Patient and Visitors
We know there is no place like home. However, because you will be with us for a while, we have made special accommodations to make your stay at St. Elias as pleasant as possible. From the homelike decor of your private patient room, to the smiling faces of your nurses and therapists each day, we consider you our guest and you can expect us to deliver top-notch healthcare services.
Have more questions? Contact us at 907-565-CARE (2273) or send an email.
A patient is admitted to St. Elias from an acute care hospital. The process usually involves a referral from the patient’s physician either for LTACH/LTCH or specifically for St. Elias Specialty Hospital. The Case Manager or physician’s office personnel can contact St. Elias for a clinical evaluation to determine whether LTACH/LTCH services are appropriate for the patient.
When St. Elias is contacted, we will promptly dispatch a Nurse Liaison to visit the patient and/or family. Admission determination is then made by an Admission Team at St. Elias, based upon industry standard criteria and other influencing factors. If the patient does meet criteria for admission to St. Elias, our Admissions Team will work with the referring physician, Case Managers, and the family to make arrangements for transfer to St. Elias.
If the patient’s physician is not familiar with St. Elias and the services we offer, please contact the Nurse Liaison at 907-565-2273. We will be happy to provide detailed information, conduct a tour of our hospital, and to answer any questions the physician or family may have.
Patients or families request referral by calling 907-565-2273. We will assess your condition/options and then either arrange for admission or recommend a more appropriate level of care for your situation.
We encourage you to discuss with a nurse or care giver your concerns or comments and assure you that you may do so without fear of retribution.
Sharing your concern often results in prompt resolution, and we appreciate the opportunity to attempt to resolve your concerns promptly. Additionally, you may ask any caregiver for a Complaint/Concern form.
Upon receipt of your concern, you will be contacted by an administrative representative who will review and respond within 24 hours or the next business day. You will be contacted within 10 days for an appropriate resolution to your concern.
If any of your concerns or comments have not been met or addressed, you may choose to contact 907-561-3333 and ask to speak to administration about your concern.
You may also address any unresolved issues or concerns with the following agencies:
Providence Alaska Patient Relations
Phone: 907-212-3333
E-mail to patientrelationsak@providence.org
Web Form: www.providence.org/about/contactus
Alaska Department of Health & Social Services
Phone: 907- 334-2482
After-Hours Complaint Hotline: 1-888-387-938
Joint Commission
Phone: 800- 994-6610
One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
E-mail to complaint@jointcommission.org
Livanta LLC
Phone: 907- 588-1123 or TTY: 855-887-6668
9090 Junction Drive, Suite 10
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701
Website: www.livantaqio.com
To ensure accessibility and effective communication with patients and their companions, we provide these auxiliary aids and services free of charge at St. Elias Specialty Hospital:
- Telephone typewriter
- Closed captioning (CC) television
- AT&T language line for translator
- Language interpreter telephones
- Large button telephones
- Volume control telephone
- Braile telephones
- American Sign Language translator services
- Wheelchair accessibility
To access equipment or interpreter services, please notify the Admissions Coordinator during admission.
The case manager begins a discharge plan at admission with the team which includes the patient, patient family members, physicians, therapists and hospital staff. This plan guides the patient to the right course of management in preparation for the safest and best discharge. Case managers are a source of information about programs and therapies available following discharge. They assist the families in understanding the “big picture” regarding their loved one and help with communication between the disciplines and patients.
We can quickly meet the pharmaceutical needs of our patients with our on-site pharmacy.
You cannot and should not take your own medication while you are in the hospital. Any medication brought in will either be sent home with your family or secured in our pharmacy until you are discharged.
Many of our patients request spiritual services. We have Chaplains on site at St. Elias on call 24 hours a day. During their stay at St. Elias, patients and families may invite their own spiritual advisors to visit and participate in their recovery.
St. Elias has a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) on staff to help patients and their families as many of them need some type of guidance and counseling. The LCSW works with the care team to help the patient and family adapt to changes in the plan of care including the discharge plan. The goal of the social worker at St. Elias is to unify the spiritual, social, environmental and medical needs of the patient. The LCSW helps patients and families through the difficult emotional and financial stress of illness. Our social worker can be instrumental in helping find resources that can make life after St. Elias an easier transition.