Patient Guide

We are committed to your care.

Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.

Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care

Fast facts about your stay.

Support for Caregivers

We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.

Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective, and timely care.

What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:

What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care physician or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.

If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network

Facts About Your Stay

Bedside Shift Report

We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.

Bedside Technology

During your stay, you may see your doctors and nurses using cell phones, cameras, portable rolling computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

Cafeteria & National Perk Coffee

Location: First Floor next to the Main Entrance

All visitors are welcome to dine in the cafeteria.

Cafeteria Hours:

WEEKDAYS

Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Dinner: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY

Breakfast: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

National Perk Coffee Hours:

WEEKDAYS ONLY

Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located at your bedside. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.

Cellphones & Video

During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At NPMC, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. Employees are not allowed to use phones for non-work-related activities. There are many work related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.

Channel Listing for TV

Each patient room has a television. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV.

Television Channels

02 KETS-PBS	22 WEtv
03 KARK-NBC	23 Food Network
04 KATV-ABC	24 Fox News
05 KTHV-CBS	25 FX
06 KLRT-FOX	26 Hallmark
07 KARZ	27 HGTV
08 Comet	28 History Channel
09 Grit	29 Investigation Discovery
10 A&E	30 Lifetime
11 Freeform	31 MSNBC
12 AMC	32 National Geographic
13 Animal Planet	33 Nick Jr.
14 Cartoon Network	34 Paramount Network
15 CMT	35 TBS
16 CNBC News	36 Turner
17 CNN	37 FXX
18 C-SPAN	38 TNT
19 Discovery	39 USA Network
20 Disney Channel	40 ESPN
21 SEC Network	41 EPSN2

Concerns About Your Care

Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact call the Complaint Line: 501-620-2535. The Complaint Line is checked each business day.

You also have the right to file your complaint with either:

The Arkansas Department of Public Health

4815 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
1-800-462-0599
Website: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/

Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report patient safety event”

Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions. For help, contact the Nursing Supervisor: 501-620-1441.

Electrical Appliances

For your safety, we reserve the right to inspect any electrical appliances brought into the hospital.

Fire Safety

We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will guide you.

Flowers

Flowers are typically delivered to the front desk at the Main entrance and carried to patient rooms by NPMC staff. Please note that flowers are not allowed in Intensive Care Units.

Gift Shop

Location: First Floor next to Visitor's Desk

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cash and credit cards accepted.

Hearing Impaired

We have services available for patients who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.

Housekeeping Services

We routinely clean patient rooms. If you have a concern about the cleanliness of your room, please call EVS at 501-620-1328.

Interpreters and Translation Services

Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.

Lost and Found

Should you need to contact lost and found regarding a missing item, please call 501-620-1328.

Mail

Mail and email sent to our website are delivered to patients Monday through Friday by hospital volunteers.

Mail received after discharge typically will be forwarded to the patient’s home. Postage stamps are available in the gift shop.

Medications

Unless advised by your provider, please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medications to the hospital. All medications you take in the hospital must be prescribed and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor about any medications you regularly take. If you have a list of all your medications, please bring it with you.

Parking

Convenient parking for patients and visitors is available in front of the Main entrance, ER entrance, and Outpatient entrance, which are all accessible from Malvern Ave. and at the Heart and Vascular Center accessible from Hollywood Ave.

Pastoral Care

If you would like to speak to a member of our volunteer spiritual care team, please ask your nurse to reach out on your behalf during business hours.

Patient Meals

Depending on your length of stay and diagnosis, you may receive a menu from Food & Nutrition Services for pre-ordering meals.

Patient Rooms

NPMC makes every effort to ensure the cleanliness and comfort of patient rooms; however, should you have a concern, reach out to a hospital staff member.

Patient Rounding

To ensure a positive hospital experience for you, hospital staff will visit routinely to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call light and personal items easily.

Personal Belongings and Valuables

Personal items should remain with you during your stay. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. NPMC is not responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Public Restrooms

For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one.

