The hospital does not assume responsibility for any valuables, clothing or other personal items. Please leave valuables at home or send them home with members of your family. Eyeglasses, contact lenses and dentures should be kept in protective containers when not in use. If you have prosthetic devices such as dentures, hearing aids, etc., and have no special containers for them, please ask your nurses for containers. If you should misplace any of your belongings, please notify the nurse manager of the floor you occupied. Items left after you are discharged are kept at the security office for 30 days before they are discarded.

Your mail is delivered daily by hospital volunteers. Flowers are also delivered to all rooms except those in the Critical Care Units. Critical Care patients will be notified of mail or flowers received after discharge.

Your physician is the only one who can complete the discharge order for you to go home. Your physician should let you know in time to make any necessary arrangements. Before you leave, the physician or nurse may have instructions to give you for continued care at home. This is a good time to ask questions or follow up on a concern you might have. So that we may prepare our rooms for incoming patients, we ask that you make arrangements to check out and leave your room by 11:00am; however, your dismissal time is determined by your physician’s orders.

A responsible adult needs to be available to provide transportation to your home.

Cell phones are restricted from use in patient care areas as they can interfere with electronic medical equipment. Cell phones may be used in the main lobby, waiting rooms, cafeteria and anywhere outside the hospital. You may encounter difficulty using cell phones due to shielding and the building structure.

In line with our mission as a healthcare institution, Doctors Hospital is a “smoke free” facility. Designated smoking areas are available at various locations outside the hospital.

Doctors Hospital will respond in a timely manner to all concerns/complaints expressed by patients, physicians, employees and visitors. During your stay, if you have any comments or concerns regarding patient care and services provided, please inform your nurse or the nurse manager. Your comments will assist us in improving our services and maintaining quality healthcare for all patients and visitors.

If you have a concern that cannot be resolved through an informal process, a grievance committee is available with appropriate procedures for resolution. Our commitment to your satisfactions guarantees that we will do everything we can to see that your stay is as pleasant as possible.

You may contact the Office of Regulatory Services for grievance issues at (800) 878-6442 or at:
Georgia Department of Human Resources
Two Peachtree St, N.W., Suite 33-350
Atlanta, GA 30303

Our staff will make every effort to keep your room clean, comfortable and well supplied. If you have any needs or concerns, please let your nurse know, or call Environmental Services at (706) 651-2417.

Our security staff strives to assure a safe environment for all; however, we encourage you to take reasonable care for your own safety. Please, do not keep valuables with you while you are a patient. Ask your visitors not to leave their purses or other valuables in an unattended room. Encourage your visitors to move directly to and from their vehicles at night when visiting you, even though we maintain a well-lit and security-patrolled parking lot. If, for any reason, your visitors would like a security officer to escort them to their car or any other location on hospital property, request the hospital operator to contact security. Please be advised that all facility entrances, except the Emergency Department entrance, are locked between the approximate hours of 9:00pm and 6:00am

There are direct phone lines into each patient room. Your family or friends may call you by dialing (706) 651-XXXX:

  • If your bed is by the door, or if you are in a private room, dial 4 plus your room number.
  • If your bed is by the window, dial 5 plus your room number.
  • Example: If you are in room 740 by the door, your number would be (706) 651-4740

Do not bring medications from home to the hospital unless your physician tells you to do so. All medications must be stored at the nursing station and must be administered by hospital staff. Be sure to advise your physicians and nurses if you have been taking medications recently or have any drug allergies.