General Patient Guide

Strong Memorial Hospital, Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong and our surrounding Medical Center complex may seem a bit daunting from outside but don’t worry – services for patients and visitors are arranged to be very accessible and convenient. This short guide is all you’ll need to become familiar with the basics.

Visiting Hours

Strong Memorial Hospital general visiting hours are 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Some units may differ. Please check with the secretary at the nursing station for your unit.

Visitors can help keep loved ones safe from infection by following some basic infection prevention precautions.

Getting Around the Hospital

Our Hospital Ambassadors, who can be found at the information desk in the main lobby, will be glad to:

Give you detailed directions to any area within the hospital
Provide patient escort to and from appointments
Assist with wheelchairs
Call a taxi for you

If there are no ambassadors available at the information desk, please call extension 5-2182 on any house phone to request patient escort or wheelchair assistance.

Getting Information

The Hospital Ambassadors at the Information Desk in the Main Lobby are your best place to start with any questions you have about the hospital, medical center, the surrounding area and local services. For information on patient status call 585-275-2181. A Patient Service Representative will be able to tell you if a patient is in satisfactory or guarded condition.

Checking In/Admitting for Scheduled Procedures

Specific admitting information for inpatient and outpatient procedures is available through the links below.

Settling In

Each patient gets an identification (or "ID") band when checking into the hospital. The band contains important information that helps us meet your individual needs. Please wear the band throughout your stay. If your band is removed, falls off, or becomes uncomfortable, let your nurse know immediately.

Patients can stay well-connected to their families, friends and the world at large with in-room:

Your Meals

Unless your doctor has indicated that you need to be on a special diet, you can select your own meals daily. If you miss a regular meal because you are out of your room for tests, talk to your nurse about alternate meal arrangements.

Let the dietary staff or your nurse know if you have food preferences based on personal, cultural, religious or medical reasons (e.g. Kosher, vegetarian, lactose-free). We will make every effort to honor your choices, but occasionally may have to make substitutions.

If your guests bring you food, please let your nurse know. Some foods may interfere in your physician's plan for your care.

Your Belongings

Please feel free to bring certain items with you to make your hospital stay more comfortable, such as your own pajamas, slippers, robe and toiletries. If you have any valuable or sentimental items with you, like jewelry, wallet, or purse, please send them home with family or friends, or ask your nurse to send them to our Cashier's Office for safekeeping. You may access those items any time the Cashier's Office is open. The hospital does not accept financial responsibility for valuables or personal belongings kept in your room or not secured in the Cashier's Office.

Likewise, if you wear dentures, a hearing aid, glasses or contact lenses, be sure to keep them in your bedside stand. Ask your nurse if you need a denture case or eyeglass case. Do not leave them on your food tray! The hospital will not replace these items if they are lost.

For your safety and that of other patients and staff, please do not bring in electrical appliances from home, such as hair dryers, cassette or CD players, electric razors, TVs, or computers. They do not have hospital-grade wiring and therefore do not meet New York State fire code.

Your Health Care Team

Doctors and nurses play an obvious role on your health care team, but in addition, your team may include social workers, physical and occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, dietitians and others. Each member of the team plays a unique role in your recovery and is knowledgeable about your particular health situation. Chaplains and volunteers round out your health care team and are available to provide support and assist in any way they can.

The following types of staff work together to give you the care you need.

