Patient Q&A

Whether your hospital stay was planned or the result of an emergency, you should have signed a number of forms during the admission process that help us provide the best care and service. These forms include: Health Care Consent form, HIPPA form, Acknowledgement of Responsibility form, Coordination of Benefits form listing any other insurance you may have, if any, and if you have Medicare, the Important Message from Medicare document.

• If you have not already done so, check with your place of employment or your insurance company to confirm the type of coverage your insurance policy provides or to determine any unique requirements in your policy such as preadmission certification or required notifications. All non-covered medical center charges are payable when you are discharged.
• If you have health insurance, we will need a copy of your health insurance identification card. Advocate Christ Medical Center will submit bills directly to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim.
• If you do not have insurance, payment is due at the time of service. Major credit cards are accepted methods of payment for your portion of the bill.  If you have questions, the cashiers may be reached at 708-684-5068.
• If you need financial assistance to pay for all or a portion of your bill, a financial counselor can talk to you about possible payment alternatives, including extended payments, government programs and charity care assistance.  Our financial counselors may be reached at 708-684-5069.
• Advocate Christ Medical Center offers online bill payments. Patients can pay their hospital bill, check account status and verify insurance information through the secure, easy-to-use service. Visit Bill Pay and select “Christ Medical Center.”

Health care consent

Part of the admission process included signing a Health Care Consent Form that covered important information regarding your stay. If you did not read this form in its entirety, we recommend you do so.

The consent form addresses:

• Consent to treat
• Responsibility for payment
• Assignment of benefits
• Medicare payment and assignment of benefits
• Release of medical information for payment
• Duration and Revocation of Authorization for release of information for billing
• Responsibility for personal belongings
• Independent physician services

Ask your nurse to provide a copy of the Health Care Consent Form if you do not have one.

During your hospital stay, you will only need a few personal items, such as toiletries, bathrobe, slippers and a nightgown or pajamas. We do provide hospital attire which is often more practical during your first few days. After that, you may prefer to wear your own clothing.

We know your valuables are precious to you and suggest that you leave them at home or send them home with family members. You may want to keep a small amount of money for incidental purchases, such as magazines, newspapers or personal items. Contact Public Safety at extension 41-1057 to place any jewelry and currency in excess of $5 in the hospital safe. A signed receipt will be provided to you. Dentures, glasses and hearing aids should be kept in the bedside table drawer when not in use. Be sure not to leave them on the bed or meal tray. Public Safety does house a lost and found for missing items, however, Advocate Christ Medical Center is not responsible for personal property kept in patients’ rooms.

Cell phone use is permitted throughout the medical center. In keeping with Advocate’s mission to promote health and wellness, smoking is not allowed anywhere on any hospital campuses, courtyards, parking towers or parking lots. This policy pertains to patients and visitors, as well as physicians, associates and volunteers.

Meals will be served during the following times:

• Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
• Lunch: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Dinner: 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

If you’re unavailable during a scheduled mealtime, a late meal will be provided.

Television

Advocate Christ Medical Center provides free television service in all patient rooms. One television is available in each patient room and is shared by both patients. Television functions are controlled by the remote control unit near your bed. If you require closed captioning, please notify your nurse or any other member of the patient care team.

In-room telephones

Patients may receive calls in their rooms from 7 am to 10 pm only. Local calls may be made at any time from the room by dialing 9 and the number. Long distance calls can be made at any time by dialing 9.0. and the number. Long distance calls cannot be charged to your room, so the call must be placed with a calling card, pre-paid phone card or by calling collect. Your family and friends can call you by dialing 708-684-8000 and speaking to the operator.

TDD/TTY equipment is available in the Communications Department 24 hours a day/7days a week. If you need a phone amplifier, hands-free phone, assistive listening device and/or communication board, your nurse can arrange for these devices.

ATM

An ATM machine is located in the main hospital on the first floor across from the cashier. There is also one in the Walgreens Pharmacy on the ground floor of the Outpatient Pavilion.

Wireless internet

We are pleased to offer our guests free wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) throughout our facility. Simply use the “ahcpub” wireless connection from your laptop computer or other wireless device. If you are unable to connect or if you experience difficulties accessing the Internet or a website, please consult the device’s owner’s manual or network providers technical support service; our staff is unable to assist with these issues.

