase at the Gift Shop (B Building, Floor 2).

 

The pharmacy is located on Floor 1 at Albany Medical Center. It is open to the public for prescriptions, as well as discharged patients and employees of the main campus, with a variety of over-the-counter medications and other items available as well.

Monday - Friday | 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday | 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sunday | Closed

518-262-3263

A daily menu will be available based on your dietary needs. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and kosher meals are available upon request. If you have any questions, call 518-262-3205.

Wi-Fi is available and cell phones are allowed in most areas of the hospital. Signs are posted in areas where phones are prohibited. Free bedside phone service is available; call 2-6000 from the phone in your room or 518-262-6000 from a cell phone.

Cable TV (including closed-caption programming) is available on a rental basis.  To activate your service and make a payment, call 518-262-6000.

Key Bank and Broadview ATMs are located at the Choices Café entrance.

Bank of America

33 New Scotland Ave.

Key Bank

62 New Scotland Ave.

Broadview

  • E Building, Floor 1
  • 16 New Scotland Ave.

Some hotels in the area offer a reduced rate for hospital stays but may require verification of a hospital stay to apply that rate. Patients and families are encouraged to contact the hotel of their choice directly for booking. Hotel representatives can verify eligibility with hospital staff.

Choices Cafe

E Building, Floor 1
Monday - Friday | 6:15 a.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday | 6:15 a.m.-8 p.m.

Concourse Cafe

B Building, Floor 2
Open Daily | 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Dunkin'

E Building, Floor 1
Open 24/7

Subway

E Building, Floor 1
Open Daily | 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Additional off-site restaurants and dining options are available along New Scotland Avenue, including Bellini's Counter, Chipotle, Panera, the Recovery Sports Grill, and Starbucks.

For information on lost items, call 518-262-3777.

The Dr. Alfonso J. Marcelle Chapel is open 24/7. It is located in the basement level of the B Building.

Spiritual Care is available 24/7, regardless of your faith. Call 518-262-3176 or ask a staff member for more information.

Gift Shop

B Building, Floor 2
Monday - Friday | 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday | 6:15 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Thrift Shop

M Building, Basement Level
Monday - Friday | 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

 

The Ronald McDonald House offers a home-away-from-home for families of seriously sick or injured children being treated at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital. Your child’s nurse can check room availability and make arrangements for your stay should you need overnight accommodations.

Call 518-438-2655 for more information.

Going Home

When your providers determine that you are ready to leave the hospital, our nursing team, with the assistance of social workers, will determine what (if any) services you will need upon discharge and make all arrangements. This may include physical therapy, nutritional guidance, special medical equipment, or home nursing care through Albany Med Health System member Visiting Nurses.

Medications

Let your health care team know if you are interested in having prescriptions filled at Albany Medical Center before you leave.

Preparing For Your Visit to Columbia Memorial Health

To preregister, please contact the Patient Registration Department at 518-828-8392 between 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

When being admitted, please bring:

  • Comfort items
  • Personal toiletries

Please do not bring:

  • Jewelry or other valuables
  • Large sums of money
  • Radio or television
  • Medications from home, unless specifically ordered by your doctor.

If you do arrive with valuables, we have a safe available upon request. Please contact the nursing staff for assistance.

Please note: We ask that you take special care of your eyeglasses, dentures and hearing aids so they are not mistakenly discarded. Never put them on your dining tray or wrap them in a tissue.

Advance directives are documents that outline your wishes to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical care if you are unable to express them. Completing and signing an advance directive can help ensure that your medical providers know your choices. Please keep in mind you can always change and update your advance directives, and should bring them to all hospital visits to ensure the most current is on file.

Directives can include:

  • Living Will: Instructions on the type of life-prolonging medical care you would wish to accept or refuse
  • Health Care Proxy: Names an agent who can make medical decisions for you if you are unable
  • Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment: Outlines your Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Attempt CPR orders

To learn more about advance care planning, receive guidance, or request forms, please contact your nurse.

Information about different advance directives is also available through the New York State Department of Health.

