Mount Nittany Medical Center
Open 24 hours
As a patient at Mount Nittany Medical Center, you may have some questions about what your experience here will be like.
In this section, we hope to address most of them and provide some helpful resources to help you plan ahead. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call the Medical Center at 814.231.7000.
FAQs
Mount Nittany Medical Center is filled with physicians, nurses, support staff and volunteers who are happy to answer questions, give directions or lend a helping hand.
We've tried to collect some of the questions that we get most frequently to ensure that our patients and visitors have as much information as possible before coming to the Medical Center.
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Do you provide translation services?
Communicating clearly with patients is critical to ensuring the best medical care, which is why Mount Nittany Medical Center provides certified interpreters for patients who indicate that English is not their preferred language for communicating about their treatment.
Translation services through third-party vendors — available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — include online video interpretation for American Sign Language and phone interpretation for speakers of languages other than English.
Additionally, some of our key patient documents are available in Russian, Chinese and Spanish, and we can arrange to have other documents translated as needed for our patients. For more information about translation services, contact Kathy Dittman at 814.234.6780. -
What happens when it’s time for me to be discharged?
When it is time for you to be discharged, your physician will meet with you and finalize your discharge instructions. Your nurse will review the instructions with you and help you with any necessary accommodations, such as prescriptions or connections to an assisted living facility. When your family arrives to pick you up, a nurse will take you by wheelchair to the main entrance to get in your car.
For additional help planning for care after discharge, contact our case management department.
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Can a visitor stay with me overnight? What hotels are close by?
There are sleepover options available for parents of children staying overnight at the Medical Center.
There are several nearby hotels, many of which offer discounts to family and friends of Mount Nittany Medical Center patients.
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Are children allowed to visit?Children may visit every floor except the intensive care unit unless special arrangements are made with the nurse.
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Is there an extra charge for television in my room?
No. Television is provided as an added comfort for you while you are with us.
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Will I have internet access in my room?Yes. The Medical Center offers wireless internet throughout the facility at no charge to you. In addition, the television in your room is equipped with internet capabilities.
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Can I get a private room?Nearly all of Mount Nittany Medical Center's inpatient rooms are now private.
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Can I bring my own clothes?For some stays, you may wear your own clothes, and for some stays, we may ask that you wear a hospital gown.
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Can family escort me to the operating room? Where should they go to wait?
While family and friends cannot be in the operating room during your procedure (except in cases such as a cesarean birth), they can accompany you in the pre- and postoperative areas.
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Is there an ATM in the building?Yes. An ATM is located near the temporary main entrance.
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What kind of food services does the Medical Center provide for patients?
Inpatient meals are dietitian-approved and chef-prepared. Our patients consistently rank the quality of both our meals and service as superior.
Read about Mount Nittany Medical Center's culinary services.
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Can my family and friends make decisions when I am unable to?Yes, but to prepare for this situation, please consider completing an advance directive now while you are able to communicate your wishes. While this form is not mandatory for Medical Center patients to complete, it is most useful to have your preferences clearly expressed in writing.
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What will my insurance cover? Who pays for added expenses?Your insurance carrier may be contacted prior to your stay to determine covered expenses. Added expenses will be paid by you.
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Can clergy members visit me?Yes. Additionally, the Medical Center's pastoral care department is available. These volunteers, led by Reverend Dr. Margaret "Peggy" Lindsey, seek to supplement and enhance, not replace, the services provided by a patient's own clergy.
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When I check in, what personal belongings should I bring?
There are several items you should make sure to bring with you for your stay (such as a list of your medications and allergies) as well as items you should leave at home (such as your medications and any valuables).
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Am I allowed to use my cell phone in my room?Yes.
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How can my family reach me in the hospital?Family members may call 814.231.7000, then dial the extension of your room.
Advance directives
There may be a time in your life when you cannot make your own healthcare choices. An advance healthcare directive helps you plan for your care in these situations.
We encourage all our patients to consider filling out this paperwork so that their healthcare wishes are clearly recorded. This information will help loved ones understand what should be done when it comes to difficult healthcare situations.
Advance healthcare directives
This advance healthcare directives guide gives general information about advance healthcare directives. It does not replace medical or legal advice from a professional. You should talk with your doctor about your advance healthcare directive. Consult an attorney if you want legal advice.
Decide for Yourself: A Guide to Advance Health Care Directives.
