Patient & Visitor Guide

Doctors will lead your care team and work with other staff to meet all of your medical needs. Twenty-four hour care is provided by a team that may include: Nurse Practitioners (NP), Physician Assistants (PA), Registered Nurses (RN), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Respiratory Therapists (RT) and other support staff.

Hospitalists

Hospitalists are doctors who specialize in caring for patients who are in the hospital and generally practice only in the acute care setting. Our patients are assigned a hospitalist during their stay. Our hospitalists are on shift for seven days, and then off for seven, so it is possible you could have more than one hospitalist during your stay.

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse practitioners are advanced registered nurses who have a master’s degree in nursing and are qualified to care for specific medical conditions.

Physician Assistant (PA)

A physician assistant is a health care professional who practices medicine as a part of a health care team with supervising physicians and other providers.

Registered Nurse (RN)

Every patient is assigned to a registered nurse. Registered nurses help coordinate your plan of care, assess patients, administer medications, provide prescribed treatments and evaluate the effectiveness of those treatments.

Pharmacist (RPH)

Our pharmacists work with your care team to choose the best medications for you.

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

A respiratory therapist works with your care team to provide treatment for patients who have trouble breathing.

Case Management Nurse

The case management nurse serves as the liaison with your insurance company and assists with coordination of your discharge needs.

Social Worker

Our social workers are available to help you and your family during your hospital stay. They provide emotional support, brief counseling, problem-solving, advocacy, community resources and referrals, and assistance with Advance Health Care Directives.

If you would like to speak with a social worker, please speak with your nurse, or call Social Services. NorthBay Medical Center (707) 646-5015; VacaValley Hospital (707) 624-7015.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) help with your activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, feeding and hygiene needs.

Hospital Chaplain

You have the right to considerate care that safeguards your personal dignity and respects your cultural, psychosocial and spiritual values. Our hospital chaplain and chaplain volunteers are available to support your spiritual needs. They maintain confidentiality and foster a healing context so you may discuss your spiritual concerns while in the hospital. If you would like a visit from our hospital chaplain, please speak with your nurse or call (707) 646-4237.

Registered Dietitian (RD)

A Registered Dietitian is available to provide expert nutrition education, counseling and recommendations to meet your nutrition needs.

Additional Support Staff

During your stay you may be visited by many other health professionals, including staff from our laboratory, X-ray, the lift team and housekeeping.

Guild Volunteers

Our Guild and student volunteers fill a variety of roles. They deliver mail, newspapers and flowers, and help transport patients within the hospital.

Rapid Response Team

If you or a family member recognizes a change in your condition, please alert your nurse to call the Rapid Response Team. Difficulty breathing, changes in your thinking ability or just a feeling of suddenly becoming sicker are all reasons to call for an evaluation by the team, which is comprised of a critical care nurse and a respiratory therapist.

Call, Don't Fall

We want to ensure that you are safe at all times, so your nurses will assess your fall risk and may take special precautions such as:

• Providing red, treaded slippers.
• Using yellow caution signs.
• Asking you to call for help to get up.
• Helping you use the bathroom.
• Helping you walk in your room or the hall.
• Giving you an alarm so you can alert the team when you need help.

You can help prevent falls:

• Call for help to the bathroom or to get out of bed or a chair.
• Wear treaded slippers when out of bed.
• Keep items in reach, especially your call bell.
• Don’t use moveable objects to balance.
• If there are spills, call your nurse.
• Use the handrails when available.
• Use your eyeglasses or hearing aid.

Purposeful Rounding

To help meet your care needs, your nursing team will check on you every hour between 6 a.m. and 11p.m. and every two hours between 11p.m. and 6 a.m. These hourly checks are called purposeful hourly rounding and are the times when we will:

• Help you move or change positions to ensure your comfort
• Help you get up to go to the bathroom
• Check on your comfort and pain control
• Check to make sure that you have all your personal belongings

Before we leave your room we will make sure that you have your call light within reach and that all of your needs have been met. Please feel free to call your nurse or CNA if you need anything at other times. You can use the call light or call your care team directly by using the phone numbers provided on your patient care board.

