Patient/Visitor Information

Nondiscrimination Policy

Palo Verde Hospital does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the ground of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission to, participate in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, an in staff and employee assignments to patients, whether carried out by Palo Verde Hospital or through a contractor or any other entity with which Palo Verde Hospital arranges to carry out its program and activities.

Request Medical Records

To obtain a copy of your medical records, please call the Medical Records Department 760-922-4115 or fax request to 760-921-5279. A fee may be required.

Visiting Hours

We welcome visitors at Palo Verde Hospital. Since the patient's recovery is our first concern, we ask that you please come during designated visiting hours. Palo Verde Hospital's visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, Monday-Sunday. In areas such as the Intensive Care/Critical Care Unit, visiting hours are limited from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please ask the nurse about visiting hours for specific units. We also ask that when you are visiting a friend or loved one to please respect the privacy of other patients.

Patient Valuables

Patients are encouraged to leave all valuables at home. Please inform a nurse if you have brought any of the following items so they may be stored in the hospital safe: money, credit cards, jewelry, documents or other valuable items. Palo Verde Hospital cannot accept responsibility for valuables left in your room. If you lose something, please notify your nurse immediately. Unclaimed items are turned into the Admitting Department.

Patient Satisfaction

At Palo Verde Hospital, we take pride in serving you and delivering quality care. Your comments, whether complimentary or critical, will help us enhance the care we provide. Please take a few minutes to complete the brief questionnaire you will receive when leaving the hospital. You may also receive a more comprehensive Patient Experience Survey in the mail. We encourage you to complete the survey, as it will provide us with detailed and critical feedback about your experience.

Patients who have any concerns about patient care and safety in the hospital are encouraged to contact:

• Quality Hotline: 760-921-5140
• Quality Improvement/Risk Management Manager
  Palo Verde Hospital
  250 N First Street
  Blythe, CA 92225
  Phone: 760-921-5273

Cafeteria

Guests are welcome to dine in the hospital cafeteria on weekdays. The hospital cafeteria serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The cafeteria is closed on holidays and weekends. The cafeteria is located down the hall from the main lobby. Vending machines with sodas and snacks are located in the cafeteria and are available 24 hours a day.

Translation Services

Foreign language translation is available for the patients and family members through the AT&T Language Line. This service provides 24-hour-a-day telephone access to highly trained interpreters, who can translate more than 140 languages. Services for hearing-impaired patients are also available.

Spiritual Services

A non-denominational chaplain and a chapel are on site to offer spiritual services. You can talk to the nurse to request a chaplain.

Patient Safety Program

Patient safety is a top priority at Palo Verde Hospital. Programs that address medication, food and environmental safety are just a few of the ways we seek to protect our patients, visitors and employees.

Your participation in the Patient Safety Program is the key to its success. Upon admission to the hospital, you will be asked about allergies to food and medications, as well as potential for falls. You can help by answering these questions with as much detail as possible, and working with your healthcare providers to identify other health issues you may have. An identification bracelet will be secured to your wrist, and you may have other bracelets in different colors that are critical forms of communication to healthcare providers who are involved in your care. Please wear these bracelets at all times during your stay.

Specialty equipment, such as intravenous pumps, patient controlled analgesia pumps, and vigil alarms, are individualized to meet your safety needs. Specialty equipment has alarm systems that alert the staff to potential problems. This early warning system provides the opportunity for early intervention. It is important that we all work together to ensure the safest environments for all patients. Working together, we will succeed in enhancing a patient safe environment.

Infection Control

Palo Verde Hospital staff is concerned about preventing infection and therefore follows strict infection-control guidelines. For this reason, you will notice that nurses and other health care workers may at times wear gloves, gowns, masks and plastic glasses. The use of these items along with frequent and thorough hand washing provide protection from infection for both our patients and our staff.