Special Services

Advance Directives
The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1991 requires health care providers to inform you of your rights as recognized under Missouri law to make decisions concerning your medical care. This includes your right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment and your right to write an advance directive.

Advance directives are written instructions about how you want medical decisions made if you can no longer communicate your wishes. The two most common types of advance directives are a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and a Health Care Directive. A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows you to appoint someone to make health care decisions for you, if you are unable to do so. These decisions may include, but are not limited to, decisions to withhold or withdraw life-prolonging procedures. A Health Care Directive is similar to a Living Will. It allows you to state, in advance, your wishes regarding the use of life-prolonging procedures.

During the inpatient admission process you will be asked if you have an advance directive. If you have one, it is your responsibility to provide St. John's Mercy with a copy so it can be placed in your medical chart. Please discuss your advance directive with your physician to ensure she/he has no ethical concerns about carrying out your instructions.

If you do not have an advance directive, but would like more information or would like assistance completing one, please tell your nurse. She/he will contact someone from our Pastoral Services department to assist you. While here, you also may view information about advance directives on Channel 8, our Spirituality Channel. After leaving St. John's Mercy, you are welcome to call Pastoral Services at 314-251-6470 to ask that an Advance Directive Packet be mailed to you.

It is the policy of St. John's Mercy Medical Center to honor your advance directive within the limits of the law and the guidelines of the current Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services authored and promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

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Ethics Consultation
If you or your family has questions about a medical ethical issue, we have an ethicist on staff and an Ethics Committee at St. John's Mercy. Call extension 14640 or 314-251-4640 from outside the Medical Center for an ethics consultation.

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Mercy Ambassadors
You may receive a brief visit from a Mercy Ambassador within 24 hours after you are admitted. This volunteer can answer your questions, help with problems and offer assistance.

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Patient Relations
While we strive to provide quality health care and services to our patients, we understand that you may have concerns related to your hospitalization. A representative from our Patient Relations office is available to help facilitate resolution of a patient complaint or concern. Should you have a situation with which you would like assistance, do not hesitate to contact Patient Relations at extension 16484 or Administration at extension 11900.

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Protective Services
St. John's Mercy supports a patient's and a family's right to access protective services, which may include Division of Family Services, Child Protective Services, Division of Aging, Adult Protective Services, order of protection, guardianship, conservatorship, the long-term care ombudsman, and consumer advocacy programs related to health care and health care reimbursement. For more information about protective services and/or contacting any of those agencies, please call the Care Coordination department at extension 16094.

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Mail
Mail will be delivered to your room every morning. Letters and packages that arrive after you go home will be forwarded to you. Stamps and stationery are available in the Gift Shop. Give your outgoing mail to your nurse or to a volunteer for mailing.

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Gift Shop/Flowers
The St. John's Mercy Auxiliary operates the Mercy Gift Shop, located in the main lobby on the first floor of the Medical Center. The shop offers gift items, jewelry, newspapers, magazines, paperback books, greeting cards, candy, toiletries, flowers and plants. Flowers are delivered by volunteers or by the florist. Flowers and plants are not permitted in the Intensive Care Units or the Burn Center. To order flowers and other items, please call the Gift Shop at extension 16293.
The Gift Shop is open at the following times:

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Newspapers
You may buy newspapers in the Mercy Gift Shop or have a newspaper delivered to your room by calling the Volunteer Office at extension 16180.

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Interpreters
The hospital provides interpreters free of charge to its patients for the exchange of medical information.  To request an interpreter, please ask for assistance.

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For the Hearing Impaired
An interpreter, assistive listening devices, telecommunications devices (TDD) and closed caption televisions are available for the hearing impaired at no cost. Ask your nurse for assistance.

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Blood Donor Program
The Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in the metropolitan area to sponsor its own full-service blood bank. If you, your family or friends are interested in donating blood or scheduling a blood drive at your school, place of business or church, call extension 14483, or 314-251-4483 from outside the Medical Center.

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Pastoral Services
We believe that patient care demands attention to the spiritual as well as physical and emotional needs of each patient. Members of the Pastoral Services staff are at the Medical Center 24 hours a day, and are available to assist you, whatever your religious affiliation. Priests, ministers, rabbis, religious and lay men and women who have specialized training for health care ministry are available. Your priest, minister or rabbi is always welcome to visit during your stay. For information, call extension 16470.

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Chapel
Believers of all faiths are welcome to visit the Chapel, located on the Lobby level down the hall from the main (blue) elevators. In addition to providing a quiet place for prayer and meditation, Catholic Mass is offered in the Chapel at the following times:

These Masses are televised to patient rooms on Channel 8, our Spirituality Channel. Channel 8 features spirituality programming 24 hours a day, including Protestant worship services. Please ask your chaplain for a schedule of programs. In addition, morning and evening prayer are offered over the hospital's public address system daily.

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Volunteers
Volunteers and members of the St. John's Mercy Auxiliary contribute many hours of service and financial support to the Medical Center. They can be identified by the badges they wear. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or auxilian, call extension 16180.

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Hospital Personnel
A variety of health care professionals and Medical Center personnel participate in your care, comfort and safety. Nurses may be identified by their scrubs. They wear navy blue pants and white tops. Other personnel include laboratory technologists, radiologic technologists, physical or occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, accountants, engineers and many others.

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© 2009 St. John's Mercy Health Care
615 S. New Ballas Rd., St. Louis, Missouri, 63141