Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center
Thank you for choosing us and allowing us to participate in your care. The following information has been designed to
familiarize not only the patient, but also the family members of our procedures while you are in the Medical Center. Please
share this information with family or friends who will accompany you for your procedure. Our goal is to make your
experience as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Prior to Your Procedure
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Instructions – You will receive a telephone call from a pre-admission nurse who will ask for a list of your
current medications, drug allergies, review your medical and surgical history and provide instructions for
your procedure. Please be sure to provide a valid phone number and contact information to your
physicians’ office as this will be forwarded to the pre-admission office.
Lab Testing – Depending on your medical history, procedure & anticipated anesthesia, your physician may
request blood work, an EKG or medical/cardiac clearance. Required laboratory testing should be
completed within 30 days prior to your procedure. This will allow the results to be reviewed and any issue
addressed before your arrival the day of the procedure. Your procedure may be delayed or cancelled if
you do not allow enough time prior to your procedure to complete the required testing, and problems
are found. The cost of the testing may be covered as part of your procedure if done at Our Lady of
Lourdes Medical Center or LourdesCare Cherry Hill. Using another facility may result in a charge to you (copay or deductible), so please check with your insurance provider. FOR PRE-ADMISSION TESTING: Please
enter the medical center through the main entrance on Haddon Avenue. Free valet parking is available
from 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. at this entrance for pre-admission testing patients. Please obtain a validation from
the security desk in the lobby for this free service.
Taking Your Current Medications: If you are currently taking insulin, oral diabetic medications, diuretics
(“water pills”) or post-transplant anti-rejection medications, contact your physician immediately for
instructions on taking these medications.
If you are taking diet suppressants or herbal supplements, please discontinue taking them 14 days prior to
your scheduled procedure to prevent any possible adverse reactions.
Taking Your Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Medications:
If you are currently taking:
Anticoagulants, “blood thinners”, such as Coumadin, Lovenox, Pradaxa, or Xarelto
Antiplatelets, such as, Plavix, Effient or Brilinta Aspirin or products containing aspirin
These medications may need to be stopped several days prior to your procedure,
contact your physician immediately for instructions on taking these medications.
Preparing For Your Discharge/A responsible adult must take you home: You must make arrangements for a
responsible adult to take you home after your procedure. You may not take public transportation home without
being accompanied by a responsible adult. We will reschedule your procedure for another time if suitable
arrangements cannot be made to insure your safe travel home. In addition, you must have a responsible adult stay
with you for the 24 hours after your procedure in the event that any problem should arise.
The Day Before Your Procedure
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Phone Call from Hospital Nurse - On the afternoon prior to your procedure, before 6:00 pm, you will
receive a second call from a nurse in the pre-admission department, providing you with an arrival time,
additional instructions and an opportunity to ask any questions. Please note that your arrival time is the
time you are expected to arrive at the Medical Center, not your procedure time. Please disregard any
other time you may have been given by your physician or their office staff. The arrival time is set in order to
allow for your preparation and assessment. Our staff will make every effort to contact you directly. Please
ensure that your contact information is up to date with your physician’s office. In the event that an
answering machine is reached, please be aware that HIPAA regulations only allow us to leave an arrival
time and call back number. We are not allowed to state your procedure or physician when leaving a
message. If you need to leave us a message after 6pm the day before your procedure, you may contact the
medical center coordinator by calling (856) 757-3535.
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Food/Drink/Medications
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1. Unless instructed otherwise, do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your
procedure.
2. You should take your usual morning heart and blood pressure medications & any other medications
your physician instructed you to take, with a sip of water. (Contact your physician if you have any
questions)
3. If you take insulin or other injectable medications for diabetes, check with your endocrinologist or
primary care physician for specific instructions, since the dose generally will be reduced or eliminated
on the day of your procedure (and also, possibly, the night before).
4. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: *Patients who are scheduled for a colonoscopy must follow instructions for
the bowel preparation as given by your physician. Any questions regarding the bowel preparationplease call your physician.
Changes in your health: If you develop a fever, cold or flu, or any other change in your health prior to your
procedure, please contact your physician immediately.
Children: Children under the age of 17 may not be permitted in certain procedural areas. Children must be
supervised at all times by an adult while at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center.