Care Boards

Use of the patient care board improves communication, not only between the care team, but with you, the patient, as well. This up-to-date information is designed to give you a greater sense of security and confidence in the care being provided. Your care team will update the board at the start of every shift with their names and phone numbers. They will also communicate the plan for the day, your mobility plan, and the next time that you can receive pain medications.

To provide the best possible care and comfort during your stay, we need your help. Your NorthBay Health team invites you to be our partner in keeping you safe and treating your pain every step of the journey.

Our round-the-clock care requires staff members to check in and out during your stay, so it is important that all relevant information gets passed on to the incoming team.

What is it? How can I help?

At NorthBay, we call it the Bedside Patient Safety Handoff and we want you to be part of it so the information is as thorough as it can be. This is a great time to ask questions and share your concerns.

The “handoffs” occur approximately every 8 to 12 hours when the nurses change shifts and usually last about 5 to 10 minutes. This does not replace the conversations you have with your doctor. During the handoff, you can invite family or other visitors to stay if you want.

What should I expect during the handoff?

Your nurses will:

• Introduce themselves to you and anyone with you. The nurse coming on duty will write his or her name and phone number on your white board.
• Invite you to take part in the Bedside Patient Safety Handoff. You decide who else can take part.
• Talk with you about your health, including the reason you are in the hospital and what is going on with your care. They will look at your medical chart on the computer.
• Check the medicines you are taking, your IVs, injuries, and bandages. They will also follow up on any tests and lab work.
• Ask what could have gone better during the last shift and what you hope to do during the next shift. For example, you may want to get out of bed, or just sleep. The nurse will try to help you meet this goal.
• Encourage you to ask questions and share your concerns. The nurse coming on duty will come back after your handoff to spend more time discussing your concerns.

What should I do during the transition?

• LISTEN. You are an important part of the health care team. We want to make sure you have complete and timely information.
• SPEAK UP. If you have any questions or concerns.
• ASK QUESTIONS if something is confusing. If the nurses or doctors use any words or share any information you don’t understand, ask them to explain it.

We would like you to actively participate in your care and recovery. Here are some ways you can help:

• Communicate any changes in your medical condition to your nurse and doctor.
• Keep informed. Make sure you understand the answer to three key questions:
  1. What is my main problem?
  2. What do I need to do?
  3. Why is it important for me to do this?
• Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse to explain your treatment plan. If you are concerned or have objections, please share your thoughts.
• Actively participate in your continued care after you leave the hospital, by keeping follow-up appointments. If you can’t make a scheduled appointment, please call ahead to reschedule.

Patient Feedback

Every department of the hospital strives to provide excellent care and service. We value the opportunity to address any feedback you may have. We also want to know when staff has exceeded your expectations so we can recognize them.

If you are concerned about any aspect of your care or service you receive during your stay or if you have ideas for improvement, please bring them to the attention of a hospital employee or ask for the clinical manager. During the evenings or weekends hours, ask to speak to the charge nurse.

Additionally, you may call (707) 646-4282 or email us at: feedback@NorthBay.org

Please note that within a few weeks of your discharge you will receive a survey about your experience. This is an important tool – it allows us to learn about where we have opportunities for improvement and where we are doing well. We also use the feedback to recognize the care team members!

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

When you come into a hospital or other health care setting to receive care, you become vulnerable to catching infections. But the good news is that you can take steps to prevent infections by simply knowing infection prevention basics!

Here are things you can do:

Don’t be shy…speak up!

If you haven’t seen your health care workers—or food service workers—clean their hands, ask them to do so. Also ask your visitors to clean their hands. Clean hands are one of the most important ways to prevent infection.

Infection prevention is everyone’s business. Clean your hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitizer often. Keeping your hands clean is the No. 1 way to prevent the spread of infection. Clean your hands after using the bathroom; after sneezing, blowing your nose, or coughing; before eating; or whenever your hands are dirty.

