Information For Patients

Prior to your visit, your physician's office, or Tampa General Hospital will advise you which Admitting area you will need to report to. The information below applies to all patients no matter which Admitting area they utilize.

View a short video about what to expect during your TGH Pre-Op visit.
English         Spanish

View a short video about what to expect on your day of surgery.
English         Spanish

TGH Campus Map
What to Expect During Your ER Visit
Pre-operative Appointment Information
What will I be asked to sign?
Consent Forms
Privacy Information
Request a Copy of Your Medical Record
Advance Directives
Your Role in Healthcare Safety
Financial Assistance (Charity and Discounted Care) Programs
TGH Managed Care Relationships
If You Have Billing Questions
Mailing Address & Physical Address
Telephone
Patient Education On-Demand Video
Meals
Safety & Security
Smoking
Medication
Patient Representatives
Pastoral Care
Discharge Information – Your Ride Home
Volunteers
CaringBridge
Outpatient Pharmacy


Pre-operative Appointment Information

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. You may eat, drink and take your medications as usual on the day of your pre-op visit.

Parking on the day of your pre-operative appointment  

Garage parking is available for a flat $3 rate that is due upon exiting the garage (first hour is free). Valet parking is available for $5 at the Main Entrance. Free off-site parking is also available. For information about off-site parking, contact the parking garage office at 813-844-2277. Please report to Admissions/Registration in the Main Lobby, First Floor, West Pavilion to be registered for your appointment.

About your pre-operative appointment

After completing paperwork in Admissions/Registration, you will be called to the Pre-Op Center where a nurse will review surgery instructions and other information with you.  A member of the anesthesia team will examine you and answer any questions you may have about the anesthesia you will receive during surgery. If ordered by your surgeon or anesthesiologist, you may have lab work, an EKG or x-rays performed during this visit.

This appointment will take a minimum of two hours so please bring something to occupy your time. The length of your appointment will depend on what tests your physician has ordered and what is required for your procedure. For your comfort, please bring a sweater or jacket, as it is sometimes cool in the Pre-Op Center.

Please bring the following to your pre-op appointment:

·        insurance card, photo ID, or military ID if applicable
·        any laboratory test results, x-rays or EKG’s
·        a current list of your medications and dosages, including over-the-counter medications and vitamins

If you have any questions regarding your pre-operative visit, call (813) 844-7869 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

On the day of your procedure/surgery

If you are having a procedure in the GI lab or any operating room, OTHER than the Outpatient Surgery Center, proceed to Admissions/Registration in the Main Lobby, West Pavilion

Outpatient Surgery Center: On the day of your procedure/surgery

Enter the East Pavilion entrance of the hospital.  Staff at the Information Desk will direct you to the 3rd floor Outpatient Surgery Center.


What will I be asked to sign?

You may be required to sign the following:

  • consent for treatment
  • authorization to bill insurance

If you are a Medicare recipient, you will be required to sign:

  • Medicare secondary questionnaire
  • Medicare rights statement


Consent Forms

The admitting representative will also ask you to sign a consent form, which is an agreement to allow our staff to treat you. A parent or guardian must sign for a minor. Additional forms may be required for special procedures during your stay. Your physician will discuss these with you.


Privacy Information

Upon admission, you will receive a copy of the hospital's Notice of Privacy Practice, which identifies your rights to privacy and the ways in which the hospital works to protect your privacy. If you object to having your name in the hospital's patient directory, or if you would like to limit or restrict communications with persons involved in your care or payment of services, it is your responsibility to inform hospital personnel of that decision. You may make or rescind this decision at any time during your hospital stay.

Click Here for Privacy of Information About Your Health in Acrobat format


Request a Copy of Your Medical Record

To obtain a copy of your medical record, please print and complete the attached request form. The completed request form should be mailed to the address on the form. In most cases there is a charge for copies of your medical record. State law allows us to charge $1.00 per page. There is no charge if records are faxed or mailed directly to a verified physician's office. The average turnaround time for a request is five (5) business days. If you have questions about the disclosure of health information, please contact the Health Information Management Department, Release of Information section at (813) 844-7533.

