When you choose Lourdes Health System hospitals, be assured that our mission is to ensure you have the safest and most comfortable experience possible. When you arrive, you should receive a copy of our patient handbook that will guide you and your loved ones around our hospitals, and familiarize you with all of our services. Each of our locations has unique features but here are quick links to what you can expect.
Patient Dining
Lourdes Nutrition Services at Lourdesis committed to providing you with high quality, nutritious meals. We are pleased tohelp make your dining experiences both pleasant and enjoyable.
- Choosing Your Meals
At Lourdes you can expect a nutrition care assistant to help you with your dietary needs, as directed by your physician. Meal trays are delivered three times a day, but the precise time of your meal delivery may vary slightly, depending on the unit in which you are hospitalized. Please ask your nurse if you require a meal missed while undergoing testing, or if you need additional snacks or drinks. - Kosher and Vegetarian Meals
Please let your nutrition care assistant know if you have any religious, ethnic orother special diet restrictions. Although we do not prepare kosher trays or meals, wedo provide frozen kosher meals intact. Lourdes does not keep a kosher kitchen forfood preparation and handling. Lourdes does not accept responsibility of ensuringthat the tray items meet their religious standards of kosher. Disposable dishes andutensils are available upon request.
Hair Care
Hair dressing and other grooming services by licensed beauticians and barbers are available to you for a fee. To arrange for hair styling or a cut, please contact Patient Relations.
Newspapers and Magazines
A complimentary copy of the local newspaper is delivered daily to patient rooms. In addition, newspapers, magazines, books and other reading material are available in the gift shop. Additional reading material also is available via a library cart staffed by hospital volunteers.
Mail and Flowers
Any gifts, flowers or items arriving for you will be delivered to your room daily.Any items that arrive after discharge will be forwarded to your home.
Telephone and Television Services
Telephone and television services are provided automatically to all patients. The telephone is provided free for local calls only (856 and 609 area codes). Other calls will require a calling card. All phones are equipped with a control to make the sound louder.The TV fee is a daily rate of $5 per patient. If you have Verizon home telephoneservice, your TV charges will be billed to your home telephone bill. (It will appearon the phone bill as HOSP TEL CHG.) If you do not have Verizon, you will receive a separate bill. You may choose to decline these services.
Wireless Internet Access
Lourdes offers free wireless Internet access to patients, families and visitors at both Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden, and Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, Willingboro.
Be assured that the networks have the highest security standards and are separate from the hospital network. In no way will guest users be able to access the hospital data network, hospital information systems or confidential patient information.
Most laptops will pick up the wireless connection from most spots in the hospital as soon as you turn on your computer. Simply select “CHE-Guest” from the list of available networks, accept our terms and conditions and you are on your way.
Environmental Services
Prior to your admission, your room was thoroughly cleaned. Expect a member of our staff to clean your room each day. Please inform your nurse if something in your room needs repair. A member of the Maintenance Department will be called to make the necessary repairs.
Your care and comfort are of the utmost importance.
Your Care Team
We recognize that our teams are large and sometimes it is difficult to tell one person from another. All staff members are instructed to introduce themselves when they greet you.
Your physician will visit you daily during his or her “rounds.” You also can reach your physician by alerting nurses in your area. You also may be seen by a“hospitalist” or “intensivist.” These are physicians whose primary focus is caringfor hospitalized patients. They are on site to respond immediately to a patient’s condition.
A nurse will be assigned to assess your needs and coordinate your care. Your nurse will work closely with other members of the care team to ensure you receive appropriate and timely care. All of our registered nurses wear navy blue uniforms or “scrubs.” You also may be seen by other clinical professionals. They may include physical, occupational, speech or respiratory therapists, dietitians and social workers.
Emphasis on Quality
Quality is everything. That’s how Lourdes thinks. A hospital and health system must prove its excellence every day, in all facets of its service.
Lourdes has never looked at quality as a new idea. It doesn’t come from the latest gimmick or catchy campaign. Instead quality serves as a guiding principle in all of the health system’s decisions, investments and interactions.
And it shows through in Lourdes’ ratings and in programs – and in its patients’ health and experiences, for which the goal is to deliver the right interventions, keep patients safe, listen to patients, and provide equitable care.
Learn more about our quality and ratings here.
Pastoral Care
Being in a hospital can be a time of celebration and healing, but is often a time of uncertainty, change and even loss. Our interfaith team of chaplains is here to support your beliefs and practices. Bedside visits, the comfort of the scripture and a healing hand on the brow are all part of this ministry. The sacraments of Anointing of the Sick, Holy Communion and Reconciliation are available. Efforts are made to identify and meet the needs of all religious traditions represented by patients in the Medical Center.You may request a chaplain at any time.
Integrated Care Management
Case managers and social workers are available to assist you and your familyduring and after your hospital stay. Services include discharge planning,community referrals and patient/family counseling. You may request to see a case manager and social worker at any time.
Patient Education
Patient education is an integral part of preparing you for discharge and begins when you are admitted to the medical center. Your healthcare team will work with you to determine your education needs and provide you or your caregiver with the knowledge and skills you need to complete your recovery at home. If you have a chronic disease, our staff can provide you with the knowledge and skills to manage that disease in a manner that can improve the quality of your life. Our TV channel also provides patient education programming.
