| At Chilton Hospital, the safety and well-being of our patients is our top priority. Your partnership is vitally important to us. Below are some important steps that you and your family can take to ensure a safe health care experience.
Be a more informed health care consumer
- Ask questions about your illness or condition.
- If you don't understand any information from your health care provider, ask for clarification.
Keep track of your history
- Write down your medical history, including medical conditions, illness, immunizations allergies and hospitalizations.
- Keep a typed or printed list of all medications, vitamins, supplements or herbal remedies that you are taking. Make sure to include the frequency and the amount that you take.
- Keep a list of all of your doctors and their phone numbers.
- You can use this Personal Medication List to keep track of your health information.
Work with your doctor and other health care professionals as a team
- Make sure to give your doctor a complete medical history including a list of current medications.
- Ask questions about your care and treatment - If you are being given a medication that you don't recognize, verify that you should be taking it.
- Before surgery, ask the doctor to mark the area to be operated.
Follow your doctor's directions
- Make sure to take prescribed medication as directed.
- If you do not understand the instructions, ask your doctor to write them down.
Hand washing - Prevent the spread of illness
- Hand washing is the most important means of preventing the spread of infection.
- All members of the health care team should wash their hands before entering and when leaving your room. Ask your health care team member to wash their hands if you are concerned.
- Wash your hands especially after using the bathroom and before eating.
- Also, remember not to touch any bandages, dressings, open areas or intravenous sites. If you do, make sure to wash your hands.
- Hand washing may be accomplished by either using the waterless alcohol product located throughout the Hospital or soap and water.
Our patients are very important to us. Safety concerns should be directed to the Patient Safety Officer, at 973-831-5082. Anyone can leave a confidential message at this number without fear of blame or retribution.
Chilton Hospital is proud to be accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation's predominate standards-setting and accreditating body in health care. If you have a concern that you feel we have not adequately addressed, you may contact The Joint Commission Quality Monitoring Office by phone at 1-800-994-6610, by fax at 630-792-5636 or online at www.JointCommission.org. You may also write to them directly at One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.
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