Patient Information
Your Room
Your physician has arranged your admission to Parkwest Medical Center. Your room assignment is determined by the type of medical care you require, your physician’s orders, and room availability. Sometimes it may be necessary for you to transfer to another floor or room during your stay in order to receive the specialized care and attention you need.
Your Meals
Parkwest’s food and nutrition services department takes pleasure in serving you nutritious and appetizing meals. Each afternoon a representative will come to your room to present your evening menu and the next day’s breakfast and lunch choices. Please feel free to let them know about your likes and dislikes. Remember that your choices will be prepared according to the diet that your doctor has prescribed. Meals are delivered to patient floors between the following times:
Breakfast: 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Dinner: 4:30 – 5:40 p.m.
A member of your nursing team will deliver your tray to you shortly after it arrives on the floor. If you have any questions regarding your meals, one of our dietitians or a staff member will be happy to speak with you. Please call ext. 75099 for assistance.
Discharge
Your physician will order your discharge when you are ready to go home from the hospital. Please make your family aware when you are ready to be discharged. You will be escorted to Door 5/Patient Discharge, where you can be picked up for your departure.
Calling Your Nurse
If you need help for any reason, push the nurse call button, and our nursing staff will respond as quickly as possible. When you are on medication (particularly sedatives), or if you feel faint, please call for help before attempting to move. Do not attempt any action or movement that could result in injury.
Patient Safety
To make sure your stay is a safe one, follow these suggestions:
Provide Information
Bring a list of all medicines you take, including vitamins and herbals.
Report any allergies or adverse reactions you have had to medicine.
Ask Questions
Ask questions about your medicines, test results, and medical treatment.
If a medicine looks different than you expected, ask about it.
Help Us Help You
Use your call light when you need help.
Report any questions and concerns you have.
Follow Instructions
Eat, drink, and get out of bed only as your doctor advises.
Wash your hands frequently to prevent infections.
If You are Having Surgery
Tell the doctor, anesthesiologist and nurses if you have allergies or have ever had a bad reaction to anesthesia.
Ask the doctor how you can expect to feel during recovery.
Pain Management
Your nurse will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of zero (0) to ten (10). Zero (0) means you have no pain, and ten (10) means you have unbearable pain. The pain intensity scale helps your caregivers understand the intensity of your pain so they may take appropriate action.
Number 0: You are happy and have no pain
Number 2: You have a small amount of pain
Number 4: Your pain is significant, but not bad
Number 6: Your pain is moderate
Number 8: Your pain is severe
Number 10: Your pain is unbearable
Security Services
Like all hospitals, Parkwest Medical Center is a public place. Please safeguard your valuables while you are here. The hospital cannot be held responsible for the loss of money or other valuables kept in your room.
Please do not bring valuables with you to the hospital. If possible, send them home with a family member or check your valuables with the security department before or immediately upon going to your room. Your nursing staff can arrange to have valuables checked for you. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, and dentures should be kept in protective containers when not in use. Please do not wrap in tissue, paper towels, or pieces of hospital linen.
Parkwest Medical Center security officers are duly commissioned Knox County Deputy sheriffs. You are encouraged to report crimes or suspicious activity to security as soon as possible. Parkwest’s security office is located adjacent to the emergency care center and can be reached by calling ext. 31801.
Telephones
The switchboard receives incoming calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and routes them to the appropriate extensions. The switchboard may be reached by dialing “0.”
A bedside phone is provided for patients, and there is no charge for local calls. All long-distance calls must be made collect, or charged to a credit card or prepaid phone card. Parkwest cannot charge long-distance calls to your room.
Public telephones are located throughout the hospital for visitor use. Courtesy phones are available for free local calls. Long distance calls may be made by using a calling card, credit card, or third party billing. Please dial “9” for an outside line. For telephone repairs or problems, please have a staff member notify the hospital operator.
Local Calls
Dial “9” followed by the seven-digit number. For local information, dial 9 followed by 1411. There are no charges for local calls within our service area.
Long Distance Calls from Patient’s Room
For long distance operator assisted calls or rate quotes, access an outside line and dial “9 + 00+ 0.”