A Quiet Kit for You

We do our best to keep our hospitals quiet, but for the next couple of years we will be modernizing and expanding our facilities so you may hear construction noises. There are also many other noises that can’t always be controlled. We apologize that our environment is not as quiet as we would like it to be. Since we can’t control the noise in every situation, for your comfort we provide all patients with a “Quiet Kit” upon check-in. In the kit you’ll receive ear plugs, an eye mask, a door hanger with the word “Quiet,” a puzzle book, notepad and pencils. Your nurse would be happy to replenish any of the items in the kit during your stay.

Complimentary Internet

As a courtesy, NorthBay Health provides free Wi-Fi for our patients and visitors. Just search for the network, NorthBay Wireless Hotspot. There is no password.

Gift Shops

Snacks, sundries, magazines, cards, flowers, balloons and other gifts are available in the hospital gift shops, which are operated by NorthBay Guild volunteers. These volunteers will deliver items to your room (payment due upon delivery) during business hours. MasterCard and Visa are accepted. The gift shops are open Monday through Friday; hours may vary.

Mail

Mail is delivered and picked up on the nursing units at least once each day. While in the hospital, correspondence to you should be addressed as follows:

• NorthBay Medical Center (Your Name) Patient, NorthBay Medical Center, 1200 B. Gale Wilson Blvd., Fairfield, CA 94533
• NorthBay VacaValley Hospital (Your Name) Patient, VacaValley Hospital, 1000 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville, CA 95687

Newspapers

Two newspapers, The Reporter in Vacaville and the Daily Republic in Fairfield, are donated and delivered daily.

Notary Public Services

Notary Public Services are available within the hospital. Please tell your nurse if you need this service. NorthBay Health is unable to provide notary services for documents related to health care.

Religious Reading Materials

Religious reading materials are available upon request. Please ask for the chaplain to assist you. You may reach the chaplain at: (707) 646-4237.

Patient Education

We believe that it is the patient’s right to receive education on the care, treatment and services we provide. Our educational tools include printed materials, The Patient Channel (health education TV), audio visual resources and consultation with our health care team.

Telephones

Telephones are available in all patient rooms. Dial “9” to access an outside line. To make a collect or credit card long distance call, please dial “0” for the hospital operator. Video Remote Imaging translation is available for patients with hearing impairment who sign. TDD service is also available.

Translation Services

As a patient, you have the right to receive information in a manner that you understand. You have access to translation services 24 hours a day through language interpretation services provided by the hospital. American Sign Language services are also available.

Please speak with your nurse if you would like to use our interpreting services.

Valet Parking

NorthBay Medical Center provides complimentary valet parking for guests and patients from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Curbside drop-off is right outside of the main lobby and in front of the Gateway Medical Plaza, located at 1860 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Valet parking is not available at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital at this time.

Call a Volunteer

During the day there are volunteers at the hospital ready to help you with reading material and other special needs. Call a volunteer at extension 3120.

Inpatient Nutrition Services

We want you to be able to select your meal options in advance. Our Nutrition staff members will be visiting you to help you with your meal selections. They will enter your choices electronically to be communicated with the kitchen when meal service begins. Our nutrition team is able to help you select foods that work with our physician’s guidelines. Please let them know if you have any special nutrition needs or concerns.

Patient Meal Service

Your doctor will place a nutrition care order based on your medical condition and your menu choices will be offered based on this order.

Patient Meal Service Times

Hospital	NorthBay Medical Center	NorthBay VacaValley
Breakfast	Begins 7:30 a.m.	Begins 8:30 a.m.
Lunch	Begins Noon	Begins 1 p.m.
Dinner	Begins 5:30 p.m.	Begins 6:30 p.m.

Food from Home

Please let your nurse know about any food and beverages brought from home. Food that cannot be consumed at once must be covered and labeled with the patient’s name and the date. Perishable foods can be stored up to 48 hours in the unit refrigerators.

Guest Trays

Visitors may dine with you in your room. Guest trays are served during patient meals. You may purchase a guest tray in the admitting area in the Welcoming Pavilion at NorthBay Medical Center and in admitting at VacaValley Hospital. Give your receipt to your nurse. She/he will contact the nutrition department to order the meal. Guest trays are available any day or meal and must be ordered two hours before the actual meal service.

