Bell Patient Guide
We are committed to your care.
Our goal is to provide the best quality care. To do so, we ask for feedback from patients like you. You may be contacted by phone, email or text and asked to complete a confidential survey. Please take the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us know what we’re doing well and where we can improve.
Privacy Practices Patient Rights & Responsibilities Concerns About Your Care
Fast facts about your stay.
- ATM
- Bedside Shift Report
- Bedside Technology
- Café and Dining
- Calling Your Nurse
- Cellphones & Video
- Channel Listing for TV
- Concerns About Your Care
- Electrical Appliances
- Fire Safety
- Flowers
- Gift Shop
- Hearing Impaired
- Hospital Safe for Valuables
- Hourly Rounding
- Housekeeping Services
- Interpreters and Translation Services
- Medicines
- Parking
- Pastoral Care
- Personal Belongings and Valuables
- Public Restrooms
- Rapid Response Team
- Smoking
- Telephone
- TV
- Vending Machines
- Visiting Hours
- Wifi
Support for Caregivers
We encourage patients to pick a key person to support them during their hospital stay. Whether you are that primary support person, or just one of many people caring for and supporting your loved one, you can play an important role in making sure your loved one gets the safest and best care both here and beyond the hospital.
Patient and Family Care
We participate in patient- and family-centered care. We believe that family plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages. Our goal is to create partnerships among healthcare practitioners, patients and families that will lead to the best outcomes and enhance the delivery of safe, quality, efficient, effective and timely care.
What to Know Before You Leave
Caregivers can help ensure the best outcome for their loved one after a hospital stay by getting the answers to these three questions:
- What is the next step for medical care (home or facility, follow-up with primary care provider or physical therapy, etc.)? Help your loved one arrange the details to make this happen—financial plan, transportation, scheduling, etc.
- What new and former medicines does my loved one need to take? Help your loved one understand the details—timing, dosing instructions, side effects, prescription refills, etc.
- What health warning signs do I need to watch for and what do I do if they happen? Help your loved one by writing these symptoms down as well as the name and contact number to call.
If you feel like you need a break or help, reach out to friends and family. And consult the resources listed here: National Alliance for Caregiving | Family Caregiver Alliance | Caregiver Action Network
Facts About Your Stay
ATM
For your convenience, an ATM is located in the vending area of the cafeteria near the Main Entrance.
Bedside Shift Report
We want you to feel comfortable and cared for throughout your stay, so at each nursing shift change—about every 12 hours—your nurse will introduce your new nurse to you. The team will talk about your progress, medicine and tests scheduled for the day. Ask questions. The more you’re involved, the better and safer your care.
Bedside Technology
During your stay, you may see your providers and nurses using computers or tablets. These tools help them care for you by providing around-the-clock monitoring, a variety of resources and quick communication with the rest of your healthcare team. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.
Café and Dining
The café at UPHS - Bell offers a wide range of rotating meal options, grab-and-go snacks, hot and cold beverages, and more.
Located: near the main lobby
It's open seven days a week from 6:30 am - 6 pm.
Coffee
A variety of specialty coffee—as well as tea, soda and bagged snacks—is available at the Coffee Cart near the fireplace in the lobby at the main hospital entrance.
Seattle's Best coffee is available in the cafeteria.
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 on your bed or a hand-held device. If you have any questions on how to use the call button, ask a staff member to show you.
Cellphones & Video
During your stay, you may see members of your care team using mobile phones. At UP Health System – Bell, our staff are permitted to use phones for work-related activities, such as communicating with doctors or other care team members. Employees are not allowed to use phones for non-work-related activities. There are many work-related benefits of cellphones and other communication devices, including access to medical references, clinical tools and patient information.
Channel Listing for TV
| 2 ABC-WBUP 3 CBS-WJMN 4 FOX-WLUC 2 5 PBS-WNMU 6 CW-WBKP 7 NBC-WLUC 8 Fox Sports Detroit 9 Fox Sports 10 Big Ten Network 11 Big Ten Extra 12 SEC Network 13 SEC Overflow 14 Weather 15 ESPN 16 ESPN2 17 ESPNU 18 ESPNews 19 NFL 20 Golf Channel 21 MLB Network 22 Motor Trend 23 Fox News 24 CNN 25 HLN 26 CNBC |
27 MSNBC 28 Fox Business 29 Bloomberg 30 TNT 31 TBS 32 FX 33 TNT 34 FXX 35 USF 36 A&E 37 AMC 38 Bravo 39 Oxygen 40 TLC 41 OWN 42 Paramount 43 WGN 44 Syfy 45 Food Network 46 History 47 Lifetime 48 Hallmark Channel 49 HGTV 50 GSN 51 Investigation Discovery |
52 TCM 53 TV Land 54 Freeform 55 Travel Channel 56 truTV 57 Comedy Central 58 E! 59 National 60 Discovery Channel 61 Animal Planet 62 WE tv 63 Univision 64 MTV 65 MTV2 66 VH1 67 CMT 68 BET 69 Disney Channel 70 Disney XD 71 Disney Junior 72 Nickelodeon 73 Nick Jr. 74 Cartoon Network 79–124 Music Channels |
Concerns About Your Care
Please speak with your nurse or nursing supervisor if you have any questions or concerns about your care. If your issue still is not resolved, then contact the hospital patient advocate. You also have the right to file your complaint with either:
State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
Bureau of Community Health Systems
Health Facility Complaints
PO Box 30664
Lansing, MI 48909
Email: BCHS-Complaints@michigan.gov
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Website: www.jointcommission.org, then click “Report patient safety event”
Sometimes a healthcare choice can involve an ethical concern—such as a wish to refuse life-saving treatment or a disagreement over advance directives. Our medical ethics committee can help you and those who are here to support you make difficult decisions. For more information or to request help, call 906.485.2674.
