Cannon Memorial Hospital Patient & Visitor Guide

NOTE: Special COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions are currently in place. Learn more >

We encourage visitors for emotional support and recovery. To provide a restful and safe environment, we ask that all visitors comply with the following guidelines:

• Be considerate of other patients by keeping noise to a minimum.
• Refrain from visiting if you have a cold, sore throat or any contagious disease.
• Observe no visiting and precaution signs before entering the room.
• Do not smoke.
• Leave the room during tests or treatments if asked.

If you have valuables, such as jewelry, credit cards and cash, please give them to a relative or friend to take care of during your stay. Store your contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures in your bedside stand when not in use. Please don’t put them on your bed or food tray— they may be damaged or lost.

If you cannot send your valuables home, please speak with your nurse about storing them in the hospital safe. The hospital cannot be responsible for any valuables left in your room. Unclaimed items left at the hospital are turned over to the state of North Carolina following the North Carolina General Statutes.

The Nutrition Services Department is dedicated to making your hospital stay as pleasant as possible. Patients at Cannon Memorial Hospital will have the opportunity to share individual food preferences. A representative from Nutrition Services will be visiting your room to obtain your food selections or preferences.  In addition, there are food and beverage items available in each nursing unit that patients may request at any time. We hope you enjoy your dining experience with us.

We also recognize the important role that adequate nutrition plays in the healing and recovery process. Our Clinical Nutrition Department is available to provide education on specific diets. Please let your nurse or Nutrition Services representative know if you have any nutrition-related questions or concerns.

All ARHS facilities have representatives on the ARHS an Ethics Committee, which is available to give you support and guidance when you are faced with difficult decisions about medical care and treatment issues. The committee does not tell you what you should do, but can help affected parties look together at the larger situation and consider all feasible alternatives. If you would like support from the Ethics Committee, let your nurse know, or call (828) 262-4100 and ask the switchboard to page the chaplain on call at pager 1400.

You have the right to file a complaint or concern with either or both:

The NC Division of Health Service Regulation Complaint Intake Unit
2711 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
(800) 624-3004

Office of Quality and Patient Safety The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Fax: 630-792-5636
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report a Safety Event”

Although conflicts often are a part of life, they can add to the stress you feel when you or a loved one is hospitalized. At ARHS, our job is to:

• anticipate potential care-related conflicts and eliminate them
• work with you to resolve conflicts quickly and considerately

While we strive to meet and exceed the expectations of our patients, staff, physicians and visitors, at times we may fall short. An important value at ARHS is receiving, responding to and resolving all complaints in a courteous and timely manner. Your feedback helps us to improve our care and delivery systems.

If you have a complaint, you may contact us online or speak with any facility employee or volunteer, and he or she will initiate the complaint process. If the individual can resolve the problem, he or she has the authority to do so. If not, your concerns are forwarded to the appropriate department manager, and if necessary, to hospital administration.