During Your Stay at UPMC Altoona

Condition H is a patient safety hotline that UPMC Altoona patients and families can call:

• In an emergency
• When you can't get the attention of a hospital staff member
• With a concern about a noticeable change in a patient’s medical condition that the health care team is not recognizing
• About a communication breakdown in how the team is giving care or confusion over the care a patient needs

To activate Condition H, dial 889-4000 from any phone at UPMC Altoona. Calling Condition H alerts staff members who respond immediately by coming to the patient’s room.

Condition H is non-punitive: staff members will not get in trouble if you call Condition Help.

To protect the health of all patients, staff members at UPMC Altoona wear gloves and other protective clothing for many aspects of your care.

These routine safety measures help shield patients and health care staff against many types of infection found in blood and other body fluids. If you have any questions about infection precautions, please ask your nurse.

What you can do:

• Wash your hands after handling any type of soiled material, before eating, and after using the bathroom.
• Be an active member of your health care team. Remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands before and after working with you.
• If you have an intravenous catheter (IV), keep the dressing clean and dry. Tell your nurse if the dressing is loose or gets wet.
• If you have a dressing on a wound, be sure to let your nurse know if it is loose or becomes wet.
• After surgery, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions regarding deep breathing, breathing exercises, and getting out of bed to help prevent lung infections.
• Remind people not to visit if they are ill.

UPMC Altoona provides palliative care services for patients who are dying or have life-limiting illnesses.

Our palliative care service:

• Offers relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.
• Integrates physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of patient care.
• Provides a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death, and to help families cope during the patient's illness and in bereavement.

Nutrition plays an important role in your recovery. Based on your doctor’s orders, your nurse will determine if you are able to order from our standard menu or if you require a more customized diet.

Each day, someone from Nutrition Services will visit your room or call you to take your menu order. If you are away from your room when we arrive, call 889-2351 to choose your menu items.

Guest Meals

Guest trays are available to your family and friends if they wish to dine with you in your room. To place an order, contact Nutrition Services at 889-2351. Payment for the guest tray is due upon order.

UPMC Altoona provides free phone and TV services in patient rooms.

Phones are available in all rooms — except for critical care — to make and receive calls. Relatives and friends may call you directly by dialing the seven-digit number on your telephone. Incoming calls cannot be received between 10 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.

To make a local call, dial 9 + the seven-digit number.

All long-distance calls must be made collect or charged to a credit card or your home phone. Patient room numbers may not be used for billing. If you have any problems or questions, dial “0” and the hospital operator will assist you. (Note: Phone charges cannot be added to your hospital bill.)

Cell Phones/Wireless Devices

Please read and follow all posted signs in the hospital regarding restrictions on the use of cell phones, wireless computers, and other wireless devices that transmit radio signals.

Restrictions may exist in hospital areas such as operating rooms, critical care rooms, and radiology imaging rooms.

Do not use cell phones or any wireless devices within six feet of medical equipment in patient care areas.

At UPMC Altoona, we strive to meet the special needs of all our patients and visitors.

For those with impaired hearing or communication needs, we offer.

• Sign language interpreters
• Amplified phone receivers and TDD (telecommunications devices for the deaf)
• Closed-captioned TV
• Foreign language interpreters/translators
• Printed education materials

Please tell the registration office or your nurse if you need any of the services listed above. Interpreter services can be arranged through Case Management at 814-889-2782 or 814-889-2256.

At UPMC Altoona, we recognize that spirituality and faith can be a great source of healing and comfort. A person’s spiritual well-being strongly influences the body’s ability to heal, and a positive emotional attitude helps clinical treatments.

Learn more about the All Faiths Chapel.

Pastoral Care

Patients, their families, and staff may request a Pastoral Care visit at any time, simply by pressing “0” for the operator and asking that the chaplain on call be paged. A caring chaplain is available day or night.

During your stay at UPMC Altoona, you are responsible for your personal belongings, including dentures, eyeglasses, and cell phones. We suggest leaving jewelry, large amounts of cash, sentimental items, and any other valuables at home.

To inquire about a lost or found item, contact the UPMC Altoona Police Department at 814-889-2121. The department is located in E-4, near the All Faiths Chapel.

Visitors are welcome during hospital visiting hours with the patient’s consent.

View additional information for visitors of UPMC Altoona.

Find more general patient information and resources to help you prepare for your stay at UPMC Altoona.

• Pain control: Your nurses and doctors will work with you to help alleviate or control your pain levels during your stay.
• Organ donation: Learn more about becoming an organ or tissue donor.
• Discharge planning: Your nurse will work with you and your family to plan your discharge from UPMC Altoona.
• UPMC Patient Relations: You may have concerns about your stay at UPMC Altoona. You can contact the Patient Relations Department of UPMC Altoona at 814-889-3219.
• Patient Rights and Responsibilities: Please take a moment to review our system-wide Patient Rights and Responsibilities adopted to protect the interests and well-being of our patients.