Your Stay at the Hospital

Your doctor schedules any imaging or tests you need before your hospital stay or surgery.  If needed, we will schedule a COVID test for you. 

Our admissions team also contacts you to review your insurance information. Learn more about financial assistance.

Your doctor will share any other information you need to prepare for your visit.

When you arrive for testing, surgery or to be admitted to the hospital, we collect important details from you or a family member.

An admissions representative talks with you or a family member in a private space. 

You’ll be asked to provide:

• Advance directives
• Any doctor's orders or laboratory slips
• Driver’s license or other identification 
• Health care proxy form if you have one 
• Insurance cards and information 
• List of medications you take
• Updated personal information (ethnicity, preferred language, emergency contacts)

Your Mount Auburn Hospital inpatient care team includes many people, such as doctors, food service workers, hospitalists, housekeeping, nurses, technicians and transport specialists.

Our hospitalists provide high-quality health care to patients in the hospital and collaborate with your primary care physician. Hospitalists are internal medicine physicians who care for patients during their hospital stay. These doctors and nurse practitioners focus on you and your illness.

At Mount Auburn Hospital, the hospitalist team provides care 24/7. This means you may see more than one hospitalist during your stay.

If you need urgent help at any time, use the nurse intercom call system attached to your bed, or use the emergency call button in the bathroom. A patient care team member will respond right away. 

If you have questions about your care, please talk to your doctor, nurse or another member of your care team. You also can contact the hospital’s Patient Relations department with any needs, comments or questions about our services. Call Patient Relations at 617-499-5100.

If you use American Sign Language, don’t speak English or need help communicating with us, we can provide an interpreter or other language assistance.

A social worker may contact you. Our case managers help with care planning, provide counseling and connect you and your family to resources during and after your hospital stay.

At Mount Auburn Hospital, we believe in caring for the whole person. Learn about our spiritual care services.

At Mount Auburn Hospital, your room contains most of the items you need for a comfortable stay. Your nurse will explain the controls for the bed, lights, nurse call system and television.

• Bathroom. The bathroom is equipped with an emergency cord if you need assistance. Pull the cord to signal the nurses' station and get help.
• Bed. Your bed is designed for comfort and safety. We use side rails for protection. Please do not try to lower the rails or climb over them. Ask your nurse for help getting into and out of bed.
• Television. Each room includes a TV for your entertainment. We offer closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

Here’s a list of items to consider packing for your inpatient care: 

• Bathrobe
• List of all current medications you take
• Night clothes
• Reading material
• Robe
• Slippers
• Small amount of cash for newspapers or incidentals
• Toiletries, such as hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste 

If you forget a toiletry item, we can provide one for you.

If you wear contact lenses, dentures, eyeglasses or hearing aids, please bring them with you. Please clearly label them with your name. To avoid accidental loss: 

• Do not leave items on your bedside table.
• Do not leave these items on your food tray.
• Do not wrap these items in napkin or tissue.
• Store personal items in your bedside drawer.

If you use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, a cane or a walker, please label it clearly and bring it with you.

Mount Auburn Hospital is not responsible for lost or misplaced items.

We recommend you leave all valuables at home, including these items:

• Electronics
• Jewelry
• Large amounts of money
• Medications

Mount Auburn Hospital is not responsible for the loss or damage of any personal property kept in your room.

Mount Auburn Hospital is a smoke-free environment. We enforce a no-smoking policy throughout our campus and at all ancillary locations.