During Your Stay

We hope that we were able to meet or exceed your expectations. If for some reason you or your representative have a concern about your time here, you have the right to file a complaint or grievance. We strive to resolve the majority of concerns within 7 days recognizing that some may be more complicated and require further investigation, in which case, we will keep you informed throughout the process. Your complaint or grievance may be filled either in person, by telephone, in writing, or electronically to:

The director of the unit/department where the care was provided and our Patient Representative at 518-697-3243, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

You may also contact:

New York State Department of Health
Centralized Hospital Intake Program
Mailstop: CA/DCS
Empire State Plaza Albany New York 12237
Phone: 1-800-804-5447

The Joint Commission

In keeping with our commitment to providing the highest quality care in a safe environment, Saratoga Hospital voluntarily participates in The Joint Commission's (TJC) accreditation process. TJC regularly conducts accreditation surveys of organizations to determine whether they comply with nationally established standards on quality, safety-of-care issues, and the safety of the environment in which care is provided.

The Joint Commission Action Center

Office of Quality and Patient Safety, The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, 60181
Fax: 603-792-5636

 

The Ethics Committee serves as an advisory body to patients, families, and hospital staff on matters relating to moral and ethical decisions that arise over the course of providing patient care. The Committee may review ethical issues with regard to the care of a patient at the request of any member of the hospital staff, patient, or member of the patient’s immediate family. Patients and families can connect to the Committee through the patient’s care team.

The options presented by the Ethics Consultation Service are not institutionally or legally binding.

Patients, families, and health care providers are encouraged to request the assistance of an ethics consultant when ethical or more questions arise. Most requests receive responses within 24- to 48-hours. For more information, please contact the patient’s nurse or primary care doctor.

The Albany Med Health System strictly enforces a no smoking policy on all campuses, in all buildings, and on our grounds. Ask your nurse if you are interested in resources to help you quit smoking.

The most current visitation guidelines are available here.

For Your Convenience

Parking information can be found here.

Telephone service is provided to patients free of charge, including unlimited local calls. Long-distance calls may be made by calling 800-225-5288 and charging the call to your home or credit card.

Cellular phones may be used in the hospital at a minimum distance of 5 feet from medical equipment.

Television service is available to patients in their rooms for $4/day.

We offer free public wifi to all patients and visitors.

 

An ATM is available for use 24/7 in the corridor off the lobby.

The Paul and Clara Kellner Café is open for patients, visitors, and staff:

Weekdays 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Weekends 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Visitors may request in-room meals for a fee. Notify the server or nurse if interested.

You can request a visit by a member of the clergy at any time. Messages can be relayed through your nurse. Clergy/Rabbi members representing many denominations are available.

A Respite Room is available to family members who would benefit from a room on campus to rest and recuperate while their loved one is admitted to the hospital. For more information, please contact the switchboard by dialing ‘0.’

Going Home

If you are discharged from your room but unable to leave by 11 a.m., you may be asked to wait in another area of the hospital for your transportation. This is necessary in order to allow our staff time to prepare the room for patients awaiting admission. When this happens you will no longer be considered a patient of the hospital.

Discharge planning is the process by which hospital staff work with you and your family or someone acting on your behalf to prepare and make arrangements for your care once you leave the hospital. This care may be self-care, care by family members, home health assistance, or admission to another health care facility.

Discharge planning includes assessing and identifying what your needs will be when you leave the hospital and planning for appropriate care to meet those when you are discharged.

To ensure a smooth transition at the time of discharge, a member of the Discharge Planning staff will be contacting you early in your hospital stay to discuss your discharge plans.

Preparing For Your Visit to Glens Falls Hospital

While we provide you with nearly everything you will need during your stay, it can be helpful to bring the following items:

  • Insurance cards and information
  • A list of current medications, with dosage and timing information, including over-the counter medicine, supplemental or herbal treatments. Please do not bring any medications with you to the hospital. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled, and given to you by hospital staff.

Personal Care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand. New York State Department of Health regulations prohibit the use of patient-owned electrical devices, such as hairdryers or electric razors, in the hospital. Some battery-operated options may be used with permission from your nurse.

While we are committed to ensuring a safe environment, we are not responsible for your personal belongings. Please leave valuables, including jewelry and large amounts of cash, at home. If you are unable, please ask a staff member to connect you with our Security Department, who can secure your valuables until discharge.

Advance directives are documents that outline your wishes to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical care if you are unable to express them. Completing and signing an advance directive can help ensure that your medical providers know your choices. Please keep in mind you can always change and update your advance directives, and should bring them to all hospital visits to ensure the most current is on file.