Please note that inappropriate websites will be blocked and unavailable from the “ahcpub” wireless connection. Anyone using our wireless network is forewarned that there can be no expectation of security or privacy during use, and your device should have up-to-date virus protection.

Books and newspapers

If you’re interested in obtaining a paperback book, magazine or newspaper, ask your nurse, a volunteer or another member of your patient care team. You or they can call the Volunteer Office at 41-5248 to request reading material.

Gift shop

Located in the main lobby, the Rose Tree Gift Shop is operated by Lori’s Hospital Gift Shops. For visitors’ convenience, the shop carries greeting cards, magazines, books for all ages, an array of gift items, floral arrangements and snacks. Clothing and personal care items are also available for sale. You can reach the gift shop by calling extension 41-1352.

Hours:

• Weekdays: 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
• Weekends: 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Notary public

Notary Public services are available Monday through Friay 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ask your nurse to help you contact a Notary Public.

Parking lots are maintained and monitored by First Class Health and Public Safety personnel. Parking Garages A and C located on Kostner Avenue provide over 1200 spaces for patients and visitors. Parking Garage D located on Kilbourn Avenue provides more than 500 spaces for our Outpatient Pavilion. Garages A and D offer covered pedestrian bridges into the buildings. We offer enhanced parking availability and state-of-the-art gating and technology for easy access and faster exits.

Parking is free for our patients and guests. Free shuttle service is available on our campus from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 am to 9 pm on weekends and holidays. Shuttle stops are located throughout the campus. Convenient, accessible parking is located on both the east and west sides of our campus.

Valet Parking 

For your convenience, valet service is offered at Advocate Christ Medical Center Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Valet car retrieval ends at 7 p.m.; thereafter, Public Safety personnel retrieve all remaining cars. Stop at the Guest Services Desk for assistance.

The Molenhouse Chapel is located on the first floor of the East Tower and is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week, for anyone seeking a quiet place to meditate or pray. The chapel is also used for occasions of formal worship and memorials led by the chaplains.

Because each patient’s spiritual needs are important to us, our professionally trained chaplains, representing many faiths, are a vital part of our healing team. They are available 24 hours a day for pastoral care, counseling and sacraments.  They also can:

• Provide spiritual and pastoral care for you, your family members and your friends, especially during times of crisis, grief or loss
• With your consent, contact the clergy, congregation, synagogue, mosque or faith community of your choice and make arrangements for your religious and spiritual needs
• Provide information about advance directives
• Discuss ethical decision-making and health care issues

Contact a chaplain by calling 41-PRAY (41-7729) from your hospital room phone, or ask your nurse for assistance.

Advocate Christ Medical Center is committed to serving patients who have disabilities. To ensure that patients with impaired sensory, mobility or speaking skills have an equal opportunity to benefit from medical center services, a variety of specialized services are available.

Patient and Guest Services

Our Patient and Guest Services staff provide concierge-type services, including customer service support, directions and wheelchair escorts for patients and visitors. Stationed at our main entrances, Patient and Guest Services staff is available Sunday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. To contact Patient and Guest Services, call extension 41-3880 in-house or use the Patient and Guest Services phones located throughout the first floor.

Interpreters and Sign Language Assistance

Advocate Christ Medical Center is committed to communicating effectively with the deaf and hard-of-hearing and limited-English-speaking persons. We provide qualified sign-language/language interpreters and other auxiliary aids, when necessary, so that patients can benefit from medical center services. These auxiliary aids and services will also be afforded to a patient’s representative who has primary responsibility for communicating with Advocate Christ Medical Center staff about the patient’s treatment and care. All of these additional services will be provided at no cost to the patient. Patients and visitors who need a sign-language/ language interpreter can request these services through a nurse or other members of the patient care team.

Situations in which a sign-language/language interpreter are important to ensure thorough and accurate communication may include, but are not limited to:

• Determination of a patient’s medical history or description of ailment or injury
• Provision of a patient’s rights, informed consent or permission for treatment
• Explanation of advance directives (or their availability)
• Diagnosis or prognosis
• Explanation of procedures, tests, treatment, treatment options or surgery
• Explanation of medications prescribed
• Explanation regarding follow-up treatment, therapy, test results or recovery
• Discharge instructions
• Provision of psychiatric services
• Explanation of any billing or insurance issues

Accommodations for people who are deaf and hearing impaired

TDD/TTY equipment is available in the Communications Department 24 hours a day/7days a week. If you need a phone amplifier, hands-free phone, assistive listening device and/or communication board, your nurse can arrange for these devices. Television sets with closed captioning are also available. If the TV in your room does not have this option, please notify the nurse or any other member of the patient care team.

