Admission Process
In order for RWJBarnabas Health to provide efficient and effective care, we want you to be well-informed and prepared for your stay at an RWJBarnabas Health facility. Here is what to expect when you are admitted to one of RWJBarnabas Health's facilities. For more information, see your facility's Patient Guide and speak with your doctor prior to admission whenever possible.
Personal Items & Documents to Bring with You
Please bring your insurance card, picture identification, and a copy of your Advance Directive, if you have one. Having insurance information, including insurance cards, pre-certifications, or other documents required by your physician with you will decrease any confusion and simplify the registration process. If you have an Advance Directive, such as a Living Will, please bring a copy so that we may provide care consistent with your wishes. If you do not have a copy with you, ask a family member to bring it for you.
Please bring a list of the medications, vitamins, and over-the-counter products you are taking, and share this list with the nurse and/or doctor at the hospital.
We strongly urge you to leave any valuables, including cash, credit cards or jewelry, at home as we cannot guarantee the safety of these items if left unattended. If absolutely necessary, valuables can be locked in the hospital's safe, where they will remain until you are discharged. The Security Department will assist you in this process. You may bring certain personal items with you to make your stay more comfortable. We suggest sleep wear, slippers, preferred toiletries, your comb and toothbrush. You will also want to bring glasses, hearing aids, or dentures, if you wear them.
Please note that our hospitals cannot be responsible for your eyeglasses, hearing aids and/or dentures. Please ask the nurse for a denture cup to prevent the possibility of your dentures being discarded with your food tray or linens. Remember not to place your dentures or hearing aids in a drinking cup, tissue, napkin, or on your food tray, as it may accidentally be discarded by you or a staff member when cleaning your room or clearing your tray. You may want to label your items ahead of time in case they become misplaced.
For Patients Having Surgery
Having to undergo surgery or a procedure can be stressful. We at RWJBarnabas Health want you to know some of the very important safety steps that we take before and during each surgery to enhance your safety.
When you arrive at the hospital, various staff members will need to confirm your identity and will review with you what kind of surgery you are having and the part of your body to be operated on. Just prior to the beginning of your surgery, your surgeon will mark the surgical site as part of our safety strategy.
In the event that the site cannot be directly marked, we will use a secondary marking system developed by the hospital. You can speak with your doctor ahead of time to find out more information about what to expect for your specific surgery or treatment.