Operator-assisted calls from your room phone to locations outside this calling area are handled by Verizon. For questions about rates, billing, or service, please contact Verizon Customer Service at (800) 388-6712 or write: Verizon Customer Service Center 323 Third Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Customers may direct inquiries to: Enforcement Division of the Common Carrier Bureau of the FCC 2025 M Street NW Room 6202 Washington, DC 20554 Control # MC7787.03.06
(Consumers have a right to access the long distance carrier of their choice. Contact your preferred carrier for access information.)
To charge to a Verizon Card, a Telephone Company Calling Card or a Major Credit Card
Dial 9 + 0 + area code + phone number. At tone, dial card number.
To Make Toll-Free Calls
Dial 9 + 1 + area code +phone number.
To Make Collect Calls and Third-Party Calls
Dial 9 + 0 + area code + phone number
For Long-Distance Operator Assistance
Dial 9 + 00 + 0
To Reach the Hospital Operator
For any questions, dial “0” for operator assistance. To reach a long distance operator, dial “9 + 00 + 0.”
To Dial Patient Rooms from Outside the Hospital
Dial directly to a patient room from outside the hospital by dialing (865) 373-4 + room number.
Exceptions: Critical Care and Ambulatory Staging rooms cannot be reached by phone, but inquiries can be directed to the Critical Care waiting area at (865) 373-1557 or Ambulatory Staging unit at (865) 373-1420.
Note: Extensions that begin with 7 cannot be called directly from outside the hospital.
Television
Parkwest Medical Center provides local cable television programming. If you experience any difficulty with your television, please tell your nurse, and he/she will notify our in-house television staff. View TV Guide Channel 44 for an updated listing of Cable Channels.
Parkwest Patient Education Channels are also available. For instructions on programs, view Channel 81.
TIGR* Video-on-Demand
(*Telephone Initiated and Guided Response System)
TIGR is a library of health-related videos provided by WellStar for patient and family education. These videos are useful to patients and their families to help them better understand the medical conditions they face. When a patient or family member requests a video, the system automatically plays back the requested video via the television in the patient’s room.
How to Watch a TIGR Video Program:
1. Turn on the TV.
2. Dial 75776 on the patient’s room telephone.
3. When prompted, press “1” for English or “2” for Spanish.
4. Enter the phone extension for the patient room.
5. Next, press 1 to select a video.
6. When prompted, enter on your phone touch-pad the 3-digit code for the video you wish to see. The system will then ask you to press “1” to confirm your selection.
7. The system will instruct you to tune the TV to a designated channel number (81 - 88). Use your TV remote control to set the television to the correct channel.
8. If all the available education channels are already in use, TIGR will call you back on your room phone when your video is ready to play.
9. Press “2” to end the call.
Educational Television Video-on-Demand
Titles and Video Numbers
Childbirth
Breastfeeding: A Guide to Getting Started – 100
Your Baby Knows How to Latch On (English) – 103
Paternity (Spanish) – 111
Paternity – 112
SIDS – 115
Introducing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – 117
CPR - Friends and Family – 119
Play it Safe: What You Should Know About RSV – 121
Your Baby Knows How to Latch On (Spanish) – 126
Hospital to Home: A Security Blanket for New Parents – 300
General
Conformer Diabetic Boot Application – 110
Coumadin Therapy and You – 114
Smoking and Human Physiology – 116
Smoking: Getting Ready to Quit – 118
Dialysis Treatment Options – 120
Basic Skills for Controlling Diabetes – 122
Sleep Style, Life Style – 123
Hand Hygiene Saves Lives (English) – 127
Hand Hygiene (Spanish) – 128
Small Steps to Help You Manage Your Diabetes – 129
Diabetes: Partnering with Your Healthcare Professional – 130
Diabetes: Food for Thought – 131
The Importance of Breast MRI – 133
The Use of Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery in the Treatment of Urologic and Gynecologic Cancers – 143
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – 211
Heart
Understanding Your Electrophysiology Study – 104
Understanding Anticoagulant Medications (Coumadin) – 200
Heart to Heart: Eating Right – 201
Coronary Angioplasty – 202
Recovering from Angioplasty – 203
Heart Surgery: Preparing for Your Surgery – 204