Directives can include:

  • Living Will: Instructions on the type of life-prolonging medical care you would wish to accept or refuse
  • Health Care Proxy: Names an agent who can make medical decisions for you if you are unable
  • Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment: Outlines your Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Attempt CPR orders

To learn more about advance care planning, receive guidance, or request forms, please contact our Patient Experience team at 518-926-3450.

Information about different advance directives is also available through the New York State Department of Health.

During Your Stay

We are accredited by both the Joint Commission and the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care for meeting or exceeding nationally recognized quality and safety standards.

To further ensure your safety, we will:

  • Ask frequent questions about your illness and other health care related issues and document the answers in your chart as a way of communicating to all members of your health care team
  • Use two identifiers: an ID band, as well as asking you to verify your name and date of birth before the start of your treatment
  • Carry out pre-procedure checks, which include review of your records and test results, and verification of your name and date of birth, the procedure you are having and the exact site of the procedure
  • Assess your risk of falling and implement prevention if needed
  • Ensure that you are on the right medication upon admission and after discharge

We urge you to ask questions if anything is unclear to you. Report any concerns you have about your care or safety right away so that we can help you.

Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, please contact the Patient Experience Department at 518-926-3450 or [email protected].

Sometimes a health care choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our Ethics Committee can help you and your support people navigate challenging decisions. Ethical concerns can be discussed with your care team at any time, or you can contact the Patient Experience team Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 518-926-3450.

New York State law strictly prohibits smoking anywhere on hospital grounds, and Glens Falls Hospital maintains a tobacco-free environment.  Ask your health care provider about resources to help you quit smoking.

New York State law requires that all providers, including the Albany Med Health System hospitals and our outpatient offices, electronically prescribe all medications, including controlled substances. Prescriptions will be securely sent to your pharmacy electronically.

Your Rights

  • Any pharmacy within a chain can fill or refill your prescription even if it was sent to a different location
  • Your medication should not be delayed. Please ask your pharmacist to contact Glens Falls Hospital should any issue arise

If translation services are needed, patients will receive our Video Remote Interpreting devices. These are available for languages other than English, including American Sign Language. More information is available through the Patient Experience Office at 518-926-3450 or after hours asking for the nursing supervisor.

For patients with hearing impairments, pocket talkers are available upon request. For patients with visual impairments, auditory recordings and large print copies of Transition of Care summaries are available.

Visiting hours are subject to change based on community infections and hospitalizations. Any restrictions or limitations to visitation will be based on patient consent or clinical need. New York State Department of Health may also issue specific guidelines and precautions, particularly during flu season.

Visitors are asked to observe Quiet Times daily from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. to allow for rest and recuperation.

Glens Falls Hospital encourages the use of virtual visitation, and will provide iPads to those interested. For more information, please contact Patient Experience at 518-926-3450.

To ensure the safety and security of all patients, visitors, and staff, all visitors are greeted by Security at all entrances, and asked for photo ID. They will then be issued a visitor badge to allow access. Visitors are advised:

  • Glens Falls Hospital maintains a smoke-free campus
  • All visitors are asked to wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after visiting patients
  • Do not use bathrooms in patient rooms – staff can direct you to the nearest public restroom
  • Firearms and other weapons are not permitted on hospital property, except in the case of on-duty law enforcement

Patients have the right to choose and prioritize visitors, and choose a support person to be present throughout their stay, unless it impacts patient health or safety.

For Your Convenience

Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by individual florists. Please note: flowers are not allowed in the Intensive Care units.

Hospital volunteers will deliver mail and packages, and items received after you leave the hospital will be forwarded to your home.

Valet parking is available free for patients and visitors at:

West Entrance
Monday - Friday
6:45 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Pruyn Pavilion Entrance
Monday  - Friday
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The outpatient pharmacy is located in the Tower Lobby.
Monday – Friday / 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Meals are prepared with your needs in mind, and a clerk will ask you daily for your meal selections. If you have any questions, please call 518-926-2614.

Meals are served as follows:
Breakfast 7 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Lunch Noon to 1:15 p.m.
Dinner 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Cell phones are allowed in most areas of the hospital. However, taking photos or videos in patient care areas is not permitted.

Glens Falls Hospital provides a phone for each patient bed, allowing patients to be contacted directly by dialing 518-926-plus your extension. To make a call, dial 9 before the number you are trying to reach. For 1-800 or long distance calls, please dial 0 for the operator for more information.

ATMs are located in the Tower lobby and near the cafeteria on the lower level of the hospital.