Your attending physician is responsible for all decisions that affect your care. This doctor may or may not be the same person as your primary care physician (PCP) or family doctor. Upon admission, you will receive a notice that lists the name of your attending physician (except in Behavioral Health). Sometimes it is necessary for your attending physician to call upon a specialist to assist in your treatment.
Because Strong Memorial Hospital is a teaching hospital, you may receive some of your care from residents who are receiving additional training. These doctors, along with nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants coordinate your daily care and ensure the attending physician’s orders are carried out.
The nurse manager directs the nursing care on your unit and is available to address any nursing concerns.
Nurse leaders direct your day-to-day nursing care. They can also answer questions about your care.
Nursing care coordinators work with the entire health team to provide quality care and teaching.
Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) provide 24-hour nursing care.
Patient care technicians (PCTs) help nursing staff with tasks like drawing blood, taking vital signs, transferring patients to and from bed, and bathing.
Pharmacists provide expertise on the medications you may take and, as part of your health care team, they are available for medication consultation.
The unit secretary greets patients when they arrive on the unit. They provide the unit’s clerical needs and are a general resource for patients and families. If the unit secretary is unable to answer your question, he or she will direct you to the person who will be able to help you.
Social workers assist with family and social issues and help in discharge planning. They are able to provide options when alternate living options or a transfer to another health care facility are needed.
The community health nurse coordinates any home health care needs.
The food & nutrition staff, including registered dietitians, help with planning special meals as requested by your doctor.

Waiting Areas

There are two main waiting areas at Strong Memorial Hospital.

Main lobby, which is located at the main entrance on Elmwood Avenue
Family Waiting Room, which is located on your left as you come in the Crittenden Boulevard entrance

Family Waiting Areas are nearby or attached to each of the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) within the hospital.

Friends and family of patients who are undergoing inpatient surgery should check in at the reception desk in the Family Waiting Room to find out where they should wait. Friends of Strong volunteers and staff are in touch with the operating room, recovery room, doctors and unit personnel and will keep you posted on the status of the surgery while you are waiting.

Getting Help with Special Needs

Please let us know in advance about your language or hearing needs. Contact any one of the following.

Your admissions representative
Your nurse or doctor
Our Social Work Department at 585-275-2851
Interpreter Services at 585-275-4778 or 585-275-7998 (Spanish). Our services include sign language interpreter services and Spanish interpreter services

Tools for the hearing impaired are available, including amplified telephone handsets, teletypewriter, and closed caption decoders.

Going Home

Your Discharge

Your medical staff will work to help you recover as rapidly as possible. When your doctor determines that your health is adequate to leave the hospital, you will receive detailed information about discharge procedures and planning.

Paying Your Bill

We make it as easy as possible for you to pay your hospital bill. You can pay at discharge by going to the Cashier’s Office or we will bill you at home. You can also now pay your bill online.

Home Care Services

You may need the assistance of a nurse or nurse's aide once you arrive home. Consider calling Visiting Nurse Service, a Strong Health affiliate. They can be reached at 585-787-2233 or ask your nurse for information.

Lost and Found

If you have lost an item or wish to report finding a lost item, please contact Security Services at 585-275-2552.

Your Rights and Responsiblities

Review the Patient’s Bill of Rights, Patient Responsibilities, and Visitor Responsibilities.
Be as independent as possible
Actively participate in your own care
Tell your health care team when you are having pain or discomfort
Ask questions of your health care team
Be available for teaching about medications, exercise, home treatments or follow-up care
Make your needs and wishes known to your nurse or doctor

Smoke Free Campus

On November 16, 2006, the University of Rochester Medical Center became a smoke free campus — inside and out. As an institution that seeks to understand and find cures for disease, educates the physicians of tomorrow, and provides care to tens of thousands of people from the Finger Lakes region and beyond, it is a natural next step for us to prohibit all smoking and other consumption of tobacco products throughout our campus.

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for approximately one of every five deaths each year. Right here in Monroe County, about three people die each day from smoking-related diseases. In addition, secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death behind active smoking and alcohol abuse. Given everything we know about the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke, it is inconsistent with our health care mission to continue to allow smoking on our grounds.

Click to view the full Smoke Free
Campus Map »

We are just one of hundreds of U.S. hospitals that ban smoking on their campuses, and here in Rochester, several of our region’s hospitals have adopted such a policy as well.

Thank you in advance for your support in helping us continue to be Smoke FREE Inside and Out.