Visiting the hospital can be an uncomfortable or unsettling experience. This section of our web site has been designed to help ensure that your visit is as comfortable as possible.
In this section, you'll find answers to some of the questions we hear most often from patients. As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding services or programs, you are encouraged to ask any member of your health care team.
Admitting
St. Mary’s General Hospital has a decentralized admitting program so that patients visiting surgical programs, clinics, diagnostics, and nuclear medicine are registered in the department where their care is given. Please remember to bring your provincial health card with you.
Balloons
Latex balloons can cause severe allergies in some people. For the safety of our patients and staff, only Mylar balloons are permitted at St. Mary’s.
Bus Route
Bicycle Racks
Bicycle racks are located in the visitor’s parking lot near the cross walk.
Cafeteria - Café 911
Café 911, is located on the lower level. It is accessible from the main lobby via a stairwell or elevators. Food is available during the hours listed below. The seating area is accessible 24 hours a day, providing a welcome retreat for patients, visitors and staff.
Hours of Operation:
Weekdays – 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Weekends – 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Cashier’s Office
The cashier’s office is located in the main lobby and is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Cell Phones
The use of cell phones is permitted in designated areas, including the cafeteria and main lobby. The use of cell phones in patient care areas (i.e. patient rooms, waiting rooms) is not permitted. Photography is NOT permitted without express consent from the Hospital. This includes photographs or videos taken via cellular phones or wireless devices.
Directions
St. Mary’s General Hospital
St. Mary’s Cardiac Rehabilitation and Solutions Weight Management
Discharge
Discharge times vary for each unit. A family member or friend should take you home after a hospital stay. Please make arrangements to leave the hospital no later than the specified discharge time. This is very important because your bed must be prepared for another waiting patient. Make sure that you have all of your belongings and hospital cards as well as aftercare instructions and prescriptions. It is important that you understand all the instructions about your medications, diet, activity, and return appointments. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of your health care team.
Donations
The care you received during your hospital stay is enhanced through contributions made to St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation. To support the Foundation and invest in ongoing care at St. Mary’s, please contact the Foundation by calling ext. 6797 from any telephone within the hospital or 519-749-6578 ext. 6797 from outside the hospital. Donations can also be made online here.
Flowers
Flowers and plants are a welcome gift for patients and help to create a beautiful environment for care. If you are sending flowers to a patient at St. Mary’s, please note that arrangements containing lilies and lilacs are not permitted due to their affect on those with allergies and scent sensitivities. Additionally, poinsettias will not be accepted at St. Mary’s.
Gift Shop - Madeleine’s
The Gift Shop is located on the first floor in the main lobby. It is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Hand Washing
Hand washing is the single most important thing you can do to help minimize your risk of acquiring or passing an infection while you are at the Hospital. Please help us prevent the spread of infections by washing your hands frequently, or using the sanitizing gel located conveniently throughout the hospital.
Hospitalist Care
A number of family physicians in Waterloo region no longer do rounds at local hospitals. Should your family physician not have privileges at St. Mary's, you will be taken under the care of one of our hospitalists. These specialists care for those patients who either do not have a family physician, or whose family physician does not have admitting privileges at the hospital.
Hotel Accommodations
For out-of-town visitors who require overnight accommodations, St. Mary's has a partnership with the Walper Terrace Hotel and Victoria Place Retirement Residence. Our Hospitality program offers rooms at a discounted rate.
Victoria Place Retirement Residence
Location: 290 Queen St S, Kitchener
Phone: 519-576-1300
Rate: $65/night
Note: The rate includes meals, boxed lunches are available upon request and the suites have a courtesy phone, cable tv, and free parking. There is a charge of $25.00 for a second person in the suite.
Walper Terrace Hotel
Location:
1 King St W, Kitchener
Phone: 1-800-265-8749 or 519-745-4321
Rate: $79.99/night
www.walper.com
Identification
It is important that staff be able to identify patients at all times. During your admission, you will receive an identification bracelet to be worn at all times. Hospital staff wear name badges that identify them as staff, physicians, students or volunteers.
Information Desk
The information desk is located in the main lobby and is staffed by volunteers who will be happy to assist you.
Interpreters
If you require the service of an interpreter, please ask your health care provider.
Library Services
St. Mary’s Medical Library is located on the tenth floor and offers a collection of health-related books, journals, and videos for both professionals and non-professionals.
Lifeline
Lifeline Personal Response and Support Services help clients to be independent where they live. Clients wear a button that they push when they need help. The signal reaches the Response Centre that sends the appropriate clients. This offers peace of mind to the clients, caregivers, friends, and family members. To find out more information, phone (519) 749-8008. Lifeline is a program affiliated with St. Mary’s General Hospital.
Mail
Your incoming mail is delivered daily. A Canada Post mailbox is located across the street from the Main Entrance, next to the bus shelter and stamps are sold in the Gift Shop. Incoming mail should be addressed as follows:
Name and Room Number
St. Mary’s General Hospital
911 Queen’s Boulevard
Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1B2
Medical Library
St. Mary’s Medical Library is located on the 10th floor of the hospital. All staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and families are welcome to use the services provided by the library for patient care, research and continuing education. The Medical Library is open Monday to Thursday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Staff can access the library 24 hours a day by using their hospital identification card/badge.
A professional librarian is available Monday to Thursday to assist you and provides the following services:
- Internet search tutorials
- Research skill development
- Maintenance of the library collection
- Interlibrary Loans
To contact the Librarian dial ext. 6549 from within the hospital. From outside the hospital call 519-749-6578 ext. 6549.
