Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find Virginia healthcare facilities in your area

Begin your search for a hospital with a directory that provides size and rank data for hospitals in your area.

I recommend: Get information from The Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit organization the accredits hospitals and other health care organizations. MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides a database of hospitals. The Virginia Department of Health lists trauma centers and Critical Access Hospitals. Members of the Critical Access Hospitals program are small rural hospitals and Virginia community hospitals that must meet guidelines to get Medicare reimbursements. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides a list of veterans hospitals.

Know which nearby Virginia general hospital provides emergency services

A trauma center provides emergency care for accidents and other traumas 24 hours per day. Trauma centers are ranked either level one or level two based on their facilities and equipment.

I recommend: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is a teaching affiliate for the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Specialty care, emergency services, and high tech services are offered at this hospital. Charlottesville, VA is home to the University of Virginia Medical Center, part of the University of Virginia Health System. It ranks high in endocrinology, gynecology and cancer treatments. Both hospitals are level one trauma centers and are accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, a non-profit society focused on cardiac health.

Locate a Virginia hospital that provides specialty care

Some hospitals are dedicated to a specific group or function, such as pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals. A pediatric hospital provides care for babies and children and particularly difficult cases. Rehabilitation hospitals help a patient recover physical, mental and sensory skills lost because of a disease or injury.

I recommend: Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters is a regional referral center for more than 50 pediatric specialties including cancer, genetic disorders and heart and kidney diseases. The Inova Rehabilitation Center, which is part of the Inova Health System, has an inpatient rehabilitation program for victims of stroke, brain and spinal cord injury and other injuries. The occupational therapy program offers therapies that simulate real-life settings.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you are admitted to a Virginia hospital, make sure your medical team is aware of your medical history, especially what medicines you take.
• •  Find out if you should take your medicine while in the hospital. Keep a list of medicines you take. When given medicine, make sure it's part of your regimen. If it isn't, find out why it's being administered.