During Your Stay at NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

For Your Safety and Security At NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Staff ID Badges

Every staff member and volunteer is required to wear a Hospital identification badge that includes a photograph, name, and role