Admissions
Merit Health Natchez provides hospital inpatient and outpatient care without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin or handicap.
Patient registration works hard to make your admissions process quick and easy. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. - 5 p.m. At other times, you will be admitted through the emergency department. When hospitalization is no longer required, you doctor will write an order for your discharge. Your doctor and/or nurse will give you home care instructions if needed.
Your physician has arranged for your admission to Merit Health Natchez. Except in emergency situations, we have been advised that you are coming; so we are usually able to take care of many of the details of admission prior to your arrival. The admission staff will make sure we have the information necessary to give you appropriate care. Of course, all hospital records are confidential, and you can be sure that such confidence will be maintained. Generally, we will assign a specific time for your arrival. Please try to be prompt. This is especially important if you are scheduled for surgery.
Learn more about the admission process for same-day surgery patients.
Medical Care
Your complete medical care is under the directions and supervision of your physician, who is a member of the hospital medical staff. It is your physician who determines what diagnostic tests you will take, whether or not you require X-rays, therapy or medication and what food will be prepared for you. Hospital nurses, technicians and other specialists will follow your physician's directions in providing you care.
The physician, the nurse and other health care providers, together with your and your family, plan the treatment to meet your health needs.
Advanced Directives
The federal Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 requires health care providers to tell you about your specific rights to issue advance directives allowed in your state. You will be provided an information packet about advanced directives during your registration. If you need additional information, please call (601) 443-2697.
Organ and Tissue Donation
Merit Health Natchez is required by law to ensure that the family of every potential donor is informed of its option to donate organs and tissues for transplantation or not to donate. We have an agreement with the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency to help us comply with the law. If you would like more information on organ and tissue donation, please contact MORA at (601) 933-1000 or (800) 690-8878.
NOTE: Signing or having organ donor noted on your driver's license does not give permission of organ donation in Mississippi. The next-of-kin must give permission. Even with a signed driver's license, the next-of-kin can prevent organ and tissue donation.