Appointments
Need help finding a provider? Please contact our Physician Referral Center or go to the FHN Homepage to find a link to our Providers and Specialty Care pages, as well as to our Phone Directory.

***NOTE*** August 1, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued new regulations which apply to FHN and are meant to help detect and stop identity thieves from using someone else’s identifying information to commit fraud. As a result, you will be asked to show a photo ID upon arrival for any appointment, service or test at all FHN locations. Please be prepared to produce a driver’s license or some other federally authorized form of identification with your picture on it, like a passport. Our staff is available to assist you with identity theft questions or concerns and we appreciate your cooperation with this process, which will help protect both you and FHN from identity theft.

Making an Appointment
For your convenience, we recommend that you contact the healthcare provider or FHN department directly with whom you wish to schedule your appointment. Appointments may be made in person or by phone.

First Appointment
After you have scheduled your first appointment, and before your first visit, an FHN Patient Services representative will call to provide you with information and directions to the healthcare center. When you arrive at the healthcare center for your appointment, a Patient Services representative will help you complete medical record and billing information and help you become acquainted with the facility.

Canceling an Appointment
If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please call in advance the healthcare center, provider, or FHN Memorial Hospital department where your appointment is scheduled. Staff from that area will assist you in rescheduling.
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Be a Good Healthcare Consumer
Healthcare is something we all invest in at one time or another, so it’s important to educate ourselves when it comes to consuming it. Just like you’d take the time to get the facts and investigate ratings when looking for a new car or other important investment, it’s equally important to make sure you are informed in order to make good choices when it comes to healthcare. There’s no more important time to be careful with your investments than during this uncertain economic era. So to make the most of your dollar and healthcare experience, here are a few tips that can help you become a better healthcare consumer.
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Complaint Resolution
If you have a customer service-related complaint, please speak to a staff member or contact FHN’s Customer Focus Consultant at 815-599-6356. Some of the customer service issues suitable for reporting to a staff member or the Customer Focus Consultant include:

• Unacceptable wait times for appointments

• Wrong meal tray served at the hospital

• You didn’t feel respected by your caregiver or provider

• Convenience and safety-related issues such as unshoveled sidewalks or spills

Each issue reported to the SilentWhistle and Customer Focus programs is brought to the attention of FHN administration and all other concerned parties. Your willingness to speak up about compliance or customer service issues at FHN helps us to continuously improve our care. Thank you for helping us maintain the highest standards of excellence in caring for our patients and our communities.

You may also send a complaint to the Secretary of Health & Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201, 1-800-HHS-TIPS (447-8477) and/or notify the Joint Commission Office of Quality Monitoring to report any concerns by calling 800-994-6610 or emailing complaint@jointcommission.org.

For mammography related complaints you may mail or fax the American College of Radiology, 1891 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4397, fax (703) 648-9176, or email mamm-accred@acr.org. Follow-up will not occur with any complaint that is submitted verbally or anonymously.
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Compliance
Health care organizations are governed by many federal, state and local laws and regulations. Knowing the rules and following the rules are both essential elements of health care compliance.

As part of its compliance effort, FHN has put in place a system which promotes the prevention, detection and resolution of instances of conduct that do not conform with the law or FHN policies.

Because the laws are very complex, sometimes an employee, patient or member of the public may not be sure whether a particular activity is in compliance with the law. In such cases, the organization has a compliance officer who is available to take reports and conduct investigations, a hotline phone number and a Web site for reporting. This is the means for reporting concerns or suspected violations of law or policy, not complaints.

If you feel you have been affected by or witnessed a questionable, unethical or illegal action at FHN, we urge you to report that incident to our anonymous hotline. We have contracted with an outside company to provide a SilentWhistle Web site and toll-free telephone number through which you can anonymously report any questionable actions. The SilentWhistle service is available to anyone who wishes to confidentially report business abuse and/or dishonesty. Some of the issues suitable for reporting to SilentWhistle include:

• Coding or billing irregularities

• Illegal activities on FHN premises

• Questionable accounting

• Falsification of information in medical records

• HIPAA (patient privacy) violations

• Conflict of interest

• Substance abuse

The SilentWhistle hotline is completely anonymous and available to anyone. You can report an issue to the hotline in two ways: Online, at www.fhn.silentwhistle.com Or call toll-free 877-874-8416.

To read more about FHN's Compliance Program download our Compliance Program brochure.