Visitor Meal Service

Our hospital cafés are located on the first floor of both hospitals. Visitors are welcome to join us and can enjoy a variety of breakfast entrées, both savory and sweet, along with lunch and dinner options. Café hours are below. Vending machines are available 24 hours a day and are located near both Emergency Departments, in the hallway to the Welcoming Pavilion at NorthBay Medical Center and next to the café at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.

Café hours:

Hospital	NorthBay Medical Center	NorthBay VacaValley
Breakfast	7:30 – 9:30 a.m.	7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Lunch & Dinner	10 a.m. – 8 p.m.	10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Days Open	Every day	Monday - Friday

We accept cash and most major credit cards in the cafés but cannot accept personal checks or bills larger than $20.

Identification

Keep the identification bracelet fastened around your wrist throughout your stay at the hospital. This is one of the many ways we ensure patient safety.

Personal Belongings

Please understand we cannot be responsible for lost or stolen personal property. We strongly recommend you send cash, valuables and personal property, including jewelry and electronic devices, home. If it is not possible to send them home, ask your nurse if he or she could place the items in the hospital safe.

If you keep any valuables or personal devices with you in your room, you do so at your own risk. Unless deposited in the hospital safe, NorthBay shall not be held liable for loss or damage to these items. When you are preparing to go home, make sure you have all of your belongings accounted for.

If you discover something is missing, please contact your nurse to inform him/her of the loss. You will be asked to complete a Lost Belongings Form. You may also contact Security at: NorthBay Medical Center (707) 646-5050; NorthBay VacaValley Hospital (707) 624-7070. All lost-and-found items are sent to Security for safe keeping.

Medical Aids

If you have dentures, hearing aids or prescription glasses, please let the staff know. You will be given a special container for these items. When not in use, these items must be stored in these containers for safe keeping.

Home Medications

Please bring a list of your medications, but do not bring your actual medications from home into the hospital. Your doctor will prescribe any medications you need while in the hospital.

Public Safety

Our hospitals are staffed 24 hours a day by professionally-trained officers who provide protective services, security, safety assurance and compliance, emergency preparedness and parking/traffic control. Other services include lost and found and escorts. If you need help, contact your nurse or you can reach Security at (707) 646-5050 for NorthBay Medical Center or (707) 624-7070 for NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.

Please help us maintain a comfortable and pleasant environment by respecting our rules.

Visiting Hours

You can find our most up-to-date visiting hours on our visitor guidelines page.

Visitor Safety

Visitor safety is important to us and we ask that you observe the following:

• Ask the nursing or registration staff to contact a security officer to escort you or your visitors to the parking lot after dusk when you are alone.
• Report any suspicious activities to the nursing staff.
• When an isolation or visitor restriction sign is posted, do not enter a patient room without first checking with a nurse.
• Do not leave children unattended in the waiting areas or in hallways.
• Do not leave electronic devices or valuables unattended.

Visitor Responsibilities

• Please support our efforts to maintain a quiet, healing environment by keeping noise levels down.
• Please have only two visitors in the room at a time.
• Please leave if requested by the nurse.
• Check with the nurse before bringing any food or drink to the patient.
• Never bring alcohol or other drugs to the hospital.
• If you are visiting after 9 p.m., please stop at the emergency registration desk to obtain a visitor badge from the security officer. Visitors are asked to wear badges at all times while in the hospital after 9 p.m. Please return the badge to the emergency registration desk prior to leaving the hospital.

NorthBay is Tobacco-Free!

NorthBay Health is a tobacco-free organization. Please refrain from using any tobacco products while on the hospital grounds. This includes electronic cigarettes. A variety of products, including nicotine patches, lozenges and prescription medications are available to help you quit smoking. Please consult your health care provider for details.

Resources Available to Help You Quit Smoking:

Kick the Butts Program
Solano County Health Promotion
1-800-287-7357

California Smokers’ Helpline
English 1-800-662-8887
Spanish 1-800-456-6386

Websites:

• www.californiasmokershelpline.org
• www.smokefree.gov
• www.lungusa.org

We believe our patients are the experts when it comes to their pain.

