Going Home and Follow-up Care

Your physician will determine when you are to be discharged from the hospital. Other members of the medical staff also help to make this transition go smoothly.

Discharge Procedure

When your doctor decides you are ready to leave the hospital, your nurse will review with you the things that you will need for your care and comfort after your discharge. This review will include activities that are recommended, medicine you should take doctors' appointments, and any other special information.

The staff in the Care Management Department is there to help you find resources to meet your needs after you leave the hospital, and can help arrange for your transfer to a rehabilitation hospital, nursing home, or other facility if needed. Call the Care Management Department at 304-598-4183 from 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday for any discharge needs. After hours, ask your nurse to contact someone in the department.

At home, your local telephone book may list social service agencies and other community resources. You may be able to find out more by calling your Chamber of Commerce, county health department, local hospital and/or its social services office, or your state's Health and Human Services office.

Special Home Diets

If you need to continue on a special diet at home, your physician will order a diet instruction. If a diet instruction is ordered at the last minute or on a weekend that information will be mailed to you and/or arrangements will be made for you to see the outpatient dietitian at another time.

Discharge Day

To make this day to as smoothly as possible, please make sure that you have done the following before leaving:

• Be sure you understand any instructions or procedures you should follow at home.
• Arrange for a ride home.
• Gather all your belongings from your hospital room.
• Claim any valuables you left with the Admissions Office.
• Check with the Patient Access Representative on your floor to see if you need to provide any more financial information.

Emergency Care

WVU Hospital's Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center provides 24-hour emergency care for illnesses and injuries that can't wait until your next doctor's visit. It is also the home of MedCom, which dispatches emergency helicopters and coordinates pre-hospital emergency care for the region.