VA Maryland Health Care System

Baltimore VA Medical Center Admission Information

If you have questions or concerns anytime during your stay at the Baltimore VA Medical Center please discuss them with a member of your health care team. Your health care team consists of your licensed provider (physician, physicians’ assistant or nurse practitioner), nurse, social worker, dietitian, pharmacist and ward clerk. Health care teams may include other health professionals depending on the setting, such as addiction, vocational rehabilitation, recreation and physical therapists. They can help you find just the right person to address your needs.

Tell your nurse if you have a living will or health care proxy. These documents will be added to your medical record to inform us about your wishes.

Co-Payments

A co-payment is only charged to Veterans in priority group 7 and 8 for inpatient and outpatient care and for prescriptions. The inpatient co-payment is changed each year on January 1st. For current information on co-payment charges and priority groups contact the Enrollment Center at 410-605-7324 or visit the VA web page at http://www.maryland.va.gov/patients/eligibility.asp.

Insurance

The VA is required by law to recover the costs of providing medical treatment for non-service connected conditions from your health insurance company. We will apply the payment from your insurance company to your co-payment first. You will be responsible for the rest of the co-payment that your insurance company does not pay.

Medications

Please do not bring medications from home. Tell the staff about all medications that you are taking. Medications brought to the Baltimore VA Medical Center will be sent home with your family member, otherwise the medications will not be returned to you. Your provider will order medications to be used during your hospital stay and upon your discharge. If you are taking part in a research project and are on special research medication, bring them with you and inform your health care team.

Clothing

All medical and surgical patients are expected to wear VA provided pajamas, robes and slippers or shoes. Patients on nursing home, rehabilitation and psychiatry units are permitted and encouraged to wear their personal clothing unless otherwise indicated. Wear the robe that you will be given whenever you leave your room. All patients are asked to keep one set of clothing and footwear with them for discharge.

Mail

Mail will delivered to you in your patient room. All mail received after you are discharged will be forwarded to your home address. It is therefore important to ensure that we have your current mail address. Mail sent to you while a patient should be addressed as follows:

Baltimore VA Medical Center
(Your Full Name and Room/Bed Number)
10 North Greene Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Telephones

Telephones are provided to each patient on the handrail of their bed or on their beside table. Incoming calls cannot be received at the bedside form 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. as the ringing mechanism is disabled during that timeframe. However, outgoing calls can be made at any time. Local calls can be made any time from the room by dialing 19 and the telephone number. To receive a call in your room, callers should dial (410) 605, then the last four digits of your phone extension. To use a calling card from your bedside phone, dial 9 and follow the instructions on the card. Patients who accept collect telephone calls from their bedside telephone will be billed for the cost of the telephone call plus administrative charges.

Patient Televisions

There are bedside televisions available free-of-charge in each patient room throughout the Baltimore VA Medical Center. There are also large screen televisions available for patient viewing in the living room areas of each floor of the facility.

Television Listing

Channel 3 – CBS (Baltimore Channel 13)
Channel 4 – WUTB (Baltimore Channel 24)
Channel 5 – CCTV (VA Chapel Channel)
Channel 6 – MPT (Maryland Public Television)
Channel 7 – WBFF (This Network)
Channel 8 – NBC (WBAL Baltimore Channel 11)
Channel 9 – FOX (WBFF Baltimore Channel 45)
Channel 10 – ABC (WMAR Baltimore Channel 2)
Channel 12 – CCTV Patient Movie Channel

Identification Wristbands

Upon admission, you will be given an identification (ID) wristband. Please wear your wristband at all times. Lost ID wristbands should be reported to your health care team right away.

Off-Unit Notification

As a reminder, please notify a member of your health care team before you leave your inpatient unit.

Back to the Baltimore VA Medical Center page