Fees, Billing and Payment Procedures
Considerable care has been taken in setting our fees. The charges reflect the complexity of care rendered and the skill and expertise required for your care.

To help ensure accurate and timely billing, please present your insurance card at every visit. This will tell us your insurance plan’s unique requirements for emergency, referral and billing procedures that must be followed. As a courtesy, FHN will file a claim on your behalf.

At the time of service, please be prepared to pay any co-payments, deductibles, or charges not covered by your insurance plan. We will also request payment for any existing unpaid balances for which you are responsible. The patient (or guarantor) is responsible for any outstanding balances not paid by the patient’s insurance plan. FHN accepts personal checks, cash or credit cards (MasterCard, Visa and Discover).

If you have any additional billing questions, please contact the Central Business Office at 815-599-7950 or toll-free at 877-720-1555. Download our guide to Important Patient Financial Information.

Financial Assistance for Healthcare
If you are uninsured or having difficulty paying for medically necessary care provided by FHN, we offer several options for assistance. Our financial assistance programs are based on income, assets, family size and insurance status and take into account your personal and family situation. These programs are available to residents in the FHN service area and include an application and screening process. One of these programs is the FHN Community Healthcare Center, a partnership with Stephenson County Health Department, located at 10 W. Linden Street, Freeport.

For more information, or to request an application, please contact our Financial Assistance Coordinator at 815-599-7997 or toll free at 866-417-0541 or by email at assistedcare@fhn.org. You may also visit an FHN location near you. For additional information download our Assisted Care brochure in English or Spanish.
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FHN Health Resource Library
The FHN Health Resource Library believes that education is an important part of your healthcare. Access to high quality health information can help you make informed decisions about disease prevention, healthcare services, illness management, treatment options and follow-up care.

Who can use the library?
The FHN Health Resource Library is free and open to the public.

What does the library have to offer?

• Free access to databases containing up-to-date healthcare information
• Free printing and copying of health information
• Ability to check out health resource materials from the collection after registering

Visitors are requested to use the computers primarily for health and wellness information searches.

Hours, location and contact:
Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

FHN Memorial Hospital
Stephenson St. Lobby
1045 W. Stephenson Street, Freeport
Phone: 815-599-6728

Download our Health Resource Library brochure.

Links:
MedlinePlus
FHN Health Resource Library Card Catalog
Use this link to browse the Health Science Library card catalog. Limit your search to FHN holdings by choosing "FHN Health Science Library" in the drop down menu.

Illinois Hospital Report Card Act
FHN is committed to providing excellent patient care. One way we accomplish this is by providing outstanding nursing care to patients. In compliance with the Illinois Hospital Report Card Act, patients, family members and the public may request nurse staffing information. Please contact FHN at 815-599-6116 for more information or to make a request.
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Medical Records
The information contained in your medical records belongs to you, while the actual chart is the property of FHN. FHN is committed to protecting the confidentiality of your healthcare information.

You are welcome to examine your medical records and a member of the healthcare team will be present to answer any questions. For information about obtaining a copy of your medical records, please contact your healthcare provider’s office.
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No Smoking Policy
FHN is committed to providing a healthy environment for all our patients, their family and visitors, and our staff members. As part of that commitment, we are a smoke-free campus. This includes all our facilities, parking lots and walkways.

If you would like information about smoking cessation programs offered by FHN, please call 815-599-7437 to learn more about the options available or click here to read about our Smokebrakers program.
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Office Hours
Most provider office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients are seen by scheduled appointment. For your convenience, some providers have additional early morning, evening or Saturday hours. Please check with your provider’s office for specific hours.
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Physician Referral Center
Representatives at FHN’s Physician Referral Center can help you find a healthcare provider suited to your specific needs. Whether you're looking for a primary care physician, nurse practitioner or a specialist, we can help you find a provider who is accepting new patients.

Our database of providers also includes dentists, chiropractors, counselors and other specialists to care for your personal needs. The Physician Referral Center knows which providers are available and can assist you in scheduling an appointment. Call 815-599-7060.

Physician Disclaimer:
Finding the best healthcare provider for you and your family is an important decision. Your healthcare provider works with each member of your family to achieve and preserve his or her best possible health.