Heart Surgery: Preparing for Discharge – 205
Pacemakers Third Edition – 206
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators – 207
Atrial Fibrillation Second Edition – 208
Angina Pectoris Third Edition – 209
High Blood Pressure: An Introduction to Treatment – 210
Congestive Heart Failure – 212
Orthopedics
After Your Hip Surgery – 101
After Your Knee Surgery – 102
Thruster Knee Brace Application – 105
O.R. Knee Brace Application – 106
Ultimate Ankle Brace Application – 107
Educational Series: A Course in Bracing – 108
Educational Series: The Principles of Walking Boots – 109
Stroke
Stroke: What Every Person Needs to Know – 113
C.A.R.E. Channel 89
As a restful alternative to commercial television, the C.A.R.E. Channel provides ambient television programming for you and your family. The C.A.R.E. Channel was developed to create an environment that is supportive of recovery, and to improve comfort and rest. Available 24 hours a day, the C.A.R.E. Channel provides beautiful music composed specifically to support healing environments. The programming is designed to align with the day/night cycle, with late-night programming providing both soothing music and a soft, subdued midnight starfield.
We invite you to support the artists who have offered their music for the C.A.R.E. Channel: Susan Mazer, Dallas Smith, Steven Halpern, Craig Evans, Steve Hallmark, Stevan Pasero, Michael Allen Harrison, Brad White, Lee Eisenstein, Scott Moulton, John Nilsen, Tadamitsu Saito, Antar, Jon Bernoff, Marcus Allen, Crosswynd, Mike Strickland, Teja Bell, Steve Kindler, Bob Kindler, SallyHarmon, Mark Handler, James Dunne, Michelle Sell, Ben Tavera King, Christine Brown, Stephen Jacob, Tom Barabas, Dirk Damonte, Georgia Kelly, Jordan De La Sierra, Kim Robertson, Jim Bajor, Rojo, Gary Lamb, Rob Whitesides-Woo, Pat Clemence, Laurel Emryss, Shardad, Erin Jacobsen, Max Highstein, Dan Luevano, Christopher Paul, Michael McCable, Allasia and Snow, Susan Hoadley Gert Matthais Wegner, Sambodhi Prem, Kate and Richard Mucci, Danny Tudor, Richard Shulman, Christian Paulin, and Roy Scoutz.
The video footage of natural landscapes used throughout this programming is produced and photographed by Dallas Smith, with additional photos by Richard Rahe, Jim Stamates, and Wayne Green.
For more information about the C.A.R.E. Channel, please contact:
Healing Healthcare Systems
Reno, NV 89509
800-348-0799
info@healinghealth.com
www.healinghealth.com
Your Rights and Responsibilities
As a patient, you have the right:
To considerate, respectful care.
To receive care in a safe setting, free from all forms of abuse or harassment, including physical or mental abuse.
To expect your personal privacy to be respected to the fullest extent consistent with the care prescribed to you.
To hear from your primary physician, in language you understand, your health status including diagnosis and prognosis, the course of treatment prescribed and any follow-up care instructions.
To know the name and professional status of persons responsible for your care.
To participate in the development and implementation of, and any revisions to, your plan of care, including discharge and pain management plans.
To appropriate assessment and management of pain.
To make informed decisions regarding your care. This includes the right to receive the information, explanations, consequences, and options needed to make an informed decision.
To request or refuse treatment, including the right to refuse experimental treatment and drugs.
To question and expect an answer to any concern related to therapies or services provided.
To self-determination, including the right to create advance directives (such as a living will or medical power of attorney) and to have hospital staff and practitioners, who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.
To have a family member or representative of your choice and your personal physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
To expect communications with staff and records pertaining to your care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be kept confidential.
To access information contained in your records within a reasonable time unless such access would therapeutically disadvantage you.
To examine your bill and receive an explanation of it.
To be free from restraint or seclusion of any form imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
To safe implementation of restraint or seclusion by trained staff, only if necessary to ensure your immediate physical safety or that another person.
