For your health and safety, some laboratory tests or medical clearance may be required prior to your procedure. Your surgeon or Piedmont Surgery Center may arrange for these test to be done prior to the date of your surgery.

Within a week of your scheduled procedure, a nurse from Piedmont Surgery Center will call to ask you questions regarding your past and current medical conditions, allergies and medications you are taking. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have, and be sure to let them know of any special needs.

Your preoperative assessment nurse will instruct you on eating/drinking guidelines prior to your surgery. They will also instruct you on which medications, if any, to be taken before your surgery. If you do not follow the guidelines given by the assessment nurse, your surgery may be cancelled and rescheduled for another day.

If you take medication for any conditions, ask the Piedmont Surgery Center nurse whether or not to take it the day of your surgery.

For women, if there is a possibility that you are pregnant, please notify your doctor and/or the Piedmont Surgery Center nurse.

Please refrain from using any form of tobacco for at least 24 hours prior to your surgery.

Someone from the business office will call you after 10AM the day before your surgery with your arrival time. Times will not be given out prior to the day before your surgery due to schedule changes that occur right up to the day before surgery. If you would like to request a specific time, please call and let the scheduler or business office manager know prior to 10am the day before your surgery. We cannot guarantee the requested time is available, but every effort will be made to accommodate your request.

Leave all valuables at home, including watches, rings, jewelry and wallets.

Please notify your surgeon of any change in your health, such as a cold, fever or sore throat.

For your safety, a responsible adult MUST be available to drive you home after your procedure. Your ride is required to wait at the facility for you until you are discharged.

Children, age 17 years and younger or incapacitated adults must be accompanied by a person with legal guardianship.

You will receive a call from the Piedmont Surgery Center business office staff regarding your financial responsibilities. Payment is expected at time of service.

Arrive promptly at the time instructed. This will allow adequate time for all necessary admission procedures.

Please bring your insurance identification cards and photo ID. If special financial arrangements are necessary, please call Piedmont Surgery Center prior to the day of surgery.

Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing. Leave all jewelry and valuables at home.

Children may bring a favorite toy or blanket

Items to bring with you include, but are not limited to: a list of your current medications, prior obtained prescription for pain medication, containers for eye wear, medical equipment you may use or have received prior to your surgery, any important records such as living will or patient advocate forms and any comfort devices such as a pillow for the ride home. If you received a bag from your surgeon, please bring that bag and it's contents with you to the surgery center.

Upon arrival, you may change into a hospital gown and slippers, which we provide. You will be asked to remove contact lenses, dentures, jewelry and any prosthesis.

Your care throughout your stay will be closely monitored by our staff for your safety and comfort.

When you are fully awake, members of your family will be able to join you.

You will be closely monitored by staff professionals until you are discharged home. You will remain in recovery until your physician or anesthesiologist feels you are able to be discharged. Each individual is different, however you may expect to be in the recovery area anywhere from 15 minutes-4 hours. This will depend on the individual and the procedure you have performed.

Our staff will answer your questions and give you post-operative instructions as ordered by your physician. You will receive a written copy of these instructions prior to discharge.

Your surgeon will provide specific instructions for care while recovering at home. In the event of difficulty, please call your surgeon.

For the first 24 hours following surgery, do not engage in strenuous activities, do not drink any alcoholic beverages, drive, or make any critical decisions.

A nurse from Piedmont Surgery Center will call you within a day or two to evaluate how you are recovering at home.

Provide accurate and complete information about your present health status and past medical history and reporting any unexpected changes to the appropriate practitioner.

Follow the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner involved in your care.

Provide an adult to transport you to the surgery center and home after surgery and stay with you as needed.

Indicate that you clearly understand what is expected of you after your surgery/procedure.

You are responsible for your own actions should you refuse treatment, leave the Facility against medical advice, or choose to purposefully not follow the instructions of your practitioner.

Please provide information and/or copies of an Advance Directive such as Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney, if applicable.

Ask your health professional what to expect for pain management; discuss pain relief options; discuss openly any concerns or fears regarding pain management medications.

PURPOSE:

To provide the health care team members information to assist them in working with patients who have Advance Directives such as a living will, healthcare surrogate or proxy appointment, or durable power of attorney.

POLICY:

In an ambulatory care setting, where we expect to provide less invasive care to patients who are not acutely ill, admission to the center indicates the patient will tolerate the procedure in the ambulatory setting without difficulty. Per regulation, the physician must determine that the ASC setting is appropriate for the patient based upon the type of surgery planned, the type of anesthesia, and the patient’s medical condition. Resuscitation due to a deterioration of the patient’s medical condition is not expected. Therefore, if a patient should suffer cardiac or respiratory arrest or any life-threatening condition, there will always be an attempt to resuscitate and the patient will be transferred to a more acute level of care, that is, a hospital.