As you look through the providers listed on the FHN Web site, please note that some of the providers are independent physicians who hold staff privileges at FHN Memorial Hospital or other locations. These providers, though they care for patients at FHN locations, are not employees or agents of FHN and are so identified on their directory page. Otherwise, the provider is an FHN employee.
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Your Hospital Stay
Thank you for trusting us to care for you during your illness. We know that this can be an anxious and unsettling time for you. Our goals are to assist you in your recovery and to meet your needs as much as possible. During your stay here, you will have Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) providing care for you.

Our main goal is to make your stay as safe, healing and pleasant as possible. In order to return you to your highest level of functioning, the staff will work with you to gain independence.

Advance Directives
Please let us know if you have an Advance Directive (Power of Attorney for Health Care, Uniform Do Not  Resuscitate (DNR) Order Form). We would appreciate having a copy of your Advance Directives for our records and learning about your expectations should you be unable to communicate your wishes.

Education – A Partnership for Health
Because accurate information is important in helping people cope with an illness, we will offer you:

• Printed materials about health conditions, diet and wellness.
• Prompt responses to your specific questions. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

FHN staff will work closely with your healthcare provider. Test results and information will be communicated to your healthcare provider in a timely manner. Please let us know your questions and concerns. There are no wrong questions. Because stress makes it difficult to understand and remember things, it is OK to ask questions more than once.

Meal Service
FHN offers "At Your Request Room Service Dining" to our patients. This innovative meal service allows patients to order what they want, when they want it, from an expansive menu.

A menu and ordering instructions may be found at your bedside. To place a meal order, dial MENU (6368) and your individually prepared meal will arrive in about 45 minutes. Meal orders may be placed between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. If you so desire, you may pre-order up to three meals in advance. Diet guides will be provided to you if you are placed on a special diet. Allowed foods, according to your diet, are listed for your convenience on the “At Your Request” menu. Certain medication may require you to eat at prescribed times. Your nurse will notify you of any special meal times. Also, certain tests mandate that you do not eat for a period of time. When this happens, we will be certain to deliver your meal after the tests have been completed.

If you would like to have a family member or friend eat in your room with you, arrangements can be made to have a reasonably-priced guest tray delivered to your room.

Mail
Your mail will be delivered daily. If mail is delivered for you after your discharge, we will forward it to your home address. If you need to send mail during your stay, please ask an FHN staff member to place it in the department’s outgoing mail.

Pain Management
Nursing care throughout your stay will include ongoing checks of your temperature, pulse and blood pressure readings as well as assessments, procedures and treatments. Rating your pain on a scale of 1 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating intolerable pain, is a pain assessment tool FHN frequently uses. Please also refer to Pain Management in Specialty Care.

Telephones, Cell Phones and Internet Access
Telephones, to make and receive calls, are available in most patient rooms. Long distance calls may be made using calling cards or by placing a collect call. A pay phone is located on the first floor of the hospital.

Cell phones may be used in the hospital. Please be courteous while using your cell phone.

FHN offers free wireless internet access to patients and visitors. Ask at the nurses’ station for directions to get connected.
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Your Support Team
Chaplain
Chaplains and clergy will be available to help you with your concerns about your illness.

Health Case Management
Health case managers may work with you, your healthcare team and your insurance company to coordinate your care during your stay.

Rehabilitation Services
Rehabilitation Services provides services to increase your strength and stamina to prepare you to leave the hospital and help return you to your highest level of functioning.

Respiratory Therapy
Respiratory therapists may assist your breathing and offer treatment to support or improve it.

Social Services
Social Services is available to help coordinate your discharge. They can also help you with difficult decisions such as Advance Directives.
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Your Discharge
In cooperation with your healthcare provider, we may offer a variety of resources for your discharge.

Community Services
Social Services are available to help establish or refer you to additional services such as Meals on Wheels, Lifeline, homemaker services or reassurance calls.

Education
When you are discharged from the hospital, we will provide you with discharge instructions which will help you to care for yourself.

Follow-up Tests or Appointments
Your healthcare provider may order follow-up tests or diagnostics to monitor your progress

Prescriptions
If your healthcare provider prescribes medications for home, the prescriptions will be given to you to fill at the pharmacy of your choice.

Referrals and Medical Services
Depending on your needs, your physician may order services intended to help you after you leave the hospital. Some examples of these services are Home Health Care, Rehabilitation or Durable Medical Equipment.

Note: If you are a Medicare patient and feel that you have been discharged too soon (premature discharge), call the Quality Improvement Organization at 800-647-8089. If you are a Medicaid patient with this same concern, call the Illinois Department of Public Health at 800-782-7860.
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