Some hotels in the area offer a reduced rate for hospital stays but may require verification of a hospital stay to apply that rate. Patients and families are encouraged to contact the hotel of their choice directly for booking. Hotel representatives can verify eligibility with hospital staff.

Cafeteria
Near central elevators, lower level
Monday – Friday / 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Accepts cash, Visa and Mastercard

Pico Mini Market
Outside cafeteria entrance
Open 24/7
Credit card only

Guest meals are available for family and visitors for a fee, delivered to the patient’s bedside at normal meal delivery times. Please call 518-926-2614.

For information on lost items, please ask your nurse to connect you with Lost and Found or call the Security Department at 518-926-2740.

A certified chaplain is available to hospital patients—please speak to your nurse or call 518-926-3531.

Clergy of all major religions are welcome to visit you in the hospital, if you wish. The Albany dioceses of the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches provide a chaplain for members of their faith communities.

A list of patients and their religious affiliation is provided to visiting clergy. If you choose to opt out of that directory your information will not be shared.

The Gift Atrium can be found in the Tower Lobby. 518-926-2790

Monday – Friday / 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday / 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Amanda's House offers accommodations for Glens Falls Hospital patients and their families who have traveled a distance for health care. For more information, including eligibility requirements, please visit Amanda's House or call 518-792-7212.

Going Home

The Glens Falls Hospital Care Management Department’s case managers and social workers ensure patients receive medically appropriate services during and after hospitalization. Our goal is a seamless transition to the next level of care, whether post-acute rehabilitation or home. If you have questions about the discharge planning process or wish to speak to your case manager, please contact your nurse.

Your Glens Falls Hospital team may reach out within 48 to 72 hours of being discharged. One of our nurses or other staff members will confirm you:

  • Understand your discharge instructions
  • Made follow-up appointments
  • Filled any prescriptions

They will also answer any questions you may have.

Once you leave our care, we will seek your feedback through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. This survey is a tool to measure and report patient satisfaction. It is made up of questions on key care topics such as:

  • Doctor and nurse communication
  • Medicine and discharge information
  • Staff responsiveness
  • Overall quality of the hospital environment

Inpatients may receive a survey from Press Ganey through the mail, email or text message.

Please consider completing these surveys. The results help us know what we are doing right and areas we can improve.

Preparing For Your Visit to Saratoga Hospital

While we will provide you with nearly everything you will need during your stay, it can be helpful to bring the following items with you:

• Insurance cards and information
• A list of the medications you are taking, along with the dosages and timing. Please do not bring medications with you. Your medications list can also include the name of your prescribing doctor and pharmacy, any drug allergies or side effects you've experienced while taking them, and if you are taking any over-the-counter medications or supplemental or herbal treatments.

We are committed to ensuring a safe environment, but we are not responsible for your personal belongings. We urge you not bring large amounts of cash or items of value including:
• Credit cards
• Jewelry and other valuables
• Medications
• Personal papers not related to your hospitalization

Advance directives are documents that outline your wishes to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical care if you are unable to express them. Completing and signing an advance directive can help ensure that your medical providers know your choices. Please keep in mind you can always change and update your advance directives, and should bring them to all hospital visits to ensure the most current is on file.

Directives can include:

  • Living Will: Instructions on the type of life-prolonging medical care you would wish to accept or refuse
  • Health Care Proxy: Names an agent who can make medical decisions for you if you are unable
  • Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment: Outlines your Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Attempt CPR orders

To learn more about advance care planning, receive guidance, or request forms, please contact your nurse or the Spiritual Care office at 518-580-2625.

Information about different advance directives is also available through the New York State Department of Health.

During Your Stay

We hope that we were able to meet or exceed your expectations. If for some reason you or your representative have a concern about your time here, you have the right to file a complaint or grievance. We strive to resolve the majority of concerns within 7 days recognizing that some may be more complicated and require further investigation, in which case, we will keep you informed throughout the process. Your complaint or grievance may be filled either in person, by telephone, in writing, or electronically to:

The Director of the unit/department where the care was provided and/or the following:

Patient Representative
Quality Support Services
211 Church Street
Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866
Phone: 518-580-4182
Email: [email protected]

New York State Department of Health
Centralized Hospital Intake Program
Mailstop: CA/DCS
Empire State Plaza Albany New York 12237
Phone: 1-800-804-5447

The Joint Commission

In keeping with our commitment to providing the highest quality care in a safe environment, Saratoga Hospital voluntarily participates in The Joint Commission's (TJC) accreditation process. TJC regularly conducts accreditation surveys of organizations to determine whether they comply with nationally established standards on quality, safety-of-care issues, and the safety of the environment in which care is provided.

