At Halifax Health we want all patients to be comfortable and have easy access to information. We have tried to anticipate the needs and circumstances of our patients and their families by providing as many services as possible.
Registration & Admissions
Admitting and Registration Department
Scope of Service
The Admitting and Registration Department provides service to Halifax Medical Center's physicians, patients and their families and other departments. Admission or Outpatient registration reservations are obtained in advance or on an emergent basis, and patient and registrations are processed. The registration process includes financial counseling, insurance verification and pre-registration. Registration is accomplished through an interview and inputting relevant data into the Hospital's computer system. Accurate data is essential to the subsequent care and business functions. At the same time, signatures for consent are obtained. Information is provided on Advanced Directive, Patient Rights and Healthcare Surrogate. Patients are encouraged to complete and Advance Directive and Healthcare Surrogate at the time of admission.
Room control provides coordination of patient placement with all units of the hospital to include oncology, surgical, intensive care, cardiac care and medical services. Room assignments are primarily based upon medical need of the patient at the physician's direction. Optimal use of the available beds will be overriding factor in this decision making process to ensure availability of resources for additional patients, especially those being admitted through the Emergency Department. Close coordination with Patient Services (Nursing) facilitates this objective and provides for the most appropriate match between patient needs and specialty expertise of a clinical nature.
Philosophy of Patient Care Services
The primary purpose of Patient Care Services is to provide holistic and therapeutic care to each patient/family/significant other. It is our intent to provide the highest quality of care to meet the total needs of the patient in an individualized, humanistic manner at a reasonable cost. The Patient Care Services are responsive to the changing needs of the health care industry while maintaining and supporting the hospital's commitment to excellence in patient care. Patient rights will be represented, and an environment conducive to minimal restraint use will be fostered.
Definition of Patient Care Services
Patient Care Services are provided by those departments that have direct contact with patients and families. Support services are provided by staff and departments which may not have direct contact with patients, but support the care provided by the hands-on care giver.
Insurance Information
About Your Bill
We understand that billing and collection for healthcare services can be confusing. For assistance with billing questions, please call the Patient Financial Services department at 800.466.9670. If you would like to receive an estimate of charges to determine if you might be eligible for financial assistance programs, please contact a Financial Counselor at 800.466.9670.
Insurance Plans Accepted at Halifax Health
Halifax Health accepts many different insurance plans. It is important to note that physician fees are billed separately. Contact your physician to locate the managed care plans he or she accepts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read more to find the answers to your billing and insurance questions.
Medical Records
Health Information Management
The Health Information Management Department is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Health Information Management maintains an adequate medical record for each individual who is evaluated or treated as an inpatient, ambulatory care patient, or emergency patient. We ensure that medical records are documented accurately, in a timely manner and are readily accessible for providing patient care. We safeguard both the record and its informational contents against loss, defacement, tampering or unauthorized disclosure to protect the patient, the medical staff, and the hospital.
Visitors Presenting at Information Desk
Visitors that identify a patient by name may be given room number and general (one-word) condition unless the patient has requested confidential status.
Information disclosed to visitors must not include the nature of treatment or medical condition.
No information will be given to visitors asking about patients located in a behavioral or substance abuse unit.
All media representatives will be referred to Communications.
If a patient has been given confidential status, or there are other indications that warrant privacy restrictions, Information Desk personnel
will:
- Respond with "I am sorry, there is no patient by that name in our system."
- If feasible, call the unit where the patient is located and request instructions.
Visitors not satisfied with a response to their query should be referred to the Hospital Manager, Administrative Patient Advocate, or Administrator-On-Call.
Delivery Personnel (Florists, Food, Packages)
Only members of the workforce (employed or volunteer) will be allowed to deliver items to nursing units or treatment areas.
Companies responsible for delivering flowers or gifts will be encouraged to: verify in advance that the recipient is in the hospital and able to receive flowers; and arrange delivery times according to the hospital's internal delivery schedule; and obtain an alternate delivery address for the item in the event the patient is discharged or otherwise unable to receive the item.
Items to be delivered to patients are to be left in a designated location for delivery by facility volunteer staff.
Items will be delivered daily by volunteer staff at these times:
| Monday - Friday |
11 AM & 3 PM |
| Saturday |
11 AM |
| Sundays and Major Holidays |
No deliveries will be made |
When an item cannot be delivered, the company will be called to pick up the item.
Halifax Health will provide aid and/or escort for patients or visitors with disabilities as needed.
