Plans for your discharge begin upon admission to the Medical Center. Your care coordination team will meet with you to discuss your discharge plans and services including, but not limited to, home health, rehabilitation, and medical equipment.

If you are concerned about your safety at home, please speak with your nurse. Ask questions and raise concerns with your care-giving team.

Transportation

Your doctor will decide when you are ready to leave the hospital. When the doctor gives you a time of expected discharge, contact a family member or friend who will provide your transportation home or to your next destination.

If you are to travel to your next destination by ambulance, your care coordination team will arrange your transportation for you. You will only be allowed to carry one small bag onto the ambulance. Family must take all other belongings prior to discharge.

Please alert your nurse if you have difficulties with your transportation arrangements. The Medical Center offers a discharge lounge, The Lion’s Den, for your comfort and convenience while waiting for your ride home.  The Lion's Den is located in the north hallway of the fifth floor and is staffed by an licensed practical nurse (LPN) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. The LPN staff member can answer any questions you may have and is available to make your stay comfortable. Rest rooms are within a short walking distance.

• Food and Activities:  An assortment of sandwiches and hot and cold beverages are available for your enjoyment. A television, a DVD player, a CD player with a selection of music CDs, and numerous magazines are available.
• Your Medications:  If you need to take any medications during your stay at The Lion’s Den, the pharmacist will prepare and label your medications. Your nurse will provide instructions on when to take them, and you will bring these with you to The Lion’s Den.
• Placing Phone Calls:  A phone is available to place outside calls. To complete a local call, dial “9” and then the number. To complete a long distance call, you need to call collect or use a phone card. Phone cards may be purchased at the vending machine located near the end of the sixth floor south hallway.
• Storing Your Belongings:  When the staff member brings you to the area, all your belongings are placed in a cart. This cart remains assigned to you in the room until you are ready to leave the Medical Center.
• Connecting You with Your Ride Home:  The family member or friend picking you up should park in the visitor’s parking lot near the main entrance of the Medical Center (located on the east side of the Medical Center near the Emergency Department entrance). Then, your family member or friend should enter the main entrance to find the information desk. The clerk at the information desk will call The Lion’s Den and you will be transported to your ride.

The Day You Go Home

• Gather your belongings, including any valuables you stored in the Medical Center’s safety deposit box.
• Review any written instructions from your caregiver, including follow-up appointments and prescriptions. Ask questions!

Health Information Services (HIS), also known as Medical Records, is on the ground floor of University Physicians Center (UPC). HIS processes requests for copies of Medical Center and some clinic medical records. Upon your request and authorization, records will be mailed directly to your health care provider at no charge within seven to ten business days. There is a charge for records requested for your own personal use.

To obtain copies of your medical records, complete an “Authorization for Release of Hospital Records” form. This form is available from HIS, from any Medical Center clinic, or you can click here to download the form in PDF format.  The form should be returned or mailed to:

Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Health Information Services
500 University Drive, Mail Code HU24
Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 531-3798

The pharmacy is a resource for information about your drug therapy. The pharmacists work together with other members of your care coordination team to monitor medications and ensure appropriate and safe drug therapy for all patients. A prescription assistance coordinator (PAC) is available to consult with your care coordination team if you have no pharmacy benefit or if you are having problems paying for your prescriptions.

The outpatient pharmacy accepts many major prescription plans. Patients are encouraged to contact the pharmacy to verify that their plan is accepted. Please call extension 8094 (or (717) 531-8094 from outside the Medical Center).

The outpatient pharmacy is located in Suite 1200 on the first floor of the University Physician Center (UPC).

Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Closed all major holidays.

The staff of the CareLine is excited to share the services offered to our patients, families, and the community.

A toll-free number, (800) 243-1455, is available 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. This number is not to be used for incoming calls to patient rooms.

The information and referral specialists:

• Answer general questions regarding the services available at the Medical Center.
• Assist in locating a physician specializing in the treatment of a specific medical problem or who meets an expressed personal preference, as described by the caller.
• Register callers for classes and health screenings available to the community.
• Address questions about a specific physician’s credentials or specialty services.
• Provide maps and directions to a specific Medical Center location.

Identifiable items left behind in a patient care area are tagged and kept in that unit. The staff will contact you and will store the item(s) on the unit for seven days. The item(s) must be picked up within that time. To better ensure the return of lost items, it is recommended that you label all items you bring with you.

Unidentifiable items found within the Medical Center are turned into the main information desk. As required by law, items of value, such as jewelry and currency, are turned over to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue annually. All inquires concerning lost and found items should be directed to the information desk at extension 8080 (or (717) 531-8080 from outside the Medical Center).

About one month following your discharge, you will receive a patient satisfaction survey. Each department of the Medical Center strives to provide an excellent level of care and service, and every completed patient survey helps us measure our effectiveness. Your responses are taken very seriously and suggestions are passed on to the staff and management. Please take a moment to complete this survey to help us pinpoint areas in need of improvement and to recognize the employees who provide excellent care and service.