by Mary (Curet) Duranti
Director of the Disabilities Resource Center at UPMC
If a person with a disability will be a patient at a UPMC facility and needs an accommodation (including interpreters or specific assistive technology), then they should:
- inform the employee scheduling the appointment or processing the admission of the disability
- request the type of accommodation or assistance that is needed (giving enough time to secure the accommodation)
- inform their health care provider (doctor, therapist, nurse practitioner, etc) that an accommodation is needed
- in the case of an emergency
- the patient should relay information about the disability and accommodation to the paramedics and hospital emergency room staff
- See the full description of what to do next if your initial communication related requests are not considered in the segment that follows
If the patient has an accommodation card from http://www.healthbridges.info/ then they should show the card when requesting an accommodation.
If a person has questions or concerns while in a UPMC hospital, then they should:
- ask the nursing staff
- if they still have questions, then
- request to speak to patient relations or social services
- if they still have questions, then
- request to speak to the unit director or department manager
To contact Patient Relations, call the main phone number for the hospital and ask to speak to patient relations. The main phone number for each hospital can be found at www.upmc.com, under Hospitals and Facilities, Contact Us or in the list below.
Listing of main phone numbers for UPMC hospitals
- Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC 412-692-5325
- Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC 412-641-1000
- UPMC Bedford Memorial 814-623-6161
- UPMC Horizon
- Greenville campus 724-588-2100
- Shenango Valley 724-981-3500
- UPMC McKeesport 412-664-2000
- UPMC Mercy 412-232-8111
- UPMC Montefiore 412-647-2345
- UPMC Northwest 814-676-7600
- UPMC Passavant
- McCandless 412-367-6700
- Cranberry 724-772-5300
- UPMC Presbyterian 412-647-2345
- UPMC Shadyside 412-623-2121
- UPMC St. Margaret 412-784-4000
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic 412-624-1000
“Inclusion begins with a core belief that everyone deserves DIGNITY and RESPECT”