To express a complaint or concern about your care with your physician, nursing manager, or supervisor. Any staff member can help you start this process. Most complaints have obvious causes that can be resolved to your satisfaction by discussing this with appropriate hospital personnel or your physician.
To file a grievance with the hospital and to have your grievance reviewed and resolved by the Grievance Committee in a timely manner (usually within seven (7) days). (For additional information or to file a grievance contact a Patient Representative at ext. 31633).
To file a grievance with the Tennessee Department of Health regardless of whether you have first used the hospital’s grievance process. The department may be contacted by calling (877)287-0010 or by writing to: Tennessee Department of Health, Bureau of Health Licensure and Regulation, Division of Healthcare Facilities, 227 French Landing, Suite 501, Heritage Place, Metro Center, Nashville, TN 37243.
To services without unlawful discrimination.
To have ethical concerns in your treatment and care appropriately addressed.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, to receive a notice of discharge and non-coverage rights and to file complaints related to quality of care, coverage, or premature discharge with the appropriate Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organization. The hospital will assist you with referring such complaints.
You, in turn, have the responsibility:
To provide accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health.
To report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition.
To ask questions when you do not understand your care, treatment, or service or what you are expected to do.
To cooperate and to follow the treatment plan recommended for you by your physician, nurses or allied health personnel, as well as to express concerns about your ability to follow the proposed care plan or course of treatment.
To assume the consequences if you refuse treatment or do not follow your practitioners’ instructions.
To accept the financial obligations associated with your care.
To know and follow hospital rules and regulations.
To be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel, and to assist in the control of noise, smoking, and the number of visitors you receive.
To advise your nurse, physician and/or patient representative of any dissatisfaction you may have regarding your care.
Patient Concerns
Parkwest Medical Center is a Joint Commission accredited facility. Anyone who has concerns about the safety or quality of care at an accredited organization may contact the Joint Commission Office of Quality Monitoring at 1-800-994-6610 or by sending an e-mail to complaint@jointcommission.org.
We want you to have an excellent experience at Parkwest Medical Center and welcome you concerns and comments. Please feel free to share any issues with your physician, the nursing supervisor, and/or our Patient Representative (865-373-1633).
Feedback
Parkwest C.A.R.E.S. – Comments About Really Excellent Service
Being a hospital patient is stressful. That’s why our goal at Parkwest Medical Center is to exceed your expectations in providing excellent patient care and to identify ways to enhance your experience. If you have a positive comment you would like to share about your experience at Parkwest, or a caregiver that you would like to recognize, please send us your feedback. We’ll be glad to pass it along, and to recognize the individuals and departments that helped us achieve our goal of excellence. Simply go to TreatedWell.com and click on the Parkwest C.A.R.E.S. link, or send a letter to our Administrator.
Letter to Our Administrator
Another way to show your appreciation is by writing a letter to our administrator. It is a practice here at Parkwest Medical Center for letters of appreciation to be shared among our leaders and printed in our employee newsletter. You can mail your letter to:
Parkwest Medical Center
Attention: President/CAO
9352 Park West Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37923
Complaints and Grievance Process
If you have a complaint or concern about your care, the first step is to discuss it with your physician, nurse, or our patient representative (ext. 31633). Most complaints can be resolved to your satisfaction by discussing them with the appropriate hospital personnel. However, if the concern cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to file a grievance and have it reviewed by the hospital’s grievance committee.
To initiate a grievance process, speak directly with the patient representative (ext. 31633). You may file your grievance verbally or in writing. The patient representative will have a form you can use, if you want to write out your complaint. The grievance committee will meet, review your concern, and provide you with a written response. You also have the right to submit a grievance with the State of Tennessee. If you wish to do this, the East Tennessee Department of Health can be contacted by calling (area code)? 549-5313.
Patient Representative
If you have a problem and are not sure who can help, please call our patient representative. The patient representative and volunteer assistants are here to support you and your family. They are your link to the medical center’s staff and can help with many matters concerning your hospital stay. They are available to answer questions, hear suggestions, and respond to your concerns.