Living will and healthcare power of attorney
If you'd like to officially grant a friend or relative healthcare power of attorney, this document gives you the ability to do so. It also allows you to record decisions about what procedures you would and would not like to have performed, should you not be able to articulate these wishes at a later date.
Please note that this document need not be notarized to comply with Pennsylvania law, but other states may require the signature of a notary for it to be honored.
Meals
Mount Nittany Medical Center inpatients enjoy dietitian-approved and chef-prepared meal choices customized to their health needs.
Each patient receives a menu with options that reflect his or her dietary needs, whether that's gluten free, vegetarian, low sodium, low sugar or any other specific dietary plan.
Since the average inpatient stay is about three days, most patients will see a different meal every day; meal choices are offered on a rotating seven-day schedule. With consistently near-perfect patient feedback on the quality of our food and service, we're defying stereotypes about hospital food with gourmet meals and thoughtful presentation.
Each inpatient meal is served on a distinctive display tray, complete with china and stainless steel pitchers. From providing a full pitcher of coffee or hot water for tea instead of just one small cup to printing a full inventory of condiments on menus so you get exactly what you want, we delve into the details of superior food service.
Additionally, in our ob-gyn department, we've debuted our Signature House menu. You can download sample breakfast and lunch menus below.
Outpatient observation
Outpatient observation allows your doctor to assess your condition and decide if you need to be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient or if you can be safely discharged. This decision is based on clinical guidelines about your illness and the services needed for your care. The services you receive while in outpatient observation are outpatient, and are not considered a hospitalization or an inpatient admission into the hospital.
Medicare and other insurance companies consider observation an outpatient service. Your insurance company will be billed for all the outpatient services you receive. You and your secondary insurance will be responsible for your outpatient deductible and coinsurance. As of January 16, all patients are asked to read and sign the outpatient observation form. Please read the form to learn about outpatient observation. More information can be found at medicare.gov/publications, or you may contact your insurance company. A pamphlet entitled "Your Medicare Rights and Protections" is also available upon request.
Planning for your stay
Not all visits to the hospital can be planned for in advance, but if you know that you are going to be admitted to Mount Nittany Medical Center on a specific date for a planned procedure, there are certain steps you can take to prepare both yourself and your loved ones.
Following these instructions will help ensure that you have a positive experience during your stay at the Medical Center.
Preoperative instructions
Depending on the procedure you will be undergoing at the Medical Center, your physician may have provided you with a set of preoperative instructions. Be sure to read them and do exactly as they say. The information included in these instructions is there for your safety.
What to bring
We do our best to make you feel at home, but a hospital is not the place for some things. As such, there are a number of items you should leave at home when coming to the Medical Center for an inpatient stay.
Do not bring large amounts of cash or other valuables. You should also leave any medications that you are currently taking at home — Mount Nittany Medical Center's pharmacy and your primary physician will ensure that you get the medication you need. Instead of bringing the actual medication, bring a list of all medications that you take regularly.
You should also bring photo identification, your insurance information and a list of any other pertinent medical information, like allergies.
Registration and check-in
On the day of your scheduled procedure, enter the Medical Center through the front entrance and give your name to the attendant at the information desk. He or she will help you get to the proper place and start the admittance process.
Friends and family
We've collected a number of helpful resources and information specifically for family and friends of our inpatients in our visitors section.
How many visitors you may have and when they are allowed to visit depends on where in the hospital you will be staying. If your loved ones have questions about your room assignment or any other aspect of the Medical Center's visitation policy, they may call 814.231.7000.
Request of records
If a patient wishes to have a copy of his or her medical records, the medical records office is able to process this request the following ways:
By phone at 814.234.6167
By email at medicalrecords@mountnittany.org
The average turnaround time is 2–3 business days but may be up to seven business days due to higher request volumes.
The release form can be emailed to medicalrecords@mountnittany.org, faxed to 814.231.7098 or sent via U.S. mail to the following address:
Health Information Management
Mount Nittany Medical Center
1800 E. Park Avenue
State College, PA 16801
Birth certificates
If you were born at Centre County Hospital, Centre Community Hospital or Mount Nittany Medical Center and would like to obtain a copy of your birth certificate, please contact:
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Division of Vital Statistics
101 S. Mercer Street
New Castle, PA 16103
724.656.3100