Authorization to Disclose Health Information form and frequently asked questions.
English
Spanish


Advance Directives

An advance directive is a written or oral statement about how you want your medical decisions made should you not be able to make them yourself. It is the policy of this hospital, in accordance with state and federal law, to recognize your right to make your treatment wishes known in advance.

This can be done in two ways:

  • A living will
  • A Healthcare Surrogate Designation


Your Role in Healthcare Safety

Everyone has a role in healthcare safety. You, as the patient, can also play a vital role in making your care safe by becoming an active, involved and informed member of your healthcare team.

To help prevent healthcare errors, patients are urged to "SPEAKUP."

  • SPEAK UP if you have questions or concerns, and if you don't understand, ask again. It's your body and you have a right to know
  • Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you're getting the right treatments and medications by the right healthcare professionals. Don't assume anything.
  • Educate yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing and your treatment plan.
  • Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
  • Know what medications you take and why you take them. Medication errors are the most common healthcare mistakes.
  • Use a hospital, clinic, surgery center or other type of healthcare organization that has undergone a rigorous on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as that provided by The Joint Commission.
  • Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the healthcare team.
For more information about patient rights, responsibilities and choices and healthcare surrogate and living will forms, click here.


Financial Assistance (Charity and Discounted Care) Programs

We participate in all government-sponsored programs that are available to help Florida residents.

Tampa General Hospital provides necessary medical care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay for services. Patients, who are admitted and are uninsured or underinsured, may qualify for financial assistance and/or discounted care. Uninsured patients who are seeking non-emergent care are given these guidelines and an estimate of charges upon inquiry, prior to admission. (FS 395.301 7.8)

Qualifying for assistance is based upon the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Our Financial Counseling staff is available to assist patients throughout the qualifying process. Charity eligibility will be considered for six months from the date of eligibility.

The following guidelines are used to determine the amount of financial assistance a patient receives. A patient’s assets and medical expenses are taken into consideration when determining the level of assistance. Patients will be asked to provide information to the TGH financial counselors in order to determine eligibility for charity or discounted care.

Charity: You will not be billed if your income is between 0 and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
Charity Catastrophic: You will not be billed if your income is under 400% FPL and your hospital charges are greater than 25% of your annual income.
Uninsured Discount Tier 1: Your hospital bill will be discounted by 70% if your annual income is between 200 and 300% of the FPL.
Uninsured Discount Tier 2: Your hospital bill will be discounted by 60% if your income is between 300 and 400% of the FPL.
Insured/Recently Uninsured: If your income is greater than 400% of the FPL and you are recently uninsured you may qualify for a discount equivalent to that of your most recent insurance
carrier.
Prompt Payment: If your income is greater than 400% of the FPL, you may qualify for a prompt pay discount. The discounts granted under this provision may vary according to the amount owed and the financial circumstances of the patient and family.

Providing false information to defraud a hospital for the purpose of obtaining goods or services is a misdemeanor in the second degree and punishable under Florida Statute 817.50.


TGH Managed Care Relationships

Listing of managed care providers that have a relationship with Tampa General Hospital (Click Here)


If You Have Billing Questions

For account inquiries, please contact our patient accounts department, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at (813) 844-7291.

For your convenience, you may pay your hospital bill online Click here to pay bill.

Fees for the professional services of your attending physician, surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist or pathologist are not included in your hospital bill. Your will be billed separately for their services.

It is your responsibility to make sure that the requirements of your plan have been met. If your plan's requirements are not followed, you may be financially responsible for all or part of the services rendered.

Your health coverage is a contract between you and your insurance company. While we will assist in expediting your claims, you are ultimately responsible for payment of your account.


Mailing Address & Physical Address

Any mail received for patients after they are discharged is forwarded to their home address.