Advance directives include written or verbal directions a patient gives in advance to state choices for health care or name someone to make those choices for the patient if the patient is unable to make decisions for himself/herself. A living will states what kinds of medical treatments would be acceptable at the end of life.

If a patient, who is to receive a procedure at the facility, presents the staff with a living will, the patient must be advised that the policy is to always attempt to resuscitate and to transfer any patient requiring resuscitation or emergency care to the hospital. The hospital can then determine when to implement the living will.

A patient or designated agent or surrogate must be informed of the right to make informed decisions regarding the patient’s care. A patient may have a person designated as an agent, proxy, or health care surrogate or may have granted a person a durable power of attorney for health care. This enables the person to perform as a decision maker in the event the patient cannot speak for himself/herself. The scope of the decisions this other person may make for the patient may be defined in a document. The Center will record whether such a document has been presented to the Center. The document will be placed in the medical record along with a living will, if one was also presented to the Center for inclusion in the Center’s records. When a patient has designated someone to speak in his/her behalf when the patient cannot speak for himself/herself, that person should be contacted to advise of any pending transfer to a higher level of care. That person may express a choice of the hospital to contact for a transfer. If possible, considering the physician’s privileges and close proximity of the facilities, the health care surrogate’s choice should be honored. The designated person may also receive information from the physician and be asked to make decisions should the patient be unable to participate in the decision. This means that some advance directives, such as the appointment of an agent, proxy, or health care surrogate by the patient and the center’s discussion with that agent, proxy, or health care surrogate, are honored by the surgery center.

It is required by regulation that the provider or facility notifies a patient in writing of its policy about honoring advance directives. The patient has a right to select another provider or facility.

Patients who disagree with this policy must address the issue with the attending physician prior to signing the form acknowledging an understanding of the policy regarding advance directives and living wills.

Patients must be informed of the policy prior to the procedure and prior to anesthesia of any kind so that the patient will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns with the attending physician and/or make arrangements for a change in location for the procedure. The facility may decide to discuss during the pre-admission phone call whether the patient has a living will or other type of advance directive and to advise of the center’s policy.

The patient must also receive information about where he/she can learn information about a advance directives if the patient desires to consider preparing or revising one. The Center must provide information about advance directives should the patient request this information. Information must include a description of applicable state laws. The information may include a state provided resource directory for advance directives such as a state agency, library, or state web site or sample forms provided by state agencies.

It is not required that a patient have a living will or advance directives. It is required that the Center inform the patient of the right to have an advance directive, the right to have the advance directive placed in the patient’s medical record, the policy of the Center to resuscitate and transfer when indicated, and the right to discuss these policies with the provider of services.

A copy of the state regulation permitting the discussion with the physician and decisions about the place for services will be reviewed by the governing body and attached to the minutes for that meeting.

There must be documentation in a prominent part of the patient’s current medical record whether or not the individual has an advance directive.

The staff shall have annual education on Advance Directive policies and of any changes as they may occur.

Piedmont Surgery Center’s fees cover the use of the facility only, and do not include laboratory, pathology, surgeon or anesthesiologist fee. You will be billed separately for these services.

As a courtesy, we will bill your primary and secondary insurance carriers or governmental agency directly for Piedmont Surgery Center's charges. Be sure to bring your most current insurance, Medicare, or public assistance card with you on the day of your surgery. If you have more than one insurance carrier, we will also need accurate secondary billing information.

Please be aware of any admission policies your insurance plan may have. You or your physicians may have to adhere to certain requirements in order to insure maximum reimbursement. Failure to obtain pre-authorization, physician referral, or a second opinion may greatly reduce or eliminate your benefits.

Be prepared to bring any co-pay or co-insurance amounts on the day of your surgery. Payment is expected at time of service. Patients who do not have insurance coverage will also be required to pay their charges in advance. Also, please make sure you bring a photo ID. We will need to see this as part of your insurance validation.

We realize, however, that at times you may require special financial arrangements. In these instances, please phone our office prior to your surgery to discuss alternative methods of payment. Piedmont Surgery Center accepts cash, cashier's checks, credit cards, and personal checks with a valid I.D.  You may also qualify for Care Credit. If you are interested in Care Credit, please call our office or visit their website at https://www.carecredit.com/apply/confirm.html?encm=VjdSa1AyVTBSbgxoUmYOZ1ZsA2EHYwU2AmcAMFM-AzA

Please feel free to contact our business office at any time if you have questions or concerns regarding the facility charges, the financial policy, or billing procedures. Call 864-272-3409 for more information.

