Preadmission Testing And The Admission Process | During Your Hospital Stay
Before You Leave | Payment | Your Opinion Counts

At Susquehanna Health System, our mission is to provide high quality, accessible, compassionate and cost effective healthcare. As a patient or family member of a patient, be assured that we are committed to carrying out this mission every day in our System. This commitment has been formally recognized at the state and national levels.

Examples of some of these recent honors include:

• Money magazine lists three of our surgeons as best in the northeast for neck and back surgery.
• According to the journal of the American Hospital Association, SHS is one of the nation’s 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Healthcare Systems.
• A national inpatient satisfaction survey conducted by Press, Ganey Associates, Inc., ranks the quality of our nursing care in the top three percent in the state of Pennsylvania and in the top six percent for the skill of our physicians.
• The System’s Orthopedic Service was recognized in Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the national award winners according to “the 100 Top Hospitals: Orthopedic Benchmarks For Success Study.”.

With more healthcare information being available today, patients are becoming more involved in their care. However, your involvement means more than just having the information. Your active participation is the key. And along with Susquehanna Health System’s commitment to our mission, this creates the ideal environment for you to receive care.

Please accept this guide to help you become an active participant in your healthcare. After reading it, you will be prepared for the steps that occur before, during and after your care.

When you come to one of our hospitals to receive care, you may first meet with one of our staff members from the Admissions department. Please bring the following information:

Insurance Information

To insure accurate billing and prevent future problems, bring all of your insurance information with you including the type of insurance you have and your account number.

Medical History

Your medical history may have been already sent to us but you should still be ready to share information about your illnesses, operations, family history of illness and the names of your doctors.

Medicine

In order for us to prepare for any possible medicine interactions, please bring a list of all the medicine you take including over-the-counter, prescriptions and vitamins or herbals. Also, please bring all of your prescription bottles with you. Let us know the time and amount you take as well as any previous reactions you have experienced.

Preferences

Make sure you bring an advance directive if you have one. This document can be a living will or a healthcare power of attorney and it allows you to state your preferences for care if your medical condition becomes too serious for you to make medical decisions. Please tell the Admissions staff if you don’t have this type of document but would like to have one.

Remember also to leave all of your valuables including jewelry and cash at home. We are not responsible for valuables which you keep with you.

If you are staying overnight as an inpatient, it is important for you to understand what will happen while you are here and be involved in any decisions about your healthcare. We encourage you to ask our staff or your doctor questions. All members of our staff wear Susquehanna Health System badges with their names and titles. You may also ask these individuals for further educational materials such as brochures or videos.

If you begin taking medicine during your stay, it is important to understand what you are taking, when to take it and possible reactions. To be an active participant, watch for any changes and always remember to discuss these with a member of our healthcare staff caring for you.

You will receive a wrist bracelet with your name on it. Please don’t be offended if a staff member asks to see it. This is to protect you. You may be in many different areas of the hospital and seen by many different people. We just want to be sure you are in the correct place and on schedule for any procedures you need.

Before you go home, a member of our healthcare staff will talk with you and your loved ones about your future needs. You will receive what we call a discharge plan. This may include instructions about diet, exercise, medications, changes you will need to make at home, work or in school and follow-up visits. Our staff may also advise you about home care options such as home medical equipment or home care nursing or provide you with a list of local social service agencies that may be able to respond to your needs.

Once you return home, you will receive a bill from Susquehanna Health System in the mail. This bill includes costs of the services you received in our System as well as the costs for your doctor. If you have any questions at all please call 570-326-8196 or 800-433-0816 and one of our billing staff members will speak with you.

After receiving services at Susquehanna Health System, you will receive a patient satisfaction survey. Please take a moment to complete this confidential questionnaire. Just place this preaddressed and postage paid survey in the mail. We appreciate your honest feedback. Telling us about your experiences or helping us see what areas can be improved upon is another way you can become an active participant in your healthcare.