Arrival

At Stony Brook Medicine, we respect your rights as a patient and strive to provide high quality, compassionate care. When you are admitted to the hospital, you will receive information that outlines your rights under New York State law. If you have a question about your rights or need more information, please speak to your nurse, doctor or social worker. You can also call the Department of Patient Advocacy at (631) 444-2880, or from a hospital phone, 4-2880. 

Understand what you need to know about your general consents, including samples of the electronic or paper consent(s) that you sign: stonybrookmedicine.edu/patientcare/PatientAccess

These consents and agreements are for your general care and treatment at Stony Brook Medicine.

Conveniently situated just below the Hospital Lobby and adjacent to the Emergency Department, our Pre-Surgical Admissions Department is dedicated to addressing each patient's unique needs. During your visit, you'll have the opportunity to discuss your clinical history with a nurse and complete any necessary paperwork, ensuring a smoother process on the day of your surgery.

On the day of your procedure, a nurse in the Preoperative Holding or Prep area will ensure that all your pre-surgery requirements are met. 

Find out more.

To ensure patient safety and security while meeting standards of compliance, when you are being admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital, you will be asked to provide positive identification. 

In general, a government picture ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport serves to meet this standard.
 

To assist in ensuring that your patient information is in order and up to date, please make sure that we know of any changes that may have occurred. These include:

Patient Information

• Legal name change and/or change in legal marital status
• Your preferred name and pronoun
• New home address, home/cell phone number or email address
• New primary care doctor
• New pharmacy, including retail and mail order

Information for Billing 

• Mailing address
• Preferred method of contact
• Primary and secondary phone numbers
• Email address
• Employer name/address/phone number
• Next of kin name/address/phone number
• Emergency contact name/address/phone number•

Insurance Information

• Insurance policy plan holder name/ID number
• Insurance policy ID number
• Insurance policy mailing address
• Insurance policy phone number
• Name of your primary care physician
• Name of your pharmacy, including retail or mail order

To complete or update your information, call the Department of Patient Access at (631) 444-2905, or from a hospital phone, 4-2905.

During admission to the hospital, you will be asked if you would like to name a “caregiver” who can help you with tasks at home should you need assistance. This could be a family member, friend, neighbor or anyone else who is significant in your life. This is not necessarily the family or friends who are helping you with your medical decisions and does not have to be your healthcare proxy or next of kin.

Your caregiver will be included with you in any necessary teaching regarding your discharge plan, and any other instructions and demonstrations by hospital staff related to things that may need to be provided for you after discharge. This could include medication, dressing changes and physician follow-up appointments. As your caregiver, your medical information may be shared with them, as necessary.

Healthix, the largest public health information exchange in New York State, enables the electronic sharing of health information between providers – including hospitals, long-term care facilities, home care agencies, and community physicians – in New York City, Long Island and surrounding areas.

Most healthcare providers store information about your health in paper records or in computer systems that are only accessible to them. If you see more than one doctor, your records are likely stored in many different places, making it hard to pull them all together for a complete picture of your health.

Healthix supports technology that allows your doctors, nurses and other health care providers involved in your care, share their medical records using a secure computer network. This technology will help your healthcare providers – like your doctor – make information about your health available to other providers you choose, so better care can be provided to you.

We will need your consent allowing us to access your health information, as well as to share your medical records while you are being cared for at Stony Brook University Hospital. One of our Patient Access Services representatives will ask you for your electronic signature.

After being admitted to the hospital, you will be given a patient identification band, which will be placed around your wrist. The band contains important information about you to help us meet your individual needs. Please wear it throughout your stay. If your band is uncomfortable, is removed or falls off, let your nurse know immediately.

We will supply hospital gowns, slippers and personal toiletries, although you may be more comfortable having your own nightclothes. Please do not keep personal items and valuables in your room since the hospital cannot be responsible for their safekeeping. If you are unable to have someone take your items, we can have them placed in the Cashier’s Office safe until you leave. Please call (631) 444-7583, or 4-7583 from a hospital phone, or visit the Cashier’s Office or speak to your nurse prior to discharge. Patient valuables are accepted and returned 24 hours a day/7 days a week. 

Cashier office hours:

Cashier Office Level 5 
Monday - Friday: 8 am to 6 pm 
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: Closed

Cashier Office Level 4 
Open 24 hours a day/7 days a week 

Please provide any personal medications and medical devices to your nurse who will have these items stored with our Pharmacy.

Weapons are not permitted on hospital premises.

We will provide denture/retainer cups and patient belonging bags for your clothes, eye glasses or hearing aids during your stay. Be careful not to wrap your dentures or eyeglasses in tissue, store them in a cup, or leave them on a food tray, on your bed or on tabletops. Instead, please keep these items in the drawer of your bedside table when you are not wearing them. If you wish to store them, please call Transport Services at (631) 444-2980, or from a hospital phone, 4-2980.

To help promote a healing environment, please be courteous when using your cell phone. To protect patient confidentiality, the use of camera phones and/or visual/audio recording is strictly prohibited. 

As a patient, you have the right to opt out and not be listed in any Hospital Directory of patients. That means when someone asks for you by name, even family and close friends, no information will be provided, including your presence here.  

Patients who do not opt out of the Hospital Directory may either limit the individuals who may visit, or indicate individuals who are not permitted to visit (whichever is fewer). For example, you can request that (name of person) may not visit.

Because your health and the health of others is our concern and responsibility, the use of tobacco is not allowed anywhere on the Stony Brook Medicine campus — inside or out — including Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, the Health Sciences and Basic Sciences Towers, Medical and Research Translation (MART) building, Hospital Pavilion, Ambulatory Surgery Center, Advanced Specialty Care at Stony Brook, the Long Island State Veterans Home, as well as all parking garages.

Please note that this includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or the inhaling or exhaling of smoke or vapor from an electronic smoking device or any other matter or substance that contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked.

Smoking Cessation

It is in the best interest of your health and the health of your family to stop smoking. We can help. If you are a smoker, ask your doctor or nurse about nicotine replacement. The New York State Smokers’ Quitline offers free counseling and nicotine replacement. Call (866) 697-8487 (866-NY-QUITS) or visit nysmokefree.com online. The Suffolk County Department of Health offers a six-week program to assist you with quitting. To find a class near you, call (631) 853-4017.
 

We understand that your beliefs and values can play a big role in your recovery, and we’re sensitive to the ways in which your perceptions about healthcare may differ from another patient’s or from the staff members who are here to help you. During your stay, please let us know what we can do to help respect and meet your needs and those of your family. This may include dietary considerations, language interpretation, and religious or other spiritual practices. We want to ensure the best care possible for you.

Compassionate Connected Care® is a way of providing care that promotes respect, dignity and trust, through compassionate communication, teamwork, and human connection. At Stony Brook Medicine, we have chosen Compassionate Connected Care® as our Professional Practice Model to enhance the care experiences for patients and their loved ones.