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You cannot just decide to admit yourself to a hospital. The admission process is started by your doctor(s) and all initial
arrangements are made by the doctor who is accepting the responsibility for your care while you are in the hospital. There are specific and rigid rules and paperwork required by the various insurance
companies. So, when you are asked to fill out what seems to be an endless stream of paperwork please understand that it is all necessary and required by somebody who is involved in the admission process.
Pre certification may be required for patients participating in medical insurance programs before we can schedule you in the operating room.
If you are admitted through the Emergency Room, you will be seen by one of our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents, who
is, in turn, in touch with supervising faculty and on-call doctors. There will be people who will guide you through the process and direct you to where you need to go and what you need to do.
If you are scheduled for elective surgery, you will be told when to report, where to report, and what to bring at the time
your admission is scheduled. You will generally also receive an appointment with one of our residents approximately 1-3 days prior to your admission, in order for them to perform a detailed history and
physical examination, which is required for admission. This is generally performed at the dental college. You may also be asked at that time to sign an Informed Consent, giving permission to perform the
operation(s). You will be counseled prior to that on alternatives, potential risks and complications of the surgery, told what to expect, and given an estimate of the cost. You will be given the
opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the surgery. Do not hesitate to ask those questions - you are entitled to know and to have all questions answered.
Most of our surgery patients are admitted to the 16th floor of Roberts Hospital (the tall tower-like structure down the
street from BCD). If there is a bed shortage on that floor, on occasion patients have to be admitted to another floor. The operations themselves are usually performed in the operating rooms in another
section of the hospital, on the 5th floor of Truett Hospital. If family or friends are waiting for you during surgery, the best place for them to wait is in Jonsson Hospital's 5th Floor Surgical Waiting
Room, or in or near the patient's room.
Parking can sometimes be difficult, depending on how busy the hospital and its clinics are. There is a daily charge for
parking in BUMC lots. These costs are nominal ($2-4/day range)
If you have any other questions about your admission, feel free to contact your doctor or ask when you are going through your
history and physical examination.
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