Patient Guide

We are committed to your care.

Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.

Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care Non-Discrimination Notice

Fast facts about your stay.

Support for Caregivers

We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.

Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.

What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:

What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.

If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network

Facts About Your Stay

Bedside Shift Report

We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.

Bedside Technology

During your stay, you may see your doctors and nurses using computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

Cafeteria

Location: First Floor

Hours:

Breakfast: 7 am to 9 am

Lunch: 11:30am to 1:30pm

All visitors are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located at your bedside. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At Bluegrass Community Hospital, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. Employees are not allowed to use phones for non-work-related activities. There are many work related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.

Channel Listing for TV

Concerns About Your Care

Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact the hospital patient advocate. You also have the right to file your complaint with either:

Office of Inspector General
Phone: 859.246.2301
Fax: 859.246.2307

Email: EEB.Complaints-Reports@ky.gov

Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions. For help, contact: 859.873.3111.

Electrical Appliances

For your safety, we reserve the right to inspect any electrical appliances brought into the hospital.

Fire Safety

We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will tell you what to do.

Flowers

Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by individual florists.

Gift Shop

Location: First Floor

Our gift shop is only open seasonally. Bluegrass Community Hospital takes a unique approach by allowing small, local businesses to rent the space for free.

Call our operator at 859.873.3111 to see what business is in the gift shop this week!

Hearing Impaired

We have services available for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.

Hospital Safe for Valuables

Bluegrass Community Hospital can provide safety for your valuables and personal belongings. Please talk to your nurse or someone from your care team on utilizing the hospital safe.

Hourly Rounding

A nurse will visit you every hour during the day and every two hours at night to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call light, and personal items easily.

Housekeeping Services

If you have requests or concerns about your room's cleanliness, please contact a member of your care team or dial ext. 0 and we will get you connected with a member of our environmental services team!

Interpreters and Translation Services

Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.

Lost and Found

If you misplaced an item during your hospital stay, please call our main hospital phone number (859.873.3111) and ask to speak to the director of the specific unit.

Mail

Mail and email sent to our website are delivered to patients Monday through Friday. Flowers may be delivered by individual florists or staff. Fresh flowers are not allowed in critical care areas.

Mail received after discharge will be forwarded to the patient’s home. Outgoing mail may be taken to the nurses station or given to your attending nurse.

Medicines

Please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medicines to the hospital. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor about any medicines you regularly take. If you still need them, hospital staff will give them to you.

Parking

Bluegrass Community Hospital is proud to offer convenient and free parking. There are no large parking lots or busy parking garages. Often times, you can find a parking spot near one of our entrances.

Pastoral Care

If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain on call. Your loved ones also may fill out a request card in the chapel. A chaplain will address your concerns by the next business day after receiving the request. The chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor, near the front entrance.

Personal Belongings and Valuables

Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand when not in use. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. If this is not an option, valuables may be locked up by Security at your request. Bluegrass Community Hospital cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Public Restrooms

For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one.

Rapid Response Team

How to call rapid response:

Dial 0 on your bedside phone.
Tell the operator: your name, room number, patient’s name and your concern.
The Rapid Response Team will be sent to your room.

Smoking

Given the serious health hazards of tobacco use, we have chosen to become a 100 percent tobacco-free campus. No smoking or tobacco products will be used while on BGCH property, parking lots, associated buildings and vehicles. Patients and visitors are asked not to smoke during their hospital visit.

If You Smoke or Use Tobacco
While you are in the hospital, please do not suffer from nicotine withdrawal. You can receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other appropriate support during your hospital visit. Please ask your nurse for more information.

Telephone

Using Your Telephone
Your friends and family can call your hospital room directly. Below is a list of phone numbers associated with our room numbers.

Room Number	Extension
208	2372
210	2340
211	2341
212	2342
213	2343
214	2344
215	2345
216	2346
217	2347
218	2348
219	2349
221	2350
222	2351
224	2352
225	2353
226	2354

If you need to make a phone call, dial 9 + area code + the phone number you want to call. To reach your nurse, use your call button.

Calling from INSIDE the hospital? Dial the last four digits only.

TV

Each patient room has a television. Please be considerate of others by keeping the volume down and turning off your TV at bedtime. TVs are controlled by the bedside pillow speaker or side rail controls. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV.

Vending Machines

Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Located in the cafeteria/vending area on the first floor.

Visiting Hours

Visiting hours are subject to change. Please ask your nurse for official hours during your stay.

GENERAL VISITATION GUIDELINES:

Persons that are ill or suspect recent exposure to communicable illness will be asked to refrain from visiting.
All visitors under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult at all times and cleared by staff.
Visitors are encouraged to be sensitive to the care and needs of the patient and limit the length of the visit as appropriate.
- - 2nd Floor: Medical/Surgical, Observation and Swing Bed Unit: Regular visiting hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    - - Visitors should check with the nursing staff before entering closed doors and during treatments.
      - Visiting hours may be limited during high activity with a 10 minute limitation and number in room at a time.
      - Special arrangements may be made based on needs of the patient and plan of care needs.
  - Emergency Department: Visitors of patients in the emergency room may be asked to wait in the emergency room lobby until the physician has examined the patient.
  - Outpatient areas: Visitors may be asked to remain in the waiting room at certain times of care.
Members of the clergy may visit at any time the patient desires and cleared by nursing staff.
Flexibility in visitation is allowed, depending on the patient's needs.

Wifi

To access the hospital wifi, select “Guest Access” on your device settings and agree to the terms and conditions.

Channel 4	WLEX-NBC (18)
Channel 6	WTVQ-ABC (36)
Channel 7	WDKY - FOX (56)
Channel 8	WKY-CBS (27)
Channel 9	The Weather Channel
Channel 11	ESPN
Channel 22	The Food Network
Channel 23	History
Channel 25	Hallmark
Channel 44	TV Land