Patient Relations
Respect and dignity are values of utmost importance to all of us here at Lourdes. Our Patient Relations department actively strives to achieve these values by having a patient representative make visits to our patients and their families. A representative is available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. The patient representative is an advocate for your rights and responsibilities through out your stay. You can contact one of our patient representatives directly at any time.
Language Translation Assistance & Deaf Assistance Services
Assistance is available for patients and families who do not speak English, are deaf or hard of hearing. Services provided for deaf or hard of hearing may include, but not be limited to, a qualified sign language interpreter, telecommunication device, and/or telephone amplification equipment. All services are provided free of charge.
Challenging Medical and Ethical Decisions
Lourdes has a multidisciplinary Bioethics Committee to review ethical issues and concerns. The committee does not make decisions. It only advises and educates patientsand families on their options. The ultimate medical decisions belong to the patient, the family or designee. If you are struggling with a concern, do not hesitate to call the hospital operator who will assist.
If you have an ethical concern or question about medical decisions, we are here to help you. Please call 856-757-3763.
You play an important role in your health care. An advance directive expresses your decisions about the type of care you would want to receive if you are unable to make your wishes known. If you already have an advance directive, please give a copy to your doctor or nurse. If you do not, ask your nurse for one. A member of the nursing staff, Patient Relations, Integrated Care Management or Pastoral Care can help you fill it out.
Going Home
As the day of your departure approaches, you can make everything run smoothly by making some preparations in advance. Your physician will tell you your estimated day and time of departure so that you may notify family members or friends when to bring you home. A nurse or doctor will provide instructions about your care after leaving the hospital. These instructions may include medication requirements. Understanding your discharge instructions are key to your continuing recovery.
Before leaving your room:
- Review your discharge guidelines with your doctor or nurse, and ask questions you may have about your home care.
- Let your nurse know if you need assistance with packing.
- Collect/pick-up your prescription and referral information and schedule follow-up appointments.
- Remember to take any equipment or supplies provided to you by your therapists.
- Talk to your nurse about reclaiming your valuables left with security.
- If you need transportation by taxi or ambulance, speak to your nurse to make arrangements.
Continuing Your Care After Discharge
The discharge planning process is an important part of your treatment at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Physicians, nurses, case managers and social workers will work with you during your stay to find ways to make your transition from the hospital to your home as smooth and easy as possible.
A variety of continuing care and support group options are available once you leave the medical center. Our staff will notify you of available resources as part of the discharge process.
Outpatient Scheduling
Following your treatment at Lourdes, your physician may recommend that you return to one of our facilities for additional testing or a procedure. The Lourdes Health System offers three easy and convenient ways to schedule your outpatient procedure.
- By fax – Your physician’s office may fax your prescription directly to our schedulers, who will contact you to schedule your appointment.
- By phone – Call 1-877-APPT-LHS (1-877-277-8547) to schedule all of your appointments at one time. Hours: Weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to noon.
- Online – Visit the Lourdes Health System website at www.lourdesnet.org. Click on the “For Patients” section and then “Schedule Your Outpatient Testing and Appointments.”
Patient Compliments and Feedback
If you are concerned with any aspect of your care or have any ideas for improvement, please bring them to the attention of the nurse manager on your unit. You also can contact the Patient Relations department by calling the hospital operator or email us at [email protected].
After you leave the hospital, you may receive a call about your experience as well as a patient satisfaction survey in the mail. Please complete the survey and return it. These are very important tools as we continually strive for ways to improve care at Lourdes.
Your Insurance and Bill
Prior to or when you arrive at the hospital, we will ask you for your insurance information. Our Admissions department will make every effort to notify your insurance company that you are a patient here and obtain authorization, if necessary, for your hospitalization.
If at any time prior to, during, or after your stay, you have questions regarding your visit or need assistance with your hospital account, please do not hesitate to contact Lourdes Patient Financial Services at 1-888-277-8356 or 856-824-3000. We will make every effort to assist you in arranging for payment of your obligation through third-party insurance coverage, public and private assistance programs and charitable care funds for those patients who may be eligible. For more information about Charity Assistance in New Jersey, please read this fact sheet.
We support price transparency. For our patients to understand their potential financial liability for hospital services, we are making our hospital charges available to patients. Hospital charges vary based on the type of care provided. The price can differ from patient to patient for the same services. The price will be different for complications or different treatment for the patient’s personal health condition. Patients also may qualify for financial assistance. Please contact 856-824-3114 or send an email to [email protected] for a price estimate or to find out if you qualify for financial assistance. To help expedite your request to obtain an estimate when calling or emailing please provide us with the following: Name, Address, Date of Birth, Insurance Name and ID number, all CPT codes for any testing and ICD-9 or diagnosis codes.
Observation Status
When looking through your hospital documents and insurance statements, you may notice the term “observation.” Observation is a billing technique which permits patients who have certain conditions which might not qualify for a hospital stay to remain in the hospital for a specified period of time while we monitor and/or treat you. Your physician will determine if you need to be admitted as an inpatient. If your physician decides that your care can be performed in a less acute setting (not a hospital), you will be released, possibly with home care service, if necessary.
