GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

From this page you can find out much of the information you may need in order to visit us. At the top of the page you can link to a list of our physicians, and our specialties. You can also search by your condition or disease to find out about it, and who to see on our faculty. If you would prefer to search by location, you can see a list of physicians who see patients at our 9 different locations across the Baltimore region.

To the left we have included information particular to your visits or hospital stay with us. We also include details about all three of our hospitals: Johns Hopkins, Bayview Medical Center and
Good Samaritan Hospital.

INFECTION PREVENTION
YOU ARE PART OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM!

CLEAN YOUR HANDS AND REMIND OTHERS
TO CLEAN THEIR HANDS.
USE HAND GEL OR WASH YOUR HANDS.

• After using the bathroom
• Before eating
• After touching something that is soiled
• If your hands are obviously dirty, wash hands with soap & water for 15 seconds.
• Remind your visitors to wash or sanitize their hands.

Health care providers are required to wash or sanitize their hands BEFORE AND AFTER seeing a patient.

Health care providers should wear clean gloves when they perform tasks such as:

• Drawing blood
• Touching wounds
• Touching body fluids

PREVENT THE SPREAD OF
RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing by using tissues or the bend of your elbow.
• Ask for tissues or a mask at the hospital entrance or from a health care provider if you have a runny nose, sneeze or cough.
• Please remember to wash your hands, especially after you sneeze, cough or use a tissue.

PLEASE ASK SICK COMPANIONS OR FAMILY
TO STAY AT HOME AND NOT VISIT.

PLEASE ASK ABOUT FLU OR PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION.
These are very effective at reducing the spread of disease.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES

Some infections require special preventative measures. Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) or Clostridium difficle (C-diff) can spread by contact with clothing, hands, personal items, or health care equipment.

If you have one of these conditions you will be placed on “ISOLATION” to prevent the spread of infection to others. A sign will be posted on the room door, and both staff and visitors will be required to wear protective gowns and gloves, and in some cases a mask. Please remember to wash your hands to prevent the spread of these conditions.

OTHER RESOURCES

Please ask your health care provider if you have any questions.

Additional information can be found at:

http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/SpeakUp/speak_up_ic.htm

or http://www.cdc.gov