Escort Assistance
When an unaccompanied disabled individual present themselves, the person to whom they are presented, i.e., Security, Information Desk Receptionist, Admitting, Registrar, Emergency Department Registrar, will call Escort Service at (#3185), 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM for someone to escort the person to his/her destination. If being admitted, the patient will be assisted through the admitting process (including all necessary pre-admitting testing) and finally to the patient's room. The escort will be considerate of the patient's need for information as they are being escorted.
If Patient/Visitor Escort is unavailable, individual department will be responsible for transporting. The Hospital Manager on evenings and nights will be available for special situations.
Patients/visitors with a disability may bring a guide dog or service animal to the hospital. The person escorting the patient/visitor will assist in the care of the animal as needed.
Patient Mail
Only members of the workforce (employees and volunteers) will be permitted to deliver mail directly to nursing units or treatment areas. Patient mail (including hard copy email messages) will be forwarded to the Information Desk for delivery to nursing units. Stamped mail or packages that cannot be delivered to the addressee will be returned to the mailroom marked "undeliverable." The item will be returned to the sender with outgoing mail.
Email and unstamped mail or packages that cannot be delivered will be forwarded to the last known address of the patient. If forwarding is not feasible, the item will be returned to the sender. If neither forwarding or return of the item are feasible, the item will be retained for 30 days, and if unclaimed after 30 days, processed in accordance with the hospital's unclaimed property procedures.
Telephone Calls to Main Switchboard
Switchboard operators may acknowledge that a patient is in the hospital to persons that ask for a patient by name, unless the patient has confidential status. Patient location will not be disclosed by switchboard operators, unless the caller identifies him- or herself as a practitioner treating the patient.
Callers may be transferred to the patient room or treatment area where the patient is located. Calls will be transferred in a way that does not disclose specific patient location.
Calls received after 11 PM will be forwarded to the nursing unit.
For patients in confidential status, switchboard operators will respond, "I am sorry, no - patient by that name is listed in our system." If the caller is not satisfied with this response, the operator will offer to transfer the caller to the Hospital Manager or Administrative Patient Advocate.
Telephone Calls to Patient Rooms
Patients have a right to receive and make telephone calls and to access protective services outside the hospital via telephone. The following telephone system features may be used to help ensure that patients are not unduly disturbed by unwanted telephone calls. Use of these features is strictly optional. Some planning and coordination may be needed to use them effectively.
A patient phone may be set to forward calls to another extension or outside line as follows:
| To activate forwarding |
From the phone to be forwarded, press #91, then the number or extension |
| To cancel forwarding |
At the phone that has been forwarded, a broken dial tone will indicate forwarding is active. Press ##91 to deactivate; a confirmation tone will be heard. |
| Note: Once forwarding is active, all calls to the phone will be forwarded until the feature is canceled. Before using this feature, ensure that a reliable process is in place to cancel call forwarding after the patient is discharged. |
|
A patient phone may be set to "Do Not Disturb" as follows:
| To activate Do-Not-Disturb (DND) |
On the patient phone, dial #5. A confirmation tone will be heard. Calls may be transferred to the line, but the phone will not ring. The caller will hear a ring tone as if the phone is unanswered. |
| To cancel DND |
At the phone where DND is activated, a broken dial tone will be heard. To deactivate, dial ##5. A confirmation tone will be heard when the feature has been canceled. |
| Notes: Before using this feature, ensure that a reliable process is in place to cancel DND after the patient is discharged.
DND on a patient phone may also be activated by the switchboard operator.
If the patient phone has DND activated and is on the same switch as a nursing station display phone, the display phone will indicate that the DND has been activated when the patient phone extension is dialed. |
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Chaplain Services
Halifax Health provides pastoral care to the patients, families, and employees of our hospital community through the service of full-time staff chaplains. The chaplains function in a non-sectarian, non-denominational manner while serving the hospital community. They assist persons in dealing with the emotional and psychological, theological and spiritual dimensions of illness and trauma; dying and death; ethical and moral issues; and other concerns.
If a patient, family member, or employee has any spiritual or special needs or worries, he/she may receive assistance from the chaplain or pastor.
The Pastoral Care Department can be reached by calling extension 4138, or by calling the operator who will than contact the chaplain.
Patient's Personal Clergy
Members of the clergy need not identify a patient by name, and may receive a roster of patients who have provided a preference for the religion represented by the clergy member. The roster may include location and general condition, but no additional medical information such as reason for admission or surgical procedure. Clergy members must present themselves in person to receive this information.
