Important Information You Should Know

Advance Health Care Directive

For more information about advance directives, please ask your nurse or social worker or call the Department of Social Work at 610-648-1206.

Bioethics Committee
The Bioethics Committee is available to patients and family members to discuss bioethical issues that may arise in the course of care. The Bioethics Committee consists of physicians, nurses, a social worker, an administrator and clergy. To ensure your privacy, all Bioethics Committee business is kept strictly confidential. To arrange for a special meeting, ask your nurse, physician, social worker or case manager.

Organ Donation
Recent legislation requires hospitals to notify the Gift of Life Donor Program upon every impending death to determine a person's suitability as an organ and/or tissue donor. Sharing your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation with your family, and including your wishes in your Living Will, releases your family from making a difficult decision on your behalf. Our staff can assist you and your family with questions about organ and tissue donation. Our organization is a member of the Gift of Life Donor Program.

Patient Advocate/Patient Complaints
Our staff is available to help you and your family with questions or complaints concerning your stay and to explain hospital policies and procedures. Main Line Hospitals encourages you and your family to openly communicate with your physicians, nurses, and other caregivers to resolve your questions and concerns. The Hospital wants you and your family to feel comfortable raising questions, concerns, complaints, or issues. To assist you, you may contact the hospital's  Patient Advocate at ext. 1098.

If your questions, concerns, complaints, or issues are not addressed to your satisfaction through contacts with your physician, caregivers, or other staff, you may use the Hospital's Compliant/Grievance Policy by contacting the Hospital's Quality Department by telephone or in writing. A copy of the Policy will promptly be provided to you upon your request.
Paoli Hospital
Quality Improvement Department
255 Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
Phone: (610) 560-8115
Fax:(610) 647-0450

Chaplaincy Services
Because spiritual concerns are typically a part of illness or injury, the hospital interfaith chaplain and volunteers (clergy and lay of various faiths) are available to visit you and your family to help meet your needs. Contact the chaplain's office with requests regarding spiritual needs. You can expect a response within 24 hours or almost immediately in emergency situations. The hospital chaplain is supplemental to your own clergy. If you have need, the chaplain's office is able to contact clergy of your faith to visit and help with your concerns.

An Interfaith Meditation room is available and open 24 hours a day and located on the first floor of the hospital.
Paoli Hospital Spiritual Support Line, ext. 1553. 

Blood Bank
The blood used at the hospital for blood transfusions is provided by the American Red Cross and has been tested for hepatitis and the AIDS antibody. As a further assurance to you, our staff of Blood Bank technologists also performs extensive and exacting tests, including blood type matching, before any transfusion is administered. Although there is no hospital charge for blood, you will be charged a processing fee reflecting our costs for blood from the Red Cross.

Because maintaining an adequate blood supply is crucial, your relatives and friends are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross if they are able. For donation information, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-35-BLOOD or 1-800-26-BLOOD.

Body Substance Precautions
As part of our commitment to provide quality care, you will see our staff adheres to the Standard Precautions guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for infection control.  You will see our healthcare professionals washing their hands and wearing gloves while providing direct patient care.  When additional protection is needed, gowns and masks may also be worn.

The practice of wearing gloves, gowns and masks is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious organisms (in blood, urine, feces, oral secretions, wound drainage, etc.) to patients and staff during patient care.

Patient Questionnaire
We constantly try to improve our services and to make each patient's stay as comfortable as possible. If you receive a patient questionnaire in the mail following your stay, you can help by completing it and mailing it to us in the postage-free envelope. We appreciate your comments.

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