Your nurse or any other member of the patient care team can provide more information about specific aids that are available or help to arrange for auxiliary aids.  For further information and/or assistance, please call the special services department at extension 41-4104.

Advance Directives are instructions you provide ahead of time concerning the medical treatment you wish to receive, should you lose the ability to make your own decisions. At Advocate Christ Medical Center, we can provide you with written forms that meet the requirements of the State of Illinois, which will assist you in documenting your wishes.

Documents that allow you to speak for yourself include a Living Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care, Mental Health Treatment Declaration, and the Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR)/Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).

Assessing your values

Before you can communicate with anyone else about your wishes for health care, you must first clarify what you value and want for yourself.

After you reflect upon what you consider priorities for life, you can more effectively make decisions about what type of medical interventions you would or would not want if you become unable to speak for yourself. Some considerations might include whether you wish to be placed on a breathing machine, whether you wish to be fed through a tube, or whether you would want resuscitation attempted if your heart stopped.

Who decides?

No one likes to think about a time when they may not be able to make health care decisions. On the other hand, no one wants those decisions made without their wishes being considered. Completing an Advance Directive ensures that your health care wishes are clearly documented in the event that you are unable to make those decisions yourself.

This is your health care

Health care is changing each day. There are many new procedures, machines and medications that offer new treatment options. These medical advances help people live longer and healthier lives. Medical advances also present us with more medical decisions to make. Whenever possible, it is you, the patient, who decides what choices are best for you. The law gives you the right to be informed about your medical condition and the treatment that the physician would recommend. You also have the right to be informed about other health care options. Then, when a medical decision needs to be made, you can do so with informed consent.

Speaking for yourself

Four kinds of written advance directives recognized in Illinois:

• Power of Attorney for Health Care
  This document allows you to name someone to act as your agent for health care choices in the event you are unable to speak for yourself. This person is normally a relative or close friend whom you trust to carry out your choices in conjunction with the medical staff. You decide how much decision power this person has. The Power of Attorney for Health Care document also allows you to state your wishes with regard to organ and tissue donation. While, this may not be an easy conversation to have, you may want to discuss this issue with your family so that you can communicate clearly about your values. Your spiritual leader may also be helpful in this discussion and decision-making process.
• Living Will (Illinois Declaration)
  This document becomes effective only after your attending physician has determined that you have a terminal condition or are in an irreversible state of decline. Typically this document states that you do not want measures taken that prolong the dying process, and you wish to be given comfort care.
• Mental Health Treatment Declaration
  This document is effective for only three years and is used to appoint another person to act as your agent to make mental health treatment decisions.
• Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR)/Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
  This document can be used to create a physician order that reflects your wishes about receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other life-sustaining treatments. For example, the form allows you, in consultation with your physician, to make advance decisions about whether CPR should be administered if your heartbeat and breathing stop, or to limit treatment according to your wishes during other emergencies. CPR, when successful, restores heartbeat and breathing. The completed POLST form is intended to be honored across various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and by emergency medical services personnel in your residence or en route to a health care facility.

Other steps you should take

Communication is the key. Take your time as you share your feelings and wishes with those people who are significant to you.

• Talk to Family and Other Important People
  It may be helpful to speak with your spiritual leader for guidance and support. As you talk with family and friends, remember that they may need time to understand your wishes.
• Communicate Your Wishes to Your Primary Care Physician
  It is essential that you also communicate your specific wishes to your primary care physician. It is a good idea to give your physician an updated copy of your Advance Directive whenever you make a change to your document.
• Have Copies of Your Advance Directive Document Available
  We often place important papers in lock boxes or a home safe. This is not the case with an Advance Directive. Hospitals and physicians can act on your wishes only when they have a copy of your signed document on your patient chart. Make extra copies for family or friends who can access them for you.
• Organ and Tissue Donation
  Another decision that you may want to discuss with your family is your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation. Again, this may not be an easy conversation, but is another way to communicate clearly what you value. Your spiritual leader may also be helpful in this discussion and decisio-making process.

