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Patients & Visitors

For Patients and Families

At Kern Medical, our first priority is our patients and their families and friends.

Whether you are a patient or a visitor, we look forward to serving you. Here is information that will be useful to you before you visit Kern Medical. For further questions, please call 661-326-2000.

Admission
When you enter the hospital, the first step is admissions. The patient will be asked to sign an authorization form for medical or surgical treatment. Parents or legal guardians must sign for minors.

Covered California
Covered California counselors are available on-site to assist with registration Monday thru Friday 8-4pm.

California State Disability

In order to minimize the need for patients to come to the hospital or clinic locations the option of filing a California State Disability claim form online is outlined here.

First always speak with your physician to discuss your status of disability so that the support is documented in the patients’ medical record. If the documentation to support disability is not documented then the claim will be rejected.

To file online go to the below link

http://www.edd.ca.gov/

When you are done please email the receipt number to the Health Information Management email group himroi@kernmedical.com

This email includes the staff that completes the physician portion of the claim.

The direct phone number to speak with staff is 661-326-2591.

Parking
Patient parking can be found primarily in the Southeast and Southwest parking lots. For a complete list of patient parking areas, please see our campus map.

Patients and Personal Belongings
Please do not bring items of value to the hospital. That includes, but is not limited to: Wallets, pictures, electronic or mobile devices, rings or other jewelry, money, or anything valued by the patient. Leave glasses, contacts, and watches in the care of a family member, to be returned to the patient after any procedures are performed. Clothing worn into the hospital will be placed in a “patient belongings” bag and tagged with the patient’s name and room number. Patients are asked to bring any medications so that schedules won’t be interrupted.

Medications
Medications taken while in the hospital are prescribed by the patient’s doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, and administered by a nurse. Patients are not permitted to administer their own drugs or keep personal medications at their bedside. For helpful and accurate information about medications you are taking, please go to www.safemedication.com.

More on Medications
Kern Medical supports efforts to keep our environment free from potentially hazardous chemicals that might contaminate our drinking water. One very important way to accomplish that is to dispose of unwanted prescription medications at designated pharmacies rather than flush them or throw them out to be taken to the landfill. To find a local pharmacy that will take outdated or unused prescription medications for disposal, please contact https://www.kernbhrs.org/rxreturn and http://www.disposemymeds.org/

Smoking
Kern Medical is a non-smoking facility. Patients that are admitted who smoke will undergo consultation with your physician or nurse about options, including education about smoking cessation and treatment.

Fire Drills
The hospital regularly conducts fire and disaster drills. If a drill occurs while you are here, please remain in your room and do not become alarmed. The hospital is a fire-resistant building, and the staff is trained in fire protection.

Telephones
Patient rooms are equipped with telephones, and patients may receive calls in their rooms at any time of day. Local calls may be made at any time by dialing 9, waiting for a dial tone, then dialing the number you want to call. Long-distance calls cannot be charged to your room.

Pastoral Care-Chaplain
Patients and families who want pastoral care, can call the Nurse Staffing Office at +1 661-326-2685 for a list of available pastors and chaplains.

Condition Reports/Confidentiality
Any personal information about your diagnosis and treatment must come from your physician. This information is available only to those members of your immediate family that you designate. Family members who call and request condition reports over the telephone will be transferred to your room or to the nurses’ station on your floor.

Questions from the news media are coordinated through the Public Relations Department or Administration. When those departments are unavailable, the Hospital Shift Manager will be the designated spokesperson. Any information given to the news media will be given in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the procedure for working with the news media, based on state and federal laws.

For Visitors

We look forward to serving family members and visitors. Here is information that will be useful for your visit to Kern Medical. For further questions, please call 661-326-2000.

Gifts for Patients
Visitors are asked to check with the nurse before bringing gifts of food or drink to patients to make sure the gift is appropriate. On the intensive care units, please check with the unit staff regarding any gifts for patients.

Gift Shop
The Auxiliary Gift Shop is staffed by volunteers and is located off the East Lobby on the first hospital’s first floor. A wide variety of gift items are available including fresh flowers. Postage stamps are also available for purchase. Call extension 62542 for information.

Gift Shop Hours:
Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Mail and Flowers
Volunteers deliver flowers, letters and packages to patient rooms. Letters and parcels that arrive after the patient is discharged are forwarded to the patient’s home. Stamps and stationery can be purchased in the Auxiliary Gift Shop.

Money Changers
Money changers are located in vending machine areas.

Newspapers
The local newspaper and national publications can be purchased from boxes at the hospital’s Flower Street entrance.

Security/Safety Issues

Door Locking-Parking Area Patrol
All exterior exits (except the main entrance and the Emergency Department) are locked each day at 5 p.m. and unlocked at 6 a.m. The main entrance is locked at 10 p.m. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., visitors may enter the hospital through the Emergency Department. Routine patrols are made in the parking lots to prevent theft or vandalism and to fine improperly parked vehicles.

Firearms
Only law enforcement officers are allowed to have firearms on hospital grounds.

Identification
All Kern Medical employees are easily identifiable by white and blue identification badges worn on the upper part of the body. All hospital volunteers are easily identifiable by their blue smocks and their identification badges.