Your Room at South Texas Health System Edinburg
Your room includes a bedside stand for your belongings such as toiletries, an over-bed table and a nurse call button which rings at the nurses’ station and can be answered by intercom. Your bed has an electrical control enabling you to raise or lower your feet and head for comfort. There is an emergency button in your bathroom should you require assistance.
Bed Rails
If your bed has side rails, they may be kept up at night or after you have been given anesthetics or medication that may dull your senses. Although it may seem unnecessary as you begin to feel better, we encourage you to use the side rails and call for assistance when getting out of bed.
Mail, Flowers, Newspapers
Any mail and flowers addressed to you will be delivered to your room. Fresh flowers and live plants are not allowed in the ICU or areas caring for oncology. If you need to send a letter during your stay, please notify your nurse. He or she will see that it is delivered to the hospital mailroom. Newspapers are complimentary on all campuses.
Television
We currently offer Time-Warner expanded cable service to our patients at no cost. Close captioning is available upon request. We also offer internal education channels.
Valuables
We do not accept responsibility for valuables left in your room, so please give money, medications, credit cards, wallets, jewelry, etc. to a family member or close friend to take home. If this is not an option, ask your nurse to assist in securing your valuables in the hospital safe. Items will be inventoried and a claim ticket will be provided to you. Valuables also include wheel chairs, prosthetics and other personal assistive devices. Whenever possible, we utilize hospital-owned assistive devices, and ask that personal assistive devices be taken home until time of discharge. If these items are necessary for the care of the patient, they must be labeled and secured in the patient’s room.
Eyeglasses, Dentures and Hearing Aids
Eyeglasses, dentures and hearing aids are an important part of your life. These items require special care. Be sure not to leave any of these items on your meal tray or lying on your bed or pillow, as they may be inadvertently disposed of or lost. South Texas Health System Edinburg is not responsible for loss or damage of these items.
Telephones
A phone is provided for patients with no charge for local calls. Your phone is located at your bedside. To make a call, press “9” plus the telephone number. To make a long distance call, press 9+0+number you are calling. All long distance calls must be made collect or charged to a credit/calling card. Calls cannot be charged to your room. To reach the hospital operator, press “0”. The patient’s room can be dialed directly at South Texas Health System Edinburg. Ask your nurse for details.
To call directly to a patient room, dial the prefix plus the room number.
In order to allow our patients maximum rest, phone calls after 10 p.m. and before 8 a.m. will be automatically routed to the nurses’ station.