The Joint Commission Action Center

Office of Quality and Patient Safety, The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, 60181
Fax: 603-792-5636

Medicare beneficiaries have the right to seek review by the QIO for quality of care issues, coverage decisions, and to appeal a premature discharge by the Medicare patient review organization:

Livanta
Phone: 1-866-815-5440

The Albany Med Health System strictly enforces a no smoking policy on all campuses, in all buildings, and on our grounds. Ask your nurse if you are interested in resources to help you quit smoking.

New York State law requires that all providers, including the Albany Med Health System hospitals and our outpatient offices, electronically prescribe all medications, including controlled substances. Prescriptions will be securely sent to your pharmacy electronically.

Your Rights
• Any pharmacy within a chain can fill or refill your prescription even if it was sent to a different location
• Your medication should not be delayed. Please ask your pharmacist to contact Saratoga Hospital should any issue arise

Language Line services are available for all patients. If you or a family member are a patient in our hospital, please let your nurse know an interpreter is needed. This service is available free of charge.

Visitation guidelines are updated regularly to best protect our patients, our staff, and our community. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our Visitor's Policy.

For more information including unit-specific guidelines, please call 518-587-3222.

We offer and encourage technology-based options to connect with patients in the hospital. Please contact the patient's care unit at 518-587-3222 and request to speak with the charge nurse for more information.

It is not possible to anticipate every instance that may give rise to a clinically appropriate rationale for a restriction or limitation. Our staff will exercise their best clinical judgment in determining when visitation is or is not appropriate. Clinical judgment will take into account all aspects of the patient's health.

For Your Convenience

Hospital volunteers deliver mail daily to patient rooms. Any mail received after discharge will be forwarded to your home.

Saratoga Hospital offers free valet parking service for patients and visitors from the main entrance off Church Street. Valet is available Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A map of all parking options is available here.

For more information, please call 518-886-5651.

Saratoga Hospital offers free Wi-Fi to our patients and visitors.

Saratoga Hospital Cafeteria is located on the Ground Floor.

Hours:

Monday – Friday 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m.
Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Please contact our Public Safety Department at 518-580-2550 or [email protected].

Through our Department of Spiritual Care, we meet the spiritual and religious needs of you and your family members. We offer a wide range of services to support the spiritual dimension of healing. We also are available to assist you as you face the difficult decisions that sometimes accompany hospitalization and long-term care.

Spiritual care services are available 24/7.

Please call 518-580-2625 or 518-580-2628 during business hours and the Hospital operator (dial ‘0’) after hours for assistance in reaching a chaplain.

The Gift Shoppe is located off the main lobby on the first floor. It is operated by the Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild, with all profits donated for Hospital improvements, scholarships, medical library books, and community projects.

For more information, please call 518-580-2610.

Hours:

Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday Noon – 4 p.m.

Rapid Response

At any time, if you or your loved one feels that you need additional medical attention, dial "0" from any hospital phone and request the Rapid Response Team.

Voicing Your Concerns

For issues that you believe may represent acts of non-compliance such as fraudulent of abusive billing practices or possible violations of federal or state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you may contact Albany Medical Health System's Corporate Compliance Hotline at 518-264-TIPP (8477).

If you or a family member have a complaint that cannot be resolved by our clinical staff, contact Patient Relations at 518-262-3499.  

You can also contact the Joint Commission or New York State Department of Health.

Joint Commission
Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
[email protected]

New State Department of Health
Centralized Hospital Intake Program, Mailstop: CA/DCS
Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY  12237
1-800-804-5447

If you have a matter that involves fraud, waste, abuse or compliance, please call our compliance hotline at 800-975-9427. You may also contact:

Federal Department of Health & Human Services
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Office of Inspector General
Attn: OIG Hotline Operations
P.O. Box 23489
Washington, D.C. 20026
Hotline: 800-447-8477
TTY: 800-377-4950
Fax: 800-223-8164
http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud

Office of Medicaid Inspector General
NYS OMIG Bureau of Medicaid Fraud Allegations
800 N. Pearl Street
Albany, N.Y. 12204
Phone: 877-873-7283
Fax: 518-408-0480
[email protected]