It may be physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual. The following information is about physical pain. For other types of pain, please talk with your doctor or nurse.

Some Facts about Pain

1. Pain is an alarm, your body’s way of saying something is wrong. Unrelieved pain after surgery or a procedure can delay healing. It may also contribute to life-threatening complications.
2. Addiction to pain medication is rare. It is very unlikely that a patient will become addicted to pain medications when they are used appropriately. However, dependency can occur. Dependency means that the person’s body is used to a certain amount of medication and that symptoms of withdrawal may occur if the medication is stopped abruptly. To avoid this, some medications may need to be decreased over time.
3. Pain medications don’t eliminate all pain. Medications can reduce the intensity of pain to a tolerable level, but may not eliminate all pain. These medications must be used carefully so as not to cause serious problems related to over-medication.
4. Infants and children do feel, and sometimes remember, pain. Studies show that even infants have a memory of being in pain. A child’s weight determines how much medication they receive.
5. Pain is not a sign of weakness. Everyone will have pain some time in their life. In general, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and trying to protect you from further damage.
6. Pain doesn’t always signal that something is wrong. In some cases, pain occurs even when the doctors can’t find a reason for it. An example of this is the pain that occurs after a limb or breast is removed. Sometimes pain is a natural result of a procedure. Your care team will do everything they can to manage this pain.
7. If you experience side effects to a medication, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are allergic to it. Occasionally a patient will have a reaction to pain medication. However, side effects may not be due to an allergy. For example, taking a strong pain medication on an empty stomach may cause nausea and may be relieved by taking the medication with food.

What is Your Role in Pain Management?

We use the patient care board to communicate pain treatment with your nurse and other providers. You are the expert about your pain. Your health care team will ask you about pain during your hospitalization and is committed to doing everything they can to keep you as comfortable as possible. The diagram below is an example of a tool that we may use to evaluate your pain as well as to evaluate how well our interventions are working. You will be asked to rate your pain on a scale from 0 to 10.

• None: 0
  • No pain
• Mild: 1-2-3
  • Mild Pain is noticeable but doesn’t distract you. It can be managed by repositioning, hot or cold pack or over-the counter medications.
• Moderate: 4-5-6-7
  • Moderate Pain distracts you enough that you have a hard time paying attention. Some pain medication is needed.
• Severe: 8-9-10
  • Severe Pain does not allow you to focus. This type of pain often requires additional or different types of pain medication.

If you are a victim of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or are aware of someone who is a victim – there is help:

• Call 911 or your local police if you have an emergency and someone is in immediate danger.
• Solano County Child Welfare Services: Call (800) 544-8696 for children under the age of 18.
• Call Solano County Adult Protective Services if abuse or neglect occurred in a private home or public area for persons over the age of 65 years, or disabled adult, ages 18-64: (800) 850-0012.
• If abuse or neglect occurred in a licensed facility, call Ombudsman at (707) 644-4194
• Call SafeQuest Solano for domestic violence and rape crisis shelter: (707) 422-7345 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or (866) 487-7233.
• Vacaville Family Investigative Response Services Team (FIRST). Advocacy for victims of domestic violence, child and elder abuse, in partnership with Vacaville Police Department. Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: (707) 469-6600.
• Fairfield Domestic Violence Response Team. Advocacy for victims of domestic violence for families living in Fairfield, in partnership with Fairfield Police Department: (707) 428-7770.
• Travis Air Force Base Family Advocacy Office: (707) 423-5168.
• Domestic Violence Crisis: (707) 425-3422 or (707) 557-6600 (24-hour crisis line).
• Sexual Assault: (707) 422-7273 (24-hour crisis line).
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 or (800) 787-3224.
• National Center for Victims of Crime. Information and Resource line : (202) 467-8700
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: (888) 373-7888

If you are feeling depressed, feel like hurting yourself or know someone who feels this way, please ask for help:

• For urgent mental health needs: Solano County Crisis Stabilization Unit (24-hour suicide hotline): (707) 428-1131.
• For routine mental health needs: Solano County Mental Health Access Line: (800) 547-0495.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and Veteran’s Crisis Line: (800) 273-8255, TTY (800) 799-4889
• National Hopeline Network: (800) 784-2433.
• National Child Abuse Hotline: (800) 422-4453, TTY (800) 222-4453.