For more information

If you have any questions or for further assistance, contact the Department of Mission and Spiritual Care at 41-PRAY (41-7729).

If you have a question regarding an ethical concern, or would like to consult the Ethics Committee, please contact the Department of Mission and Spiritual Care or the on-call chaplain.

Commonly asked questions about advance directives

Do I need more than one Advance Directive?
A Living Will and a Power of Attorney for Health Care serve different, though related purposes. The first expresses your wishes and instructions concerning care near the end of life; the second empowers someone else to act for you on a broader range of health care matters, if the need should arise. The POLST form is meant to be discussed with those patients with advanced, serious illness and the frail elderly. We recommend that a patient complete at least the Power of Attorney for Health Care advance directive.

How will decisions be made for me if I haven’t completed a Living Will or appointed a health care representative?
If you become incapacitated and do not have a Living Will or a Power of Attorney for Health Care, your doctor and other health care providers will ask a family member, friend, or guardian to make decisions for you. In Illinois a law directs which of these people will be consulted. In that law each of these people is called a “surrogate.” Without an Advance Directive, you face two risks; first, the person/people listed by this law may not be who you would want to make decisions for you; and second, a course of treatment may be selected that you would not personally have approved.

If I sign an Advance Directive and later change my mind, can I revoke it?
You may revoke an Advance Directive at any time by destroying the document; dating and signing a statement of revocation, or verbally expressing your intent to cancel.

What are “life sustaining measures?”
In your Living Will and/or Power of Attorney for Health Care, you may state whether you wish certain forms of medical intervention to be used to keep you alive. These measures include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a ventilator (breathing machine), kidney dialysis, intravenous and tube feeding, and medications.

Do I need to see a lawyer to complete an Advance Directive?
No. You may be more comfortable consulting a lawyer, or you may have special needs or wishes that can best be handled with the assistance of a lawyer. However, these documents are readily available as pre-printed forms.

Will my health care provider honor my preferences as expressed in my Living Will?
Generally, the answer is yes. Occasionally, however, a health care provider may be reluctant to comply on moral or ethical grounds. In that case, it is the provider’s responsibility to arrange for another provider who is comfortable with your wishes.

Does my religious tradition say anything about Living Wills or the kinds of medical traditions approve of individual choice in health care decision-making, especially in the context of artificially prolonging life. If you have religious questions about making an Advance Directive, consult with your spiritual leader.

• Download or print - Rights and Responsibilities - English [PDF]
• Download or print - Rights and Responsibilities - Spanish [PDF]
• Download or print - Rights and Responsibilities - Polish [PDF]

When your doctor feels that you are ready to leave the hospital, he or she will authorize a hospital discharge. Please speak with your nurse about our discharge procedures. Here are a few tips to make your discharge process run smoothly:

• If you did not provide updated health insurance and social security information at the time of admission, you must do so before you are discharged from the hospital. If you have financial or health care questions, we ask that you inform us at the time of admission, so a care manager or social worker can address your concerns.
• Be sure you and/or your caregiver have spoken with a member of the Care Management department to discuss what services you may need after leaving the hospital.
• Verify your discharge date and time with your nurse or doctor.
• Have someone available to pick you up before noon.
• Check your room, bathroom and bedside table carefully for any personal items.
• If you do not have clothing in the hospital, we ask that you have a family member or friend bring clothing to the hospital for you. Be sure to have keys with you or make sure that someone will be present to receive you at the address or home to which you will be returning to on the day of discharge.
•  Please let the nurse know if you have placed your valuables with security, so they can be returned to you when you are discharged.
• You will be receiving your discharge papers and prescriptions from your nurse. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have about this information.
• Plan to get your prescriptions filled at a pharmacy near your home on the day you are discharged.
• For your convenience there is a Walgreens retail pharmacy located in the Outpatient Pavilion. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. The pharmacy is closed on Sunday.

The Care Management Department consists of social workers, discharge counselors and care managers. This team will assist with discharge planning, lend social and emotional support and provide patients and families with assistance in crisis situations. For information or assistance, call extension 41-5255.

