Your Belongings and Valuables
If you have valuables with you, such as credit cards or jewelry, please give them to your family or friends for safekeeping. If this is not possible, call Patient Services at 215-955-7777 or speak with your nurse for help in securing your valuables. Please keep no more than a small amount of money in your room to pay for newspapers and other personal conveniences. Like all hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals cannot be responsible for valuables unless they are placed in our safe or given to us for safekeeping.
Personal Items
If you wear dentures, a hearing aid, eyeglasses or contact lenses, please keep them in a storage case labeled with your name. If you need a denture cup, please ask your nurse for one. To prevent damage or loss, do not wrap dentures in tissue and do not put them on your food tray or in your bed. Dentures and glasses must be removed prior to surgery. Jefferson cannot be responsible for personal items not properly labeled or stored.
Lost Items
If you think you may have lost any of your personal belongings, please call Patient Services at 215-955-7777 for assistance.
Medications from Home
If you brought any medications with you to the Hospital – even over-the-counter medications, herbs or vitamins – please give them to loved ones or your nurse for safekeeping. It is imperative that you do not take any medications, except those your nurse gives you. If you have any questions about your medicine, please ask your physician or nurse.
If your physician gives you a prescription for medication, the pharmacists in the Jefferson Apothecary in the 11th Street lobby of the Gibbon Building can fill the initial prescription and make arrangements for you to get refills as needed, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals or your local pharmacy. You can arrange this by calling the Apothecary in advance, at 215-955-8845.
Medical Equipment
If you brought your own wheelchair or ambulatory or assistive aids, please label them with your name. Also, for your safety, please do not use other personal medical equipment unless your physician has agreed to its use and the equipment has been inspected for safety.
Personal Electrical Appliances
For your safety, please do not use any electrical appliances other than personal grooming devices. These devices may be used in general patient care rooms (but not in intensive care areas) as long as they do not present a safety hazard (such as a frayed cord), and the nurse manager or attending physician agrees that you may use them. The Hospital is not responsible for those items or for portable CD players, radios, computers or hand-held computer games.