The Day of Your Procedure
To prevent any delays in getting your procedure started, it is very important that you arrive at your designated
arrival time and bring your photo identification and insurance/referral information with you.
Arriving at the Medical Center –Enter the facility via the Emergency Room entrance on Vesper Boulevard (not the
main entrance on Haddon Avenue). All procedural patients receive FREE valet parking at this entrance. Please note
the metered parking on Vesper Blvd. is NOT affiliated with Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. The meters are
enforced by The City of Camden. Please utilize the valet parking or park in the visitor parking lot which are FREE
the day of your procedure.
Entering the Medical Center- When you enter our facility through the emergency room, tell the receptionist or security
that you are here for a procedure. You will be directed to the 3rd floor of the Pavilion Building. Here is where registration
and your procedure will take place. Arrival and Procedure Time – Please arrive at the medical center at the time given to
you by our pre-admissions nurse who calls from the hospital and disregard any time given to you by your physician or
his/her office staff. Arrival times are at least one hour before the estimated procedure time, to allow for necessary
preparation. Other than the first case of the day, there are no scheduled start times, just a case “order.” All procedures
are unique and take variable amounts of time, so it is not possible to give an exact scheduled start time. In addition, there
may be emergencies that delay the schedule or unexpected cancellations that may move cases earlier. Please understand
that we do our best to limit delays and will accommodate you as soon as possible. We strive to give each patient
individual attention for as long as needed, and will do the same for you. Your family may wait with you until your
procedure.
Check In
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After signing in you will be called to meet with one of our registrars, so they may review your information and have
you sign the necessary paperwork. Any insurance co-pay or deductible will be due at the time of registration if
not already paid at the time of pre-admission testing.
While waiting for one of our nursing staff to call for you, please make yourself comfortable. Television, free
Wi-Fi, newspapers and a charging station are available for your convenience.
Patients may not eat or drink, unless otherwise instructed. Therefore, out of respect for our patients, we
ask that families and visitors refrain from eating in our waiting room. If visitors must eat something, please
let our reception staff know and they can be directed to the cafeteria or café area.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask any of our staff at any time.
The Day of Your Procedure, continued
Pre-Procedure
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The order in which patients are called to the registrar’s desk is based on a variety of factors. If you see
another patient called to the registrar who arrived after you, this is most likely due to the fact that they are
being treated by another physician or in another department.
When the pre-procedure nurse is ready, you will be escorted to one of our pre-procedure areas and
prepped for your procedure.
Pregnancy Testing: All female patients of child bearing age will be required to have a urine pregnancy test
performed after they arrive at the Medical Center. If you have any questions regarding this requirement,
please ask to speak with a nurse.
Please leave any valuables and jewelry with your family member.
A nurse and your doctor will meet with you and review your medical history, verify your procedure and
mark the operative site, if necessary.
The anesthesiologist, if applicable, will discuss the type and method of anesthesia you’ll be receiving.
You will have an IV started at this time.
Due to the size of our pre-operative area and the need to insure privacy to all of our patients, it may not
always be possible for all family members to wait with patients in this area prior to the procedure.
When appropriate, a family member or significant other will be called back to the pre-procedure area to
wait with you once you have been prepared for their procedure.
Post Procedure Recovery
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After your procedure is completed, you will be transported to one of our recovery areas.
Our nursing staff will evaluate and monitor you, making sure you are comfortable.
While you are in the recovery area, your doctor and recovery nurse will speak with your family.
At this time, we will do our best to inform you and your family of an estimated length of recovery time.
We will make every effort to offer our patients and families visitation opportunities during the recovery
process.
Your recovery may take several-hours after your procedure and is dependent on a variety of factors, including your
procedure, bed rest, anesthesia, etc.
Please be prepared to stay at the hospital for most of the day. You may also need to stay overnight.
In the event a patient’s designated driver is not in the center, the receptionist or nurse will contact the
driver with the estimated discharge time.
The Day of Your Procedure, continued
Discharge
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A nurse will review discharge instructions specific to your procedure with you before you leave. You will
receive a written copy of these instructions and it is important that you review these instructions at home
to ensure a smooth and safe recovery.
At the patient’s discretion, a family member or significant other may be present while the nursing staff
reviews discharge instructions.
Any questions that you might have will be answered at this time.