Local Police Non-Emergency Phone Numbers:

• Suisun City: (707) 421-7373
• Vacaville: (707) 449-5200
• Vallejo: (707) 648-4321
• CHP: (707) 428-2100
• Dixon: (707) 678-7080
• Fairfield: (707) 428-7300
• Solano County Sheriff (services Rio Vista, and Dixon): (707) 421-7090

Reportable Conditions

The state of California requires that we report many conditions, illnesses and diseases to parties other than the patient. These are the most common types of medical conditions that we are required to report:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Disease outbreaks
• Food-borne disease
• Hepatitis
• Influenza — novel strains
• Lyme Disease
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Mumps
• Pertussis
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDS)
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions
• Cancer
• Disorders involving lapses in consciousness
• Any unusual disease

Other events that require reporting include, but may not be limited to:

• Birth certificates
• Prenatal/newborn disorders
• Death certificates
• Pesticide-related illness or injury
• Suspicion of abuse, neglect or exploitation of minor, elder or dependent adult
• Medical device tracking
• Organ procurement
• Discharge or escape of mental health or incarcerated patients
• Medication error
• Occupational injury/illness
• Fetal death
• Release of minor to person other than parent, relative or legal custodian
• Injury by firearm or assaultive/abusive conduct
• Declaration of paternity

Your daily hospital service charge will include meals, refreshments, nursing care, laundry, maintenance, security, support services such as medical records, and diagnostic services such as lab tests, X-rays, oxygen and medications, based upon your needs. In some cases, physician services will be billed separately.

Billing/Payment

After your insurance is billed, you may receive a patient billing statement for any outstanding balance. We do not send an itemized statement unless the patient calls and requests it. If you have insurance coverage, your benefits will be verified by the Financial Verification Unit, and you will be responsible for any charges not covered by your insurance carrier. Hospital financial counselors are available if you do not have insurance, need help paying your bill, or if you have any questions related to your bill.

The financial counselor can assist you with a Medi-Cal application, provide information related to other financial assistance programs or arrange monthly payments or other credit plans to ease the financial burden an illness or injury can have on you and your family.

Although our staff makes every effort to collect from your insurance carrier, you are personally responsible if these efforts are not successful. Please call our Patient Financial Services office at (707) 646-3400 with questions you may have regarding your bill after discharge.

As a patient, you have a right to:

1. Considerate and respectful care, and to be made comfortable. You have the right to respect for your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs and preferences.
2. Have a family member (or other representative of your choosing) and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
3. Know the name of the licensed health care practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure, who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care, and the names and professional relationships of physicians and non-physicians who will care for you.
4. Receive information about your health status, diagnosis, prognosis, course of treatment, prospects for recovery and outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes) in terms you can understand. You have the right to effective communication and to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care. You have the right to participate in ethical questions that arise in the course of your care, including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, and forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
5. Make decisions regarding medical care, and receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as you may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse a course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved, alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each, and the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
6. Request or refuse treatment, to the extent permitted by law. Candid discussions of appropriate or medically necessary treatment options for your condition regardless of cost or benefit changes. However, you do not have the right to demand inappropriate or medically unnecessary treatment or services. You have the right to leave the hospital even against the advice of members of the medical staff, to the extent permitted by law.
7. Be advised if the hospital/licensed health care practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
8. Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.
9. Appropriate assessment and management of your pain, information about pain, pain relief measures and to participate in pain management decisions. You may request or reject the use of any or all modalities to relieve pain, including opiate medication, if you suffer from severe chronic intractable pain. The doctor may refuse to prescribe the opiate medication, but if so, must inform you that there are physicians who specialize in the treatment of pain with methods that include the use of opiates.
10. Formulate advance directives. This includes designating a decision maker if you become incapable of understanding a proposed treatment or become unable to communicate your wishes regarding care. Hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital shall comply with these directives. All patients‘ rights apply to the person who has legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on your behalf.
11. Have personal privacy respected. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. You have the right to be told the reason for the presence of any individual. You have the right to have visitors leave prior to an examination and when treatment issues are being discussed. Privacy curtains will be used in semi-private rooms.
12. Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to your care while in the hospital. You will receive a separate “Notice of Privacy Practices” that explains your privacy rights in detail and how we may use and disclose your protected health information.
13. Receive care in a safe setting, free from mental, physical, sexual or verbal abuse and neglect, exploitation or harassment. You have the right to access protective and advocacy services including notifying government agencies of neglect or abuse.
14. Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
15. Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of appointments as well as the identity of the persons providing the care.
16. Be informed by the physician, or a delegate of the physician, of continuing health care requirements and options following discharge from the hospital. You have the right to be involved in the development and implementation of your discharge plan. Upon your request, a friend or family member may be provided this information also.
17. Know which hospital rules and policies apply to your conduct while a patient.
18. Designate a support person as well as visitors of your choosing, if you have decision-making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood, marriage, or registered domestic partner status, unless:
    1. No visitors are allowed.
    2. NorthBay Health reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the NorthBay Health Hospital staff, or other visitor to NorthBay Health Hospital, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the facility.
    3. You have told the health facility staff that you no longer want a particular person to visit.
    However NorthBay Health may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors based on the clinical needs of patients and the unit environment. NorthBay Health must inform you (or your support person, where appropriate) of your visitation rights, including any clinical restrictions or limitations. NorthBay Health is not permitted to restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
19. Have your wishes considered, if you lack decision-making capacity, for the purposes of determining who may visit. The method of that consideration will comply with federal law and be disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At a minimum, the hospital shall include any persons living in your household and any support person, pursuant to federal law.
20. Examine and receive an explanation of the hospital bill regardless of the source of payment.
21. Exercise these rights without regard to sex, economic status, educational background , race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression , disability, medical condition, marital status, age, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, citizenship, primary language, immigration status (except as required by federal law) or the source of payment for care.
22. File a grievance. If you want to file a complaint and/or grievance with this hospital, you may do so by writing Patient Experience Dept., 4500 Business Center Drive, Fairfield, CA 94534; by calling (707) 646-4282; or via email at feedback@northbay.org
    1. The grievance committee will review each grievance and provide you with a written response within (30) thirty days. The written response will contain the name of a person to contact at the hospital, the steps taken to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process, and the date of completion of the grievance process. Concerns regarding quality of care or premature discharge will also be referred to the appropriate Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization (PRO).
23. File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health regardless of whether you use the hospital’s grievance process. The California Department of Public Health’s phone number and address is:
    1. California Department of Public Health Licensing and Certification Office
       2170 Northpoint Parkway
       Santa Rosa, California 95407
       (866) 784-0703
24. Medical Board of California
    1. Central complaint unit
       2005 Evergreen Street
       Sacramento, CA 95815
       1-800-633-2322
25. File a complaint regarding the quality of care or premature discharge to the California Quality Improvement Organization for Medicare. You may share your concerns by contacting:
    1. Livanta, LLC
       (877) 588-1123
26. File a complaint with The Joint Commission (TJC) if you feel that your quality or safety concerns have not been addressed:
    1. Online at: www.jointcommission.org using the “Report a Patient Safety Event” link in the Action Center” on the home page of the website.
    2. By fax to: 630-792-5636
    3. By mail to:
       1. Office of Quality and Patient Safety
          The Joint Commission
          One Renaissance Boulevard
          Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
27. You may also file a complaint with your insurance company.

Have your health care wishes known in advance.

An Advance Health Care Directive is a statement of patient wishes, made in advance of treatment. It can be either written or oral. The Advance Health Care Directive goes into effect once the patient is not able to make decisions or sooner if the patient chooses.

