Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is a teaching hospital. You may be cared for by medical and surgical resident physicians, student nurses, and students of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, nutrition, respiratory therapy, and other areas of health care from a variety of professional teaching institutions.
All hospital staff wear photo identification with the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center logo clearly visible.
Depending on your health care needs, you will meet different members of the hospital staff:
Your primary nurse and other nursing staff who care for you 24 hours a day
Physicians in many medical specialties
Chaplains who offer spiritual support
Health care specialists such as respiratory therapists, IV nurses, and dietitians
Social workers who provide support services
Hospital volunteers who bring coffee to patient rooms and offer newspapers, magazines, and other items for sale
Cleaning attendants who clean your room
Patient escorts who provide transportation within the hospital
Medical staff
The physician who admits you is responsible for directing your care while you are in the hospital. Your physician, as the coordinator for your treatment, should be consulted if you have any questions about your illness.
Nursing staff
Registered, professional nurses provide 24-hour nursing care with support from certified nursing assistants and unit secretaries. Your primary nurse and other registered nursing staff provide individualized care and assess, plan, implement, and evaluate your care from the time of admission to discharge. Please consult with your registered nurse if you have any questions or concerns.
Pastoral Services
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center believes that total patient care requires paying attention to the spiritual, as well as the physical and emotional, needs of each patient. Chaplains serve patients and families of all faiths, 24 hours a day. You and your family may request a chaplain at any time for support, guidance, or prayer while you are ill. To request a chaplain between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., call Pastoral Services at ext. 62261, or dial "0" for the hospital operator and ask to be connected.
The ecumenical Pastoral Services staff maintains an extensive call list to contact a minister or visitor from the church of your choice to minister to you while you are here. They also are happy to contact the priest, minister, or rabbi at the church or synagogue you regularly attend.
The sacraments of Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick are available to Catholic patients upon request. Also upon request, Nutrition Services staff will provide special diets to meet the requirements of religious dietary laws.
There is a chapel on the second floor of the hospital near the cafeteria that is open 24 hours a day. Patients and visitors of all faiths are welcome to visit the chapel for worship services, prayer, and meditation. Mass is celebrated at 11:30 a.m., Sunday through Friday.
Social Work services
Social Work and care coordination services are available to assist with important decisions such as post-hospital care, financing arrangements, and referral to community resources.
Dietitians
The hospital maintains a staff of registered dietitians and diet technicians to meet your diet-related needs during your hospital stay. To consult with a dietitian on the hospital staff, please ask your nurse to make the request. Based on your diagnosis and treatment, a dietitian or diet technician may visit with you and discuss adjustments made to your menus. Instruction also may be provided to you based on the complexity of your prescribed diet. One-on-one outpatient consultations are available should you desire it after you are discharged from the hospital.