Electrical Appliances
For your safety, we reserve the right to inspect any electrical appliances brought into the hospital.
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
Most area florists deliver directly to the hospital. Fresh floral arrangements are also available for purchase in our gift shop. For patients in the ICU, flowers may not be allowed. Check with the nurses prior to sending flowers to this area.
Gift Shop | The Gift Well
Location: First floor near the main Registration area
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday | 9 am to 5 pm
Flowers, candles, jewelry, baby items, clothing, candy and other gift items are available. Cash, check and credit cards accepted.
Hearing Impaired
We have services available for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. If you need these services, please contact your nurse.
Hospital Safe for Valuables
Send personal belongings and valuables home with a family member or have them placed in the hospital safe. Ask your nurse for more information. The hospital is not responsible for patient valuables that are not secured in the safe. The hospital does not reimburse for lost personal property.
Hourly Rounding
A nurse 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.
Housekeeping Services
At UP Health System – Bell, we understand our responsibility to reduce consumption of water, waste and energy. We hope you will join us in our conservation efforts. As part of this effort to conserve the environment, bed linens will be changed as necessary or upon request. Visitors who wish to stay overnight in a patient’s room may use the couch bed. Ask your nurse for linens or assistance with converting the couch.
Interpreters and Translation Services
Interpreter services are available for patients. Please contact your nurse for assistance.
Mail and email sent to our website are delivered to patients Monday through Friday by hospital volunteers. Flowers may be delivered by individual florists, staff or volunteers. Fresh flowers are not allowed in critical care areas.
Mail received after discharge will be forwarded to the patient’s home. Outgoing mail may be taken to the nurses station or given to your attending nurse. Postage stamps are available in the gift shop.
Medicines
Please do not bring any prescription or over-the-counter medicines to the hospital. 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
Ample parking for patients and visitors is available at the facility, with three labeled entrances — the Main Entrance, Clinics & Emergency Department.
Spiritual Care
If you would like a visit from the chaplain for spiritual care and comfort, please ask your nurse to contact the chaplain on call. There are also volunteer Prayer Companions available to offer companionship to those who visit the Chapel. A schedule for Prayer Companions is kept at the Chapel so visitors know when they are available.
The Bell Chapel is always open for prayer and meditation. It’s located on the first floor, near the main entrance. Chapel services are held periodically, and all are invited to attend.
Submit a prayer request in the spiral notebook located in the Chapel, or confidentially submit it by putting the written request in the wooden box.
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. If this is not an option, valuables may be locked up by Security at your request. UP Health System – Bell 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.
Rapid Response Team
A highly trained group of individuals called the Rapid Response Team is in place at all times in the hospital. This team can be called at any time by you, or those who may be here with you, to check on any medical condition that is of concern before there is a life-threatening emergency. Dial 2222 to request this special service. Ask a staff member to learn more.
Smoking
Given the serious health hazards of tobacco use, we have chosen to become a 100 percent smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. No smoking or tobacco products will be used while on UP Health System – Bell property, parking lots, associated buildings and vehicles. Patients and visitors are asked not to smoke during their hospital visit.
If You Smoke or Use Tobacco
While you are in the hospital, please do not suffer from nicotine withdrawal. You can receive nicotine replacement therapy or other appropriate support during your hospital visit. Please ask your nurse for more information.
Telephone
Please call the nurse's station in the department the patient you're trying to reach is admitted. A nurse will transfer you to the correct room.
Obstetrics (Labor & Delivery) | 906.485.2672
Emergency Department | 906.485.2639
Surgical Services | 906.485.2614
Acute Care Unit | 906.485.2624 | For the ACU, if you know the patient's room number, please call them directly. The direct phone number is 906.485.2XXX + your three-digit room number. For example, if you are in room number 102, the patient's direct line is 906.485.2102.
To dial out for local and long distance, you will need to dial 8 + 1 + area code + phone number you want to call.
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 about using your TV.
Vending Machines
Here you can find beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Vending machines are available 24 hours a day and are located near the cafeteria.
Visiting Hours
Visiting hours are subject to change. Please ask your nurse for official hours during your stay.
- Visiting hours are from 10 am — 8 pm
- Special visitation can be arranged through a nurse.
- The main entrance to the hospital is open from 6 am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and locked on weekend days (Saturday & Sunday)
- The Clinic entrance is open 6 am - 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday and 9:30 am - 4:30 pm on Saturday & Sunday
- The Emergency Department entrance is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Visiting Overnight
Overnight visitation with a patient must be coordinated with the charge nurse and/or nurse manager and is only permitted under certain circumstances.
Wifi
We have free Wi-Fi available throughout the hospital for patients and visitors (connect to “BELL-Guest”). We can accommodate virtual visitations (Skype, FaceTime, etc.) using patient or hospital-supplied devices, such as an iPad or laptop.