The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Health Care Policy and Research offers the following checklist for choosing a hospital. Look for a hospital that is:

·         Covered by your health plan.

·         Experienced with your condition.

·         Successful when dealing with your condition.

·         Constantly improving its quality of care.

·         Accredited by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program.

·         Rated highly by state, consumer or other groups.

·         One where your doctor has privileges, if that is important to you.

 

What Should I Find Out About a Hospital?
It is likely that you may live in an area served by multiple hospitals. It is easy to be confused about which one to go to, especially in large cities that probably have many to choose from. Here are suggested questions to ask a hospital. (Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center answers are in italics following each question.)

·         Is your doctor affiliated with the hospital? Use Find A Doctor to locate Pattie A. Clay doctors or call

·         Does the hospital meet your needs? For example, does it have a Women's Health Center if you need one?

·         Is there an infection control practitioner on staff? Yes.

·         Is there a patient representative or ombudsman on staff? Yes.

·         Does the hospital have social workers? Yes.

·         Does the hospital offer pre-admission testing on an outpatient basis? Yes.

·         Does the hospital offer high quality patient-centered care? Yes.

·         Is the hospital clean? Yes.

·         Does the hospital accept Medicare patients? Yes.

·         Does the hospital offer education programs for the community? Yes.