For your convenience, Walgreens does have an on-site pharmacy available to fill most post-procedure
prescriptions between the hours of 9A-5P. Walgreens is not affiliated with the Our Lady of Lourdes Medical
Center; however, we would be happy to give you more information on this service. Please have your
prescription card with you.
In the Days Following Your Procedure
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You will receive a phone call from the hospital to see how you are doing and whether you have any questions
concerning your procedure or follow-up instructions.
You may also be randomly chosen to receive a questionnaire by mail concerning your experience at the hospital.
Please return the survey at your soonest convenience.
Please leave us a message on our “Storyline”, (856) 580-6434. We want to hear from you about your experience,
your feedback is valuable and makes a difference.
If you feel at any time during or after your procedure that you received anything but outstanding care,
please notify:
- For Cath Lab/EP procedures: Michelle Winters, nurse manager, at (856) 968-2598
- For OR/Endoscopy procedures: Anthony Diorio, nurse manager, at (856) 757-3761
Please allow us the opportunity to address your concern immediately.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center is committed to excellence and we hope you have a very pleasant
experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I park when I arrive at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center on the day of my procedure?
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Parking: Free valet parking is available for our procedural patients at the Emergency Dept. entrance/Vesper
Blvd. The metered parking on Vesper Blvd is NOT affiliated with Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. The
meters are enforced by The City of Camden. Please utilize the valet parking or park in the visitor parking lot
which are FREE the day of your procedure.
Can I take my normal medications the day of my procedure even if I’ve been told to NOT eat or drink anything?
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Medications: You should take your usual morning heart and blood pressure medications & any other
medications your physician specifically instructed you to take on the day of your procedure, with a sip of
water. (Contact your physician if you have any questions)
Before I have my procedure will you make sure that I’m not pregnant?
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Pregnancy Testing: Yes, all female patients of child bearing age will be required to have a urine pregnancy
test performed after they arrive at the Medical Center. If you have any questions regarding this
requirement, please ask to speak with a nurse.
Can I lock up my personal belongings when I get to the medical center?
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Personal Belongings: Please leave all valuables at home or with the adult who accompanies you. Dentures,
hearing aids and glasses may be removed just prior to the procedure, if necessary, and will be secured until
your procedure is over.
What should I wear to the hospital on the day of my procedure?
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Clothing: Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Remove all jewelry, body piercing jewelry, contact
lenses, make up and metal hair accessories prior to arrival.
What paperwork do I need to bring with me on my procedure day?
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Check In: Please bring your current insurance cards, photo ID, co-payment and any referrals your insurance
company may require with you. Failure to do so may cause your procedure to be rescheduled for another
time. Any insurance co-payments or deductibles will be due at the time of registration if not already paid in
advance.
Can my children come with me on the day of my procedure?
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Children: Children under the age of 17 may not be permitted in certain procedural area. Children must be
supervised at all times by an adult while at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center.
Frequently Asked Questions, continued
Can I take a cab or bus home after my procedure?
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Transportation Home: You may not take public transportation home without being accompanied by a
responsible adult. You must make arrangements for a responsible adult to take you home. We will
reschedule your procedure for another time if suitable arrangements cannot be made to insure your safe
travel home. In addition, you must have a responsible adult stay with you for the 24 hours after your
procedure in the event that any problem should arise.
How & when do I find out when I need to arrive for my procedure?
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On the afternoon prior to your procedure, before 6PM, you will receive a call from a nurse in the preadmission department, providing you with an arrival time, additional instructions and an opportunity to ask
any questions.
Please note that your arrival time is the time you are expected to arrive at the Medical Center, not your
procedure time. Please disregard any other time you may have been given by your physician or their office
staff. The arrival time is set in order to allow for your preparation and assessment. Our staff will make
every effort to contact you directly. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date with your
physician’s office. In the event that an answering machine is reached, please be aware that HIPAA
regulations only allow us to leave an arrival time and call back number. We are not allowed to state your
procedure or physician when leaving a message.
If you need to leave us a message after 6pm the day before your procedure, you may contact the medical
center coordinator by calling (856) 757-3535.
Will there be wireless internet connection in Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center?
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There is FREE Wi-Fi in the medical center. In addition, there is a charging station with various adapters
located in the procedural waiting room, 3rd floor Pavilion.