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____Frequently
Asked Questions____________
How is St. Elias Specialty Hospital different
from a regular acute care hospital?
o
St. Elias patients
have already been through diagnostic and surgical
procedures, have been stabilized and are going to
require the level of care typically provided in a
hospital for an extended period of time.
o
At St. Elias, a
multi-disciplinary team is assembled to develop an
individual care plan for each patient. That team meets
regularly to assess the patient's progress toward the
goal of medical recovery.
o
We are focused
upon understanding and providing for the needs of our
patients and the members of their support systems. The
long-stay patient at St. Elias is not the exception, but the
rule, and we have created an environment that is free of
the distractions that exist in regular acute care hospitals.
St. Elias does not have an emergency room, labor and
delivery, special imaging, surgery, and other departments not
related to our mission.
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How is St. Elias Specialty Hospital different
from a nursing home?
o
St. Elias is a
licensed acute care hospital and provides a level of
care equivalent to a regular acute care hospital. For
example, St. Elias services include daily physician visits,
24-hour nursing care, telemetry,
ventilator/tracheostomy care and weaning, therapy and other
medical services typically provided in a hospital.
o
St. Elias patients
need services that cannot be provided in nursing homes,
and they are not usually eligible for nursing home admission because they need more advanced medical care.
o
Although
the expression "long-term care" usually refers to nursing
homes and sometimes assisted living facilities, the
"long-term" in LTACH only serves to distinguish us from
traditional acute care hospitals. LTACHs are not intended to
be a permanent placement. Our goal is to help the
patient reach his/her highest level of wellness possible
and to move them up the health care continuum. For
many LTACH patients this means Home!
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If a loved one needs LTACH services, what is the process
for getting them admitted to St. Elias Specialty
Hospital?
o
A patient may
be admitted to St. Elias from an acute care hospital, from a
physician's office, from a skilled nursing facility and
from other health care settings.
o
The process
usually involves a referral from the patient's physician
either for "LTACH" or specifically for "St.
Elias Specialty Hospital". The Case Managers or physician's
office personnel will contact various LTACHs (or St.
Elias if
specified) for a clinical evaluation to determine
whether LTACH services are appropriate for the patient.
When St. Elias is contacted, we will promptly dispatch a
Nurse Liaison to visit the patient and this
determination is then made by an Admission Team at St. Elias.
o If the patient
does meet criteria for admission to St. Elias, our Admissions
Director and Nurse Liason will work with the referring
physician, Case Managers, and the family to make
arrangements for transfer to St. Elias.
o If the patient's physician is not familiar with St. Elias and the
services we offer, please contact the Admissions
Director and we will be happy to
provide detailed information, conduct a tour of our
hospital, and to answer any questions the physician or
family may have.
o
Patients or families can also self refer by calling the referral phone number below. We will assess your condition and options and then either arrange for admission or recommend a more appropriate level of care for your situation.
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How are LTACH
services paid for?
o
St. Elias has
contracts with numerous commercial insurance carriers.
During the pre-admission evaluation process, the
Admissions Director will verify benefits under one of
these plans. If St. Elias does not have an existing agreement
with the patient's insurer we are usually able to work
with that insurer on a single case basis and reach an agreement for services to be provided.
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Are
private patient rooms available?
o
Nearly all of
the patient rooms at St. Elias are very large private rooms with private
baths.
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Is it possible for a family member to stay overnight
with a patient?
o
St. Elias
recognizes the benefit in family participation in
patient care. Upon request, administration will
determine if overnight accommodations can be made.
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What assistance is available at St. Elias Specialty
Hospital for preparing for a patient's discharge?
o
A St. Elias Case
Manager will assist with all hospital and post-discharge
needs. For the convenience of our patients and families,
we arrange for medical equipment needs, Home Health, and
transportation.
o
If alternative
levels of care (skilled nursing, inpatient
rehabilitation, assisted living, etc.) or outpatient
services (Dialysis, outpatient therapy, IV
antibiotic therapy, etc) are needed, a St. Elias Case
Manager will assist in identifying and evaluating
available options. We also have a social worker who specializes in health care who is available to assist as needed.
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