Fast Facts About Your Stay

Changes Due to COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, some of the services and visiting information in this Patient Guide may be temporarily inaccurate. Please visit sgmc.org or call the operator at 229-433-1000 for the most current information.

ATM

An ATM is located on the first floor near the All Spice Café entrance.

Bedside Shift Report

We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change, your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day, and you can ask questions as well.

Cafeteria

Location: First floor, main building

Hours:

Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday

Dinner: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Closed Saturday.

All Spice Café

Location: First floor, main building

Daily Hours:

Breakfast: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Lunch and Dinner: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Calling Your Nurse

Your room is connected to the nursing station via an intercom system. To call for your nurse, press the NURSE call button located on the bedside pillow speaker or side rail controls. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.

Electrical Appliances

Only battery-operated devices are allowed in patient rooms. Do not use electric hair dryers, curling irons, razors, heating pads, portable heaters, VCRs/DVRs, computers or other electric devices.

Fire Safety

We conduct fire drills from time to time. If you hear an alarm, stay where you are. In an actual emergency, hospital staff will tell you what to do.

Flowers

Flowers are delivered to patient rooms by volunteers or individual florists.

Gift Shop

Location: First floor, main building

Hours:

Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Hearing Impaired

Translation services are available for hearing-impaired patients and guests. If you need these services, please talk to your registration or nursing team. 

Hospital Safe for Valuables

Upon admission, you may request to keep your valuable items with our Security Services. Please make this request through your nursing team.

Hourly Rounding

A nurse or patient care technician will visit you every hour during the day and every two hours at night to check on your comfort, help you change positions in bed, assist with trips to the bathroom, and make sure you can reach your phone, call light and personal items easily.

Interpreters

Interpreting services are available for patients and guests. If you need these services, please talk to your registration or nursing team. 

Lost and Found

Items recovered from main waiting areas of the hospital (lobbies, eating areas, etc.) are turned in to Patient Relations, where the items will be held for two weeks. If the items are not recovered after two weeks, they are discarded. South Georgia Medical Center is not responsible for personal belongings. Patients are responsible for their belongings during their stay.

Mail

Mail and packages will be delivered to you by a hospital volunteer. Mail received after you leave the hospital will be forwarded to your home. You may take outgoing mail to the nursing station or give it to your attending nurse. Postage stamps are available for purchase in the gift shop.

Medicines

Medicines from home are only allowed for identification purposes. Once we confirm your identity, a family member or friend should take your medicines back home. All medicines you take in the hospital need to be prescribed, filled and given to you by hospital staff. Tell your doctor about any medicines you regularly take. If you still need them, hospital staff will give them to you.

Parking

Free parking is available across the hospital campus.

Pastoral Care

Patients and their loved ones can call upon our hospital chaplain or a group of volunteer ministers at any time. Simply ask your nurse to request these services. You also can find a chapel on the first floor.

Patient Meals

Meals are provided as ordered by your doctor. A catering associate will visit you daily to review menu options. 

One free meal is provided for a pediatric patient’s family member. Meals also are available for purchase for all visitors. Please ask your catering associate for details.

Personal Belongings and Valuables

Personal care items such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures can be stored in your bedside stand when not in use. Please do not put them on your bed or food tray to help avoid them being lost or damaged. Leave valuables like jewelry or cash at home, or give them to a trusted relative or friend to watch over. You may also request important items be locked up by security. SGMC cannot be responsible for replacing personal belongings.

Public Restrooms

For everyone’s health and safety, we ask visitors not to use patient restrooms. Public restrooms are located throughout the hospital. Ask hospital staff to direct you to the nearest one.

Tobacco Products

Smoking and/or the use of tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, vape pens, etc.) are not permitted anywhere on the property at any time.

TV

Each patient room has a television. Please be considerate of others by keeping the volume down and turning off your TV at bedtime. TVs are controlled by the bedside pillow speaker or side rail controls. Closed captioning is available for the hearing impaired. Ask a staff member if you have any questions on using your TV. Click here for the channel listing.

Vending Machines

Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Vending machines are located on the first floor of the main building and in the Emergency Room waiting area.