Our staff is available to help patients who need protective services, such as guardianship, advocacy, conservatorship and child or adult protective services.
Your Patient Representative
Patient Representatives act as your liaison with the hospital administration and medical staff. You may call on your patient representative for many different kinds of non-medical assistance, such as answering your questions about hospital or discharge procedures or locating family. To contact a Patient Representative, please call the Information Desk at ext. 7606. If you cannot reach a Patient Representative or believe your concerns are not being addressed, please contact nursing administration.
You or your representative have the right and are encouraged to participate in ethical considerations that may arise about your care.
Advance Directives
We appreciate that discussions about “Do Not Resuscitate” orders, tube feeding decisions and organ donation can be painful and emotionally difficult,
but we urge you to discuss these important issues with your family so that your health care preferences can be known. We appreciate the serious nature of these decisions and want our patients and their families to know that Saint Joseph’s Medical Center will make every effort to help you. If you already have a health care proxy or living will, please bring a copy with you. (You may click here for a free health care proxy form.)
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
Adults in New York State have the right to accept or refuse medical treatment,
including life-sustaining treatment. Saint Joseph’s Medical Center
and its staff are required by law to provide every medical treatment possible
unless otherwise indicated by a valid DNR order or health care proxy.
New York State Proxy Law
Under New York State law, you are allowed to appoint someone you trust to make
decisions about your care and treatment should you lose the capacity to make
these decisions for yourself. You can do this by filling out the Health
Care Proxy form to appoint your “health care agent.‚“ You
may give the person you select as little or as much authority as you want. A
Health Care Proxy form is included in your hospital information packet or you
may ask your nurse for a copy, (Click here for a free copy of a health care proxy form.)
Organ Donation
When a patient dies in the hospital, health care providers are required by
law to request that family members consider organ donation. In New York
State, people may complete organ donor cards or indicate their wishes regarding
organ donation on a Health Care Proxy or their driver’s licenses. You
may obtain an organ donor card from the hospital. Please carry your completed
card with you.
Your Meals
Your doctor may order a special diet for you. Subject to limitations indicated
by your doctor (such as low fat, low sodium, sugar- or calorie-controlled), you
will be given a wide choice of foods for each meal. If permitted by your
physician, you may also be offered extra fluids, such as juice, tea or coffee
and snacks, by your nursing staff. Menu choices are provide by our dietary
staff daily.
Flowers, Mail and Gift Deliveries
As permitted by your physician, flowers,
mail and gifts will be delivered to your room. Correspondence delivered after
your discharge will be forwarded. Neither
flowers nor balloons are permitted in the Intensive or Intermediate Care Units.
Tips and Gratuities
Saint Joseph’s employees may not accept tips or gratuities. If
you wish to make a gift to the Medical Center in tribute to a staff member–or
even a unit or department–who renders exceptional service during your
stay, please call the Department of Public Relations and Development at ext.
7534. The employee and his or her department head will be notified of your gift.
Saint Joseph's Medical Center
127 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701
Telephone: (914) 378-7000