We strive to maintain a professional and compliant atmosphere. However, issues can arise. The Grievance procedure is a means for patients and related parties to inquire into issues raised and identify whether action needs to be taken to resolve identified issues and prevent recurrence. 

The Facility Administrator will record the grievance complaint and conduct a prompt investigation for quick resolution. Any patient and/or support person, visitor, employee, physician, or vendor may lodge a grievance using the Center’s procedure to formally voice complaints, resolve disputes, or to bring attention to possible violations of patient rights.

No person shall be punished or retaliated against for using the Grievance Procedure. Any grievances, comments and complaints are addressed to the Center Administrator. Complete details and a copy of the Center’s Grievance Policy as well as a Grievance form may be obtained by contacting the Center Administrator, Jamie Judge at 864-272-3409 or jjudge@piedmontsurgerycenter.com.

Additional information can be obtained from or to file a complaint with the State of South Carolina contact: SC Department of Health and Environmental Control: Division of Health Licensing 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201-1708 (803) 545-4370 www.dhec.sc.gov  or www.medicare.gov  1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

You can also visit the Office of the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman at www.cms.hhs.gov/center/ombudsman.asp for further information. Any violation of the Omnibus Final Rule should be reported to Jamie Judge at 864-272-3409 or jjudge@piedmontsurgerycenter.com

• Receive information about rights, patient conduct and responsibilities in a language and manner the patient, patient representative or surrogate can understand.
• Be treated with respect, consideration and dignity.
• Be provided appropriate personal privacy.
• Have disclosures and records treated confidentially and be given the opportunity to approve or refuse record release except when release is required by law.
• Be given the opportunity to participate in decisions involving their health care, except when such participation is contraindicated for medical reasons.
• Receive care in a safe setting.
• Be free from all forms of abuse, neglect or harassment.
• Exercise his or her rights without being subject to discrimination or reprisal with impartial access to medical treatment or accommodations, regardless of race, national origin, religion, physical disability, or source of payment.
• Voice complaints and grievances, without reprisal.
• Be provided, to the degree known, complete information concerning diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and know who is providing services and who is responsible for the care. When the patient’s medical condition makes it inadvisable or impossible, the information is provided to a person designated by the patient or to a legally authorized person.
• Exercise of rights and respect for property and persons, including the right to
• Voice grievances regarding treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished.
• Be fully informed about a treatment or procedure and the expected outcome before it is performed.
• Have a person appointed under State law to act on the patient’s behalf if the patient is adjudged incompetent under applicable State health and safety laws by a court of proper jurisdiction. If a State court has not adjudged a patient incompetent, any legal representative designated by the patient in accordance with State law may exercise the patient’s rights to the extent allowed by State law.
• Refuse treatment to extent permitted by law and be informed of medical consequences of this action.
• Know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give his consent or refusal to participate in such experimental research.
• Have the right to change providers if other providers are available.
• A prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests.
• Know what patient support services are available, including whether an interpreter is available if he or she does not speak English.
• Receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care and know, upon request and prior to treatment, whether the facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate.
• Receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable, itemized bill and, upon request, to have charges explained.
• Formulate advance directives and to appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on his/her behalf to the extent permitted by law and provide a copy to the facility for placement in his/her medical record.
• Know the facility policy on advance directives.
• Be informed of the names of physicians who have ownership in the facility.
• Have properly credentialed and qualified healthcare professionals providing patient care.

• Providing a responsible adult to transport him/her home from the facility and remain with him/her for 24 hours, unless specifically exempted from this responsibility by his/her provider.
• Providing to the best of his or her knowledge, accurate and complete information about his/her health, present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, any medications, including over-the-counter products and dietary supplements, any allergies or sensitivities, and other matters relating to his or her health.
• Accept personal financial responsibility for any charges not covered by his/her insurance.
• Following the treatment plan recommended by his health care provider.
• Be respectful of all the health providers and staff, as well as other patients.
• Providing a copy of information that you desire us to know about a durable power of attorney, health care surrogate, or other advance directive.
• His/her actions if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the health care provider’s instructions.
• Reporting unexpected changes in his or her condition to the health care provider.
• Reporting to his health care provider whether he or she comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him or her.
• Keeping appointments.

Thank you for choosing Piedmont Surgery Center to provide your outpatient surgical care. Please note that your physician/surgeon is an owner in both his/her practice and Piedmont Surgery Center. As a patient, you have the choice of a number of outpatient care facilities in our community. We are pleased that you have chosen Piedmont Surgery Center and with that in mind; our goal is to provide the highest level of outpatient care in our community.