Coming to the Hospital

Your healthcare provider can supply the best advice on when you should come to the hospital. If you are feeling concerned or experiencing symptoms at home, you should call your healthcare provider’s office or the Maternity Unit at 740-687-8290.

If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you are experiencing the symptoms below, you may be advised to come to the hospital for evaluation.

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Headache or blurred vision
• Swelling of the face, hands or feet
• Discomfort right below your ribs in your upper abdomen
• Vaginal bleeding
• Trickle or gush of fluid from the vagina
• Severe vaginal pressure
• Cramping or dull aching in your back, abdomen or thighs prior to 37 weeks
• Decreased fetal movement
• Fever
• Contractions that are difficult to walk or talk through and have lasted for about an hour
• Abdominal tenderness or pain
• A fall or any injury to the abdomen
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea

We offer free parking in any of our designated lots, including near the Main entrance or the convenient parking garage located at the North (Emergency Department) entrance. There is also free valet parking available at the Main entrance.

If you are coming to the hospital for a lab or ultrasound, make sure to check in with Registration on the first floor.

If you are scheduled for a procedure on our OB unit – such as a non-stress test, a cesarean section or induction – you can proceed to the Maternity Unit, located on the second floor of the hospital. Our unit is locked for the safety of our patients, so you will need to use the intercom located outside the Maternity Unit doors to provide staff members with your name and the reason for your visit.

If you are not scheduled for a lab or procedure and need to be evaluated, enter through the North (Emergency Department) entrance located on top of the parking garage. If you are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant or have a non-pregnancy-related concern, you may be registered and evaluated in the Emergency Department.

If you are more than 20 weeks pregnant and have a pregnancy-related concern, the Emergency Department staff will ask you a few questions, and a member of our maternity staff will take you to the Maternity Unit via wheelchair. Once you arrive on the Maternity floor, staff will ask you for your photo ID and insurance information to complete registration.

When you arrive in the Maternity Unit, our nurses will collect information about your pregnancy, medical history and the symptoms you are experiencing. They will evaluate your vital signs and place monitors to keep an eye on you and your baby’s heart rates. Depending on the reason for your visit, a nurse may need to perform a vaginal exam to evaluate whether or not you are dilated.

Once you have been assessed, your healthcare provider will be notified of your arrival and will begin planning your care. Our staff will keep you informed and discuss your plan for your care with you.