Rapid Response Team

A highly trained group of individuals called the Rapid Response Team is in place at all times in the hospital. You can call this team any time to check on any medical condition that is of concern before there is a life-threatening emergency.

Call: 3233

Tell the operator: your name, room number, patient’s name and your concern.
The Rapid Response Team will be sent to your room.

Safety

Security is onsite 24/7. They can be found at their designated work station in the ER Waiting Room.

Attacking a healthcare worker is a FELONY per Arkansas ACT 313. We Respect You. Please Respect Our Staff.

Smoking

In accordance with Arkansas Act 134, NPMC is a smoke-free facility. Tobacco products of any kind are prohibited on hospital property, including in parking lots.

If You Smoke or Use Tobacco
While you are in the hospital, please do not suffer from nicotine withdrawal. You can receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other appropriate support during your hospital visit. Please ask your nurse for more information.

Telephone

If you need to make a call on an in-house phone, please ask a healthcare provider.

Vending Machines

Vending machines are available on every floor.

Visiting Hours

To promote healing and safety and limit infection, some units may limit the number of visitors you can receive at one time. Please see units for unit-specific requirements. Patients have the right to choose to receive visitors from among family, friends or other individuals at any time during their stay.

email a Patient

We recognize that family visitation is an integral part of physical and emotional healing for both the patient and the family member. It can also be a significant support for our staff members. With the exception of patients diagnosed with or under investigation for COVID-19, all patients are allowed visitors without restrictions. Please see below for any specific department guidelines.

- - ICU and maternal/child waiting areas will remain closed at this time. Visitors to those areas should be with the patient in the patient’s room.
  - Visitors under the age of 16 must be supervised and accompanied at all times.
  - Visitors are not allowed for high-risk, isolation, immunocompromised or respiratory patients who are under observation or test positive for COVID-19.
  - All who enter must self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms and temperature before entering the hospital. Additional wall thermometers and signage are being placed at entries to aid.
  - Visitors who do not pass the self-screening at entry are asked to reschedule their visit until they are symptom-free.
  - Social distancing in the cafeteria and open waiting areas and universal masking remain in place for the safety of employees, visitors and patients.
  - Pediatrics: One parent or other adult support person is required to stay 24-hours-a-day with a pediatric patient.

Unit-Specific Visitation Policies

CVICU (Rooms CV01 to CV08) Visitation Details

- - Patients are allowed two visitors at a time at the bedside.
  - Our waiting room is closed. To obtain entry to the unit, please enter through the Heart Center and proceed to the CVICU waiting area. A speaker doorbell is placed on the side of the door. Please press the doorbell to enter.
  - For your safety and the safety your loved one and our staff, please refrain from sleeping at the bedside. Our nursing staff must be able to gain access to the patient and equipment quickly in the event of an emergency.

ICU (Rooms in the 2300s) Visitation Details

- - Patients are allowed two visitors at a time at the bedside.
  - Our waiting room is closed. To obtain entry to the unit, please call the unit from the Radiology Waiting room at extension 2300 or 501.620.2300 from an outside line.
  - For your safety and the safety your loved one and our staff, please refrain from sleeping at the bedside. Our nursing staff must be able to gain access to the patient and equipment quickly in the event of an emergency.

Maternal/Child (Room Numbers 1218 to 1278) Visitation Details

- - Two well visitors per patient at a time.
  - Visitors may "switch out".
  - Visitors must be at the patient’s bedside.
  - The Maternal/Child waiting room is closed.

Rehabilitation (Room Numbers 1108 to 1119) Visitation Hours

- - Monday through Friday from 12:00 Noon – 1:00 pm and 4:30-8:30 pm
  - Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 – 8:30 pm

Senior Care (Room Numbers 1120 to 1136) Visitation Hours

- - Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 3:30-5:30 pm
  - Please check in at the back entrance door as instructed during patient intake.

Wi-Fi

We offer Wi-Fi for guests. Look for GUEST ACCESS when searching for Wi-Fi.