A written advance directive can list treatment options that the patient wishes or does not wish to have. It can also designate an agent who may make medical decisions on behalf of the patient if the patient is not able to do so.

The form, “Advance Health Care Directive” from the California Healthcare Association, is available for our patients by asking a nurse or social worker.

An oral directive is communicated by the patient to the doctor and may consist of specific instructions and/or the designation of an agent. The oral directive is only valid for the current hospitalization.

While we at NorthBay Health pledge to do our best to honor the advance directive, we may decline if the requested medical care would be medically ineffective or contrary to accepted standards.

You may request more information about advance directives from any NorthBay Health social worker.

After you’ve gone home, MyNorthBayDoc can help you connect with your NorthBay Health primary care physician. MyNorthBayDoc will allow you to go online to request appointments, view lab results, send secure messages to your health care care team, request prescription refills and see a summary of medications, allergies, immunizations and medical issues.

Hospital patients can enroll anytime during their stay, ask your nurse how you can sign up. Or, enroll now by calling (707) 646-5500, or at your Center for Primary Care. Wherever you choose to enroll, you will need to have proper identification with you.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Driver's license
• State issued ID
• U.S. Military ID
• Passport
• Marriage license*
• Divorce decree*
• Adoption papers*
• Social security card*
• Birth certificate*
  * must be accompanied with a valid picture ID

NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital are part of the nonprofit, community-based NorthBay Health. Our history began more than 60 years ago with a commitment to provide exceptional health care to the Solano County community.

NorthBay Medical Center, in Fairfield, is a 132-bed hospital that opened in 1960. It features a 24-hour, full-service Emergency Department and Level II Trauma Center. It offers some of the most advanced medical technology available, a modern labor and delivery department and a Level III community Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The hospital is accredited as a Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and as a primary stroke center.

NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, with 50 beds, opened in 1987, giving Vacaville its first hospital. In 2007 the hospital expanded its Emergency Department, which is also a primary stroke center. The hospital is home to the Joint Replacement Program and specializes in cancer care.

NorthBay Health also includes:

• NorthBay Adult Day Center
• NorthBay Cancer Center
• NorthBay Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• NorthBay Center for Neuroscience
• NorthBay Center for Primary Care
• NorthBay Center for Women’s Health
• NorthBay Diabetes and Endocrinology
• NorthBay Gastroenterology
• NorthBay Health at Home
• NorthBay HealthSpring Fitness
• NorthBay Heart & Vascular Center
• NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement
• NorthBay Joint Replacement Program
• NorthBay Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• NorthBay Medical Group
• NorthBay Occupational Health
• NorthBay Orthopedics
• NorthBay Pain Management
• NorthBay Rehabilitation
• NorthBay Rheumatology
• NorthBay Surgery Center at VacaValley
• NorthBay Urology
• NorthBay VacaValley Wellness Center
• NorthBay Wound Care

NorthBay Health is a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, helping our patients get answers to complex medical questions — and peace of mind — while staying close to home.

The Mayo Clinic Care Network uses technology and physician collaboration to deliver a full spectrum of medical expertise. Through the network, NorthBay has access to Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise that enhances the care we provide to our patients. Our physicians can easily consult directly with Mayo Clinic specialists on complex cases that might otherwise require a referral to a specialist outside of Solano County.

As a member of the care network, NorthBay works closely with Mayo Clinic to share medical knowledge and clinical expertise. Local doctors have access to network services including:

• Mayo specialists for more input on a patient's care.
• AskMayoExpert, a database for reference at the point of care to offer the latest Mayo-vetted information on the management, care and treatment of a variety of medical conditions.
• Health care consulting that enables NorthBay to confer with Mayo Clinic experts in patient care and other administrative and operational areas.
• eBoards conferences that invite NorthBay doctors to present and discuss complex cases, such as complex cancer cases, with a multidisciplinary panel of Mayo Clinic specialists and other members of the care network.

In addition, NorthBay can access Mayo's extensive library of patient education materials and watch archived Mayo Clinic grand rounds presentations that feature Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists.