Admission & Accommodations
Admission
Upon your admission to Holy Family Hospital, we will work to get you to your room and make you comfortable as quickly as possible. An identification bracelet with your name and medical record number will be placed on your wrist for the duration of your stay.
Accommodations
Patients are assigned to a room dependent upon available bed space and the reason for hospitalization. We will make every effort to address any personal preferences you may have during your admission. Your health care team will quickly orient you to your surroundings, teach you to use the call bell, explain hospital routines, and discuss your plan of care with you and/or a designated family member or representative.
Patient Information
Hospitalist Staff
As a patient at Holy Family Hospital, you may be cared for by our team of hospitalists who are physicians specially trained in the care of hospitalized patients. The team practices in Methuen and Haverhill, working in collaboration with primary care doctors to provide patient care from the time someone is admitted to the hospital until they are discharged. Hospitalists review care, prescribe medications, order tests and treatments, and coordinate follow-up care after discharge.
Nursing
In collaboration with your physician, the nursing staff will work with you to meet your health care needs while you are hospitalized. Your nurse manager is in charge of all nursing care on your unit. Upon admission, you will be assigned a nurse who will plan and coordinate your nursing care with you and your family. These registered nurses provide 24-hour comprehensive care tailored to your special needs. Please feel free to ask your nurse about any aspect of your care. See our ICU Staffing Reports.
Holy Family Hospital
Holy Family Hospital Haverhill
Interpreter Services
Trained medical interpreters are available round-the-clock at no cost to patients, family members or significant others. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available as needed to meet the communication needs of our hearing impaired patients via video conferencing. In-person ASL interpreters can be booked through the Interpreter Services Department with advanced notice. In emergency or short-notice situation in which an interpreter isn’t immediately available, we will utilize a telephonic and/or video remote interpreter. Simply ask your nurse, provider or one of our employees to contact Interpreter Services. If immediate medical care is needed, always ring for your nurse.
Patient Advocate
If you have care-related questions or concerns, feel free to speak with any of your caregivers at any time. If you have concerns or comments about safety or quality, we encourage you to speak with your nurse or the nursing supervisor. Or, if you prefer, our patient advocate is available to discuss any concerns you or your family may have about your individual care or other issues.
To speak with the patient advocate in Methuen, call 978-687-0156, ext. 2399 or dial 0 from your bedside phone. In Haverhill, call 978-521-8540 or dial ext. 8540 from your bedside phone.
Visitor Information
Visiting Hours
Visiting hours for family and friends vary by unit. We are happy to provide you and your visitors with the specific hours. The only restrictions on visiting hours would be based on your medical condition, or if limitations are set by your physician. You may withdraw your consent for visitors at any time during your stay
Smoke-Free Environment
Both of our hospital campuses are smoke-free. In Methuen and Haverhill, smoking is not permitted anywhere on the premises.
Amenities
Meals
Whether you are on a regular or special diet, have cultural, ethnic or religious food preferences, or if you have specific food allergies or intolerances, we will accommodate your needs. Each morning of your hospital stay you will have the opportunity to choose your meals from our varied menu with the help of a representative from the Department of Nutrition and Food Services. Additionally, a registered dietitian is available to answer any questions you may have.
For visitors, our cafeterias at both campuses offer a salad bar, sandwiches and hot meal options, desserts, beverages, and more.
In Methuen, the cafeteria is located on the first floor of the hospital. Cafeteria hours are:
Monday to Friday : 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Limited service
Breakfast: 6:30-9:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Dinner: 4-6 p.m
Dunkin Donuts is also located at Holy Family Hospital’s Methuen campus and is open Monday through Sunday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
In Haverhill, the cafeteria is also located on the first floor of the hospital. Hours are as follows.
Coffee and Pastry: 6:45-11 a.m.
Full Breakfast: 7-10:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Light Lunch (soup, salad bar, sandwiches): 2-4 p.m.
Dinner: 4-6:15 p.m.
Hours are subject to change. Family members are asked to consult our nursing staff before bringing food in to patients.
Telephone and Television
Televisions are located in each patient room, except in the emergency and behavioral health units. All hospital televisions are equipped with telecaptioners for the hearing impaired. Please be respectful of others and keep the TV volume down.
Telephones are also located in all patient rooms except for the ICU, emergency department and behavioral health units. There is no charge for calls throughout Massachusetts. Calls outside of Massachusetts are considered long distance and must be made collect or charged to your credit card. Specific directions for using the phones on either campus are provided in our patient guide.
Cell Phones
Cell phone use is allowed in the hospital except where the phone might interfere with patient safety or in areas where sensitive equipment is used. If you do need to use your cell phone, please speak in a low voice to not disturb the comfort of others.
Mail and Flowers
Mail and flowers may be sent to an individual’s attention in care of Holy Family Hospital. Be sure to specify which campus – Methuen or Haverhill – when arranging for the delivery. Specifying a room number is helpful, but not necessary. Mail or flowers are delivered directly to an individual’s room. Any mail received after your discharge will be forwarded to your home address. If your request that your name not be listed in the hospital directory, any mail or flowers cannot be delivered to you out of respect for your anonymity. Balloons can be sent to patients, but latex balloons are not allowed in any area of the hospital – only mylar balloons are allowed.
Wireless Computer Access
While visiting Holy Family Hospital, you may use your personal laptop computer to access the web. When logging on, you must first accept an online service agreement. If you need assistance, a quick-reference guide to the Guest Internet Service can be obtained from the front desk in the lobby. The guide includes directions on accessing the information, as well as frequently asked questions about access, procedures, bandwidth and security. Please note that our information services staff does not provide support services to users of the Guest Internet.
Spiritual Care Services
Chaplains are available to offer spiritual support to all patients and their families during hospitalization. We have chaplains of various faith traditions on staff, and we would be happy to contact a clergy person of your denomination. Chaplains are trained in ethical decision-making, and they are able to share knowledge of the Ethical and Religious Directives of Catholic Health Care Services. Religious/spiritual care requests can be made through your nurse, social worker or patient advocate, or by contacting the Spiritual Care Service for the respective campus.
At our Methuen campus, hospital chaplains and chaplain interns visit patients regularly, and they are available to meet the spiritual needs of staff as well. There is also a chapel located on the first floor of the hospital. It is open 24 hours a day to everyone for meditation and prayer. Eucharist is offered regularly to patients. A Memorial Mass is celebrated in the Methuen chapel on the third Sunday of the month at 8:30 a.m., and Mass is celebrated daily, Monday through Friday at noon. Contact the Spiritual Care Office for Mass cards and/ or to have Masses offered for your loved ones. “Care Notes” are available in the chapel to read and take with you. To contact Spiritual Care Services in Methuen, call 978-687-0156, ext. 2005. If you are calling from within the hospital, please dial 2005.
In Haverhill, we offer caring presence, companionship, spiritual support, prayer, meditation and more. If you need privacy and quiet time, please use our Family Room on the second floor. To contact Spiritual Care in Haverhill, please call 978-521-8151.