If you have a scheduled hospital visit coming up, or if you have a loved one in the hospital, you might have a few questions about what to plan for, what to bring and who can visit. You may have questions about accommodations for special needs or language translation.
Here are some of the most common questions and answers to those questions.
Patients at Samaritan hospitals in Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Lincoln City and Newport, and at the inpatient mental health facility in Corvallis, can designate two people as visitors. Patients can also designate one or more support people. One support person may be with the patient at a time. This means there can generally be up to three people, up to two visitors and a support person, with a patient at a time. Clergy may visit at any time with patient/family consent and does not count toward the visitor and support person limit.
Patients at the end of life may have more visitors, with the number of visitors decided in consultation with the care team.
Additional restrictions or special exceptions for mental health patients, emergency department patients, pediatric patients and obstetric patients are detailed in Samaritan’s Visitor Policy. Please check with your care team for more information.
Visitors may be requested to temporarily leave a care area at the discretion of the care team for patient care or safety reasons.
All visitors and support people must be free of contagious disease and abide by all other facility infection-prevention measures.
Download Samaritan’s full Visitor Policy.
To help make your visit to the hospital as comfortable as possible, and to help everything run smoothly while you are here, here are some items to bring:
Do not bring valuables, including money, jewelry and credit cards. Samaritan Health Services assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to personal property. Any valuables you bring with you should be sent home with a relative or friend. If this is not possible, ask the admitting clerk or nursing staff about safe storage.
If you find this list helpful, you may print a visit checklist.
Family members and friends may call the main hospital phone number and request to be transferred to you. They may also request the direct phone number to your hospital room.
Board-certified chaplains are on staff at each Samaritan hospital and available to offer supportive spiritual care to patients of all faiths. Just ask your nurse to page the on-call chaplain. Clergy members of all faiths are welcome at the hospital. Chaplains at each Samaritan hospital can assist you in reaching clergy members.
Samaritan offers the following services and more for patients and visitors:
Find additional information about patient rights and privacy notices.
Your doctor will ask your closest relative or individual designated as a health care representative to help make decisions if you are unable. It can be very helpful if you have appointed one person to be your health care representative on your advance directive form. This person will assist the doctor in making necessary decisions.
The purpose of an advance directive is to allow you to tell us your future care choices. As a result, your health care team will know what your wishes are in case you become unable to express them. This is an opportunity to put your wishes in writing for when you are unable to make decisions.
Advance directives are optional documents. However, if you chose to complete one, it is important that you provide a copy to members of your health care team. Please bring a copy of your advance directive, living will or durable power of attorney to the hospital. A brochure describing all the details of advance directives, as well as an easy-to-fill-out form, is available upon request.
Being an organ donor will not affect the care you receive. If you are injured or ill and are taken to a hospital emergency room, you will receive the best possible care whether or not you are an organ donor. Donation procedures begin only after all efforts to save your life have failed and death has been declared.
If you experience any communication problems while receiving care, please tell your health care provider about your special needs. We can provide the following:
Each Samaritan hospital offers a cafeteria where visitors are welcome to dine. Some larger locations also offer small cafés throughout the hospital campus. Ask someone on your health care team or go to the Information Desk for more details and directions.
Each Samaritan hospital offers other conveniences for visitors such as onsite ATMs, gift shops, food service and a chapel. Refer to each hospital’s location page for more information.
Good Samaritan Regional Medical CenterSamaritan Albany General HospitalSamaritan Lebanon Community HospitalSamaritan North Lincoln HospitalSamaritan Pacific Communities Hospital
Each Samaritan hospital provides notary service. Check with the nursing supervisor for more information.
