Family and friends brighten your day and can help speed your recovery. During your hospitalization at Austin Surgical Hospital, our goal is to provide an environment that promotes healing and provides a positive experience for you and your visitors. We allow visitation around the clock as long as the patient’s recovery is promoted.

Lobby doors will be locked at 8:30 pm, but family members may gain access to their family member’s room by ringing the doorbell at the Emergency Room entrance. One family member is allowed to spend the night if he/she desires.

Austin Surgical Hospital is a smoke-free hospital. Smoking is not permitted inside the hospital or patient rooms or balconies.

For the rest and welfare of all of our patients, the television must be kept at a low volume.

We encourage family visits; however, small children should be held by the hand for their safety. To prevent the transmission of germs, children should never be allowed to sit or lie down on the floor.

Firearms are not permitted inside the hospital AT ANYTIME.

Only “seeing eye” pets are allowed inside the hospital.

We understand that some of our patients have special likes and dislikes regarding food. You may contact our Clinical Dietitian for assistance with food preferences. Visitors may take their meals in the patient rooms; however, we request that all items discarded (wrappers, leftovers, etc.) after the meal be removed from the patient’s room. This will prevent the patient from becoming nauseated from various odors that linger in the waste receptacle. The reception desk can assist family members with listings of local restaurants.

We strive to provide all patients and visitors with a clean and pleasing environment. To allow our Environmental Services’ personnel to keep the patient’s room as sanitary as possible, visitors may be requested to leave the room so that it can be cleaned. We realize this may be an inconvenience; however, we suggest that visitors enjoy a tour of our grounds during this time.

To benefit all patients, visitors and personnel, all visitors are responsible for conducting themselves in a polite and courteous manner. Any visitors who exhibit threatening behavior, or use abusive or profane language, will be requested to leave the facility.

We also ask that our visitors be aware of their own medical conditions when visiting our hospital. In the best interest of the health of our patients, visitors who have a fever, symptoms of colds, flu, or any type of communicable disease should not come to the hospital.

All rooms are private and designed for comfort and safety. Each room includes a bedside stand for your belongings such as toiletries, an over-bed table which opens and is equipped with a mirror and a nurse call button which rings at the nurses’ station and can be answered by intercom. There is an armoire for clothing and personal belongings.

Each room is equipped with a color television set that offers a large selection of broadcast and cable programming. There is also a DVD / VCR player in each room that can be adapted to play movies with your iPod. You may bring your videos and DVDs from home, or you may select one from our collection for your enjoyment.

Austin Surgical Hospital is a smoke-free facility. As a healthcare institution, we recognize the hazards of smoking and enforce a “no smoking policy” throughout the institution. We do not permit smoking inside or near any entrances to the hospital. For your health and the health of others, smoking is only permitted outside of the hospital in the designated smoking areas. Please speak to your physician with regard to alternative measures.

All meals are individually prepared according to your specific dietary needs. Patients may select their meals from a menu card that offers a varied selection of items. Patients with dietary restrictions are offered special menu cards, or the Food Services Staff will work with the patient if the menu selections do not meet their dietary requirements. Diet instruction and nutritional counseling will be provided with your physician’s approval. If you would like to speak to a dietitian, please ask your nurse for assistance. Our Patient Satisfaction Guarantee means you should expect an attractive, quality meal that accurately reflects your diet and menu requests. You should also expect a courteous and professional member of our food service staff to serve your meals. If we do not meet these standards, please notify your nurse.

Telephone
Family and friends can either call the main hospital telephone number 512-314-3800 and ask for the patient by name or call the patient room directly by dialing 512-732-8 plus the ROOM#. The hospital does not receive “collect” calls. For local calls outside the hospital, dial 9 and then the telephone number and for long-distance calls you must use your calling card. If patients would like quiet time, the phone may be disconnected by unplugging it from the wall. Remember, for your own protection, hospital staff does not give out personal information, hospital room numbers or status of care.

Cell Phones
Cellular phones may only be used in the main lobby. They may not be used in patient care areas because they interfere with vital monitoring equipment for patients. The phones used by the hospital staff only work within the hospital and do not interfere with the monitoring equipment. If you are unsure of where to use your cellular phone please ask hospital staff.

Wireless Access
Wireless access is available throughout the hospital. Austin Surgical Hospital offers wireless Internet access. Some areas maybe restricted from use, but areas such as the lobby, patient rooms, and the refreshment area all have Internet access

Local newspapers are available for purchase at the front door of the facility. Mail will be delivered to you. After you are discharged, the hospital will forward mail to your home.

Available in each patient room is an oversized guest chair that converts to a bed for a guest. If more than one family member wishes to stay the night, please visit the reception desk for information on local hotels.

Complimentary parking is available.

A list of area restaurants for dining out and delivery is made available for your convenience. This list may be obtained from the receptionist desk in the front lobby. There are also vending machines in the vending room.

Austin Surgical Hospital is located within a short distance of a number of hotels and shopping facilities. Please contact the Receptionist in the lobby if you need further information.