Courtesy discharge

Advocate Christ Medical Center’s courtesy discharge allows you to leave the medical center after notification from your doctor or nurse without stopping at the cashier for clearance. To qualify for the special program, you must satisfy the out-of-pocket portion of your medical center charges. This means assigning your verified insurance benefits to the medical center and making arrangements prior to discharge for payment of any charges not covered by your insurance. For more information regarding your out-of-pocket expense or to confirm your courtesy discharge, call the cashier’s office at extension 41-5068.

While you are at Advocate Christ Medical Center, we want you to concentrate on your health. But, we know you also are concerned about the financial aspects of your hospitalization, since the ultimate responsibility for payment of your medical center bill rests with you or your guardian.

Please remember that many employers, insurance companies and HMOs now require notification by the patient, family member or doctor prior to or shortly after admission. If you do not comply with this requirement, your medical benefits could be jeopardized or your insurance company could refuse to pay your bill in part or in full. For your own protection, please check with your benefits provider to see if you need to follow any special rules. By providing us with complete insurance information at the time of registration, you will make it possible for us to bill your insurance company and settle your account promptly.

Paying your bill

Whatever your insurance company does not pay is your responsibility. This amount is payable at the time of discharge. If you have questions, the cashiers can be reached at extension 41-5068 or 708-684-5068 from outside the hospital. Cashier hours are weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Online bill pay

Advocate Christ Medical Center offers online bill payments. You can pay your hospital bill, check account status and verify insurance information through the secure, easy-to-use service. To learn more about the new feature, visit advocatehealth.com/billpay.

Speak to a Financial Counselor

Counselors are available to answer billing questions or assist you with a billing issue. A counselor can meet with you and your family to discuss your insurance benefits, hospital charges, plans for payment of your balance and payment options that may be available to you, including charity care consideration.

If you need information or have questions regarding payment of your bill, financial counselors are available in the business office to assist you. Our financial counselors may be reached at extension 41-5069 or 708-684-5069.

Advocate Health Care serves a broad range of different cultures and ethnic groups throughout the Chicago area. If we cannot provide a financial counselor who speaks your language, we will be happy to arrange for translation assistance to discuss any questions you may have about your bill.

Seniors 65 and older who have questions regarding their bill or need assistance processing their medical paperwork may stop by the Senior Advocate office in the East Tower on the first floor or call extension 41-4150 or 708-684-4150.

We're here to help

Advocate Health Care’s mission is to provide quality and compassionate health care to our patients and their families. We understand that hospital bills and insurance claims can be confusing. We want to help you understand what Advocate will do to assist you, how you can assist us and your health plan, and how we can help you with your application for qualifying for government or charity assistance programs. If you wish to speak to a customer service associate, please call 630-645-2400 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. View brochure ‘Understanding Billing and Financial Assistance’ in English or Spanish:

• Understanding Billing and Financial Assistance – English [PDF]
• Understanding Billing and Financial Assistance – Spanish [PDF]

As much as we would like to think that we always achieve our goal of providing superior care, sometimes we miss the mark. It is exactly in those times when we want to hear from you. Feel free to report concerns with any aspect of your stay to your nurse, to the manager of the unit caring for you, or you can dial “0” and ask the operator for Patient Advocacy or call extension 41-5452. After hours or on holidays, call extension 41-5452 and leave a message. A patient advocacy specialist will return your call on the next business day.

You may also contact specific departments to express concerns or provide feedback:

• Call extension 41-1041 for issues with your food delivery or diet.
• Call extension 41-5958 to report any housekeeping concerns.

If you are not satisfied with the manner in which your concerns were addressed or you are not satisfied with the resolution, DNV GL Healthcare USA can be reached at hospitalcomplaint@dnvgl.com or call 866-496-9647 or the Illinois Department of Public Health at 800-252-4343 or 800-547-0466 (TYY).

Code help

Contact the nurse using your call button if you notice a change in the way you (the patient) or your loved one looks, acts or feels. If you (the patient) or family member feel the patient is not receiving adequate medical attention you may call a Code Help.  A care team will respond to the Code Help by visiting the patient, assessing the situation, and treating the patient as necessary. Dial 42-4200 from any hospital phone and ask for a Code Help to be called.