Send regular mail to:
Tampa General Hospital
P.O. Box 1289
Tampa, FL 33601-1289

Send overnight deliveries to:
Tampa General Hospital
1 Tampa General Circle
Tampa, FL 33606


Telephone

For your convenience each patient room has a telephone. We do not charge for local calls within area code 813 or calls to area code 727 (Pinellas County). For both area codes, dial '29' and then the number.

Long distance calls cannot be charged to the room. These calls must be billed to a calling card, a prepaid calling card, a third party or placed 'collect' to the called party. Prepaid calling cards are available for purchase in the hospital Gift Shop in the Main Lobby.

Patient rooms in most areas can be dialed directly. The phone number to dial your room directly is posted on the wall in your room.

To allow our patients to rest, incoming calls are not connected to patient rooms between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Outgoing calls can be placed at any time.

Public payphones are located at the East Pavilion entrance by McDonald's, near the West Pavilion elevators, and in various other locations throughout the hospital.

Cell phone use is prohibited in certain areas of the hospital as posted.

Amplified handsets and portable TDDs are available. Ask your nurse for assistance.


Patient Education On-Demand Video

Free educational videos are available for you to watch while you are in the hospital. A list of topics and instructions to access the system is found on Channel 67 of your television.


Meals

Your food is prepared according to the diet ordered by your physician. Based on the prescribed diet, a member of the dietary staff should visit you several times each day to assist you in making your meal selections and to deliver your meals. If the daily menu selections do not meet your food preferences, an alternative menu option will be presented to you by the dietary staff. At your request, a registered dietitian is available to assist you with your dietary needs.


Safety & Security

Your safety is our first concern. Our Safety & Security department provides protection through their safety programs and around-the-clock security patrols. Please report any safety concerns to the Security Operations Center at ext. 7363.


Smoking

Tampa General Hospital is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is permitted outside the hospital in designated areas only. Please do not smoke near entrances.


Medication

Please give your nurse a list of any medications you are taking. Your physician will order all necessary medication during your stay. For your safety, please send all other medications, including vitamins and herbal supplements, home or notify your nurse.


Patient Representatives

Our patient representatives can help you while you are in the hospital.
They can be reached at ext. 7249. Services they provide include:

  • Comfort and personal support services
  • Assistance with hotel accommodations
  • Hospital and community resources
  • Notary services for hospital related services
  • Answering your questions related to hospital rules and regulations
  • Patient advocacy


Pastoral Care

The chapel is located on the first floor near the West Pavilion elevators and is always open for prayer and meditation. A hospital chaplain is available for visitation or counseling 24 hours a day. During business hours the pastoral care office can be reached at ext. 7063. After hours or weekends, the on-call chaplain may be reached through the hospital operator (dial "O").


Discharge Information – Your Ride Home

When patients are discharged there are a few different locations on campus where they can be picked up. Patients are brought to the first floor in a wheelchair, usually by Patient Transport staff. It is best to determine with the nursing and transport staff which location the patient may be picked up from. The pick-up location often depends on whether or not the driver will be with the patient at the hospital at the time of discharge, the location of the patient’s room, and whether the patient has to wait for their ride after they are discharged. Locations include: Main entrance (West Pavilion), East Pavilion entrance or the Discharge Lounge at the rear of the campus.


Volunteers

Members of the volunteer department and the Tampa General Hospital Auxiliary, Inc., give generously of their time and talents to help maintain our high standard of customer service. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. The volunteer office can be reached at ext. 4303 or ext. 7361.


CaringBridge

CaringBridge is a free service offered to patients of Tampa General Hospital. This service allows you to create private personalized websites to keep family and friends informed about your hospitalization. This website is maintained by the patient or their family. To safeguard patients' privacy, TGH staff cannot set-up or maintain CaringBridge websites for patients. Ask your nurse for more details about the service or click here


Outpatient Pharmacy

The Outpatient Pharmacy is located on the first floor of the Harbourside Medical Tower. It is a convenient location to fill your prescriptions at the time of discharge and is open Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., with the exception of holidays. Please call ext. 7688 to find out if the TGH Outpatient Pharmacy is a provider for your prescription insurance.