To speak with a patient representative, call ext. 31633, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. You may leave a message after hours, or the hospital operator (dial “0”) will direct your call to an appropriate person any time you have an immediate concern.
Your Bill
Parkwest Medical Center is committed to providing you with an understanding of our billing system. Our patient accounting department can assist you with specific questions or concerns. To ensure that your claim is processed accurately and in a timely manner, it is important that you provide current and correct information at the time of admission.
Our billing process begins when our medical records department completes the coding for your visit. At that time a Summary Statement is produced and mailed to your home. This statement summarizes charges for services you received and advises you of the applicable insurance claims we file on your behalf. Each applicable insurance company will be listed on the top right side of your Summary Statement. If you have additional insurance not previously provided, please contact us immediately.
In approximately 60 days you will begin to receive Detail Statements of your account. Once an insurance payment is received, your corresponding out-of-pocket expense, such as co-insurance or a deductible, will be reflected on the statement as the patient’s responsibility.
Upon receiving final payment from your insurance company, a Detail Statement will be mailed to you, indicating that all insurance benefits have been paid. The remaining balance is your responsibility. If your account is paid in full by your applicable insurance plans, you will receive an informational statement informing you that your account is paid in full.
It is also important to understand that the Detail Statements you receive are to advise you of the status of your claim. If your insurance company is not responding, please take the time to call them and inquire about the status of the claim.
Full payment for the balance remaining after insurance payment is expected within 30 days. If you are unable to pay the remaining balance in full, please contact our office immediately to establish payment arrangements. We offer a variety of payment options, including Discover, MasterCard and Visa. If payment is not received within 30 days or payment arrangements have not been reached, you will receive a final notice letter.
Each visit will generate a new account number. This account number will help you follow this account through the billing process. The statements you receive will reflect only that specific account.
Our office is staffed with personnel to assist you at any point during our billing cycle. Office and Phone Line Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Phone: (865) 374-3000 or (800) 230-1130
Payment Address:
P.O. Box 888001
Knoxville, TN 37995
Mailing Address:
Knoxville Business Office Services Building B, Suite 401
1410 Centerpoint Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
Parkwest Medical Center serves the community by improving the quality of life through better health. It is our philosophy that no one shall be denied medically necessary services based upon an inability to pay for those services.
Applications for patients seeking financial assistance for medically necessary services are available during the registration process or by contacting our financial counselor at 373-1244. Our financial counselor is available from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Hospital Charges
The charge for your room depends on the type of accommodations provided. The charge includes the cost of your room and meals, housekeeping services, support personnel services, and 24-hour nursing care. Other charges that may be incurred are ancillary charges and professional charges.
Ancillary charges are charges for services that may include laboratory tests, supplies, medications, physical therapy, x-rays, operating room charges, and others. Ancillary charges will appear on your hospital bill.
Professional charges are the charges for your attending and/or consulting physicians. These professional charges are billed separately and are NOT considered a part of the hospital bill. Consulting physicians may include radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians, and any other consultants that your attending physician deems necessary.
If you have any questions concerning our billing procedure or if you would like a copy of your bill after you go home, please call our business office at 374-3000. For inquiries while you are still a patient, please contact our cashier’s office at 373-1242. We will be happy to assist you.
Insurance and Financial Responsibility
If you are like most patients, you have come to Parkwest Medical Center with insurance coverage. It is to your benefit to supply all insurance coverage you have at the time of admission, including Medicare supplements; spouse’s date of birth, social security and policy number (if applicable); individual policies and other liability insurance. After the insurance has been verified, pre-certified if necessary and the procedure is completed, a claim will be issued for the full bill. The amount the insurance will pay is determined by the insurance company, not the hospital.
If you are covered by more than one insurance company, a claim will be processed with all companies. If there is an overpayment, a refund will be made to the appropriate party within the guidelines of Tennessee law.
The remainder of the bill not covered by the insurance companies is the responsibility of the patient.
*NOTE: Even though the hospital files an insurance claim on your behalf, your assistance in resolving unpaid insurance claims is most appreciated.