Parking
St. Mary's “Pay on Foot” is easy and convenient to use, and it is similar to systems in use in many organizations. Visitors take a ticket upon entering the lot and then validate the ticket and pay for parking prior to exiting. Payment kiosks are located in the main lobby and the Emergency Department.
The daily maximum cost is $7.00 per exit. To view our short term rate and other related parking question click here.
Revenue generated from parking is reinvested in patient care at St. Mary’s. We appreciate your support.
Patient Education
Patient education is a key component of our care. We encourage you to participate in managing your own health care, improving your health status, and to play an active role in your recovery. Your caregivers will discuss your follow-up care and home-care with you. Many patients receive teaching booklets or flyers with advice or information just prior to discharge from St. Mary’s.
Patient Food Services
Most patients receive a daily menu to refer to when choosing meals. Your healthcare provider, family or friends can help you fill this out. If you follow a special diet let us know when you arrive. If you would like to talk to a dietitian while you are here, let your healthcare provider know.
Patient Relations
The Patient Relations Program works cooperatively with your healthcare team in an effort to enhance your hospital stay and to resolve any issues or concerns that may occur while you are here.
We try to meet your needs in the best way possible. To promote effective communications during your stay, we encourage you to express your feelings and address any questions and/or concerns directly with your caregiver(s). You may also wish to speak to the department supervisor or manager about your concerns. We appreciate your feedback.
To reach our Patient Relations Coodinator dial ext. 1501 from a hospital telephone, or 519-749-6578 ext. 1501 from an external telephone.
Patient Safety
St. Mary's General Hospital has made patient safety a strategic priority. We ask for your support in following our visiting and infection control practices while you are at St. Mary’s, as both of these can contribute to a safe environment for patient care.
"Your Health Care - Be Involved" is a patient safety awareness campaign developed and managed by the Ontario Hospital Association. The goal of the campaign is to educate patients and their families about how they can become more involved in their care. You can also visit the Ontario Hospital Association's website by clicking here.
Security
The Security office is located on the first floor beside Emergency entrance. Our security program uses camera and security officers around the hospital for your protection. All hospital staff members wear photo identification badges. You should only accompany someone wearing a badge.
Scent Free Policy
The Scent Free Policy applies all patients, visitors, staff, volunteers, physicians, contractors and students. Please refrain from wearing scented products at all St. Mary's faciilities and please adhere to restrictions on strongly scented flowers.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted anywhere on hospital property. As a health care facility focusing on the prevention and treatment of disease, St. Mary’s General Hospital is committed to supporting staff, patients and visitors by providing a safe and healthy workplace.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual Care provides multi-faith spiritual care to patients and their families, and hospital staff. Spiritual care seeks to mobilize internal spiritual resources to enhance a healing or wellness process, and whenever appropriate, to facilitate faith-community involvement. The Resurrection Chapel and Spiritual Care Services Offices are located on the 3rd floor. The chapel is open 24 hours a day and offices are open from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and there is a chaplain on-call 24 hours a day. You, your friends and family members can visit the chapel for prayer or as a place of peace of mind.
Telephones
You may want to use the telephone at your bedside. A daily rental fee applies for the use of this phone unless you are paying for a private or semi-private room. In this case, the charge will be added to your room fee. The payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard, cheque, or cash.
Televisions
Hospitality Network, in partnership with St. Mary’s Hospital, is pleased to provide patients with personal bedside television rental service. A portion of the revenues generated is returned to the hospital to help fund various hospital improvements.
Basic Television: $8.00 per day (plus applicable taxes)
Premium Television (includes Basic TV): $ 10.00 per day (plus applicable taxes)
All television service orders have a one-time administration fee of $5.00, which includes a personal headset. Special rates are available for long term patients.
To arrange for service, complete an order form and return to the secure lock box at the display stand or call ext. 3009 to request service. Service will be activated between 12 pm and 4 pm daily, excluding statutory holidays.
Tim Hortons
St. Mary’s is pleased to have its own Tim Hortons coffee shop, which is owned and operated by the St. Mary’s Hospital Volunteer Association. Tim Horton’s is conveniently located in the main lobby on the first floor.
Valuables
Please leave money, credit cards, jewellery and valuable papers at home. If this cannot be arranged, please ask your healthcare provider to have them deposited in the hospital safe. The hospital cannot be responsible for lost or damaged property kept in your room.
Visiting Hours
We encourage family members and friends to visit within our designated visiting hours and to respect our two-visitor per patient policy. Visiting hours are 1:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. daily.
Further visiting restrictions may be in place on specific units or floors, or may depend on a patient’s condition. All visitors must follow isolation protocols where appropriate. Please report to the nursing station upon your arrival to ensure you are aware of any specific restrictions relating to visiting your loved one.
What to Bring to the Hospital
Please bring your own toiletries including toothbrush, toothpaste, hand soap, shampoo, tissues, deodorant, razor and cream, comb and brush. Powders and aerosol sprays are restricted at St. Mary’s as they may trigger the Fire Alarm. Due to patient and staff allergies, fragrance-free products are strongly recommended. You may wish to bring your own comfort items, such as pajamas, a robe, slippers and your own pillow.
It is also important that you bring any aids you use such as canes, walkers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, dentures, and eyeglasses. Be sure to have your name labeled clearly on all of these items. Please bring any current medications you are taking in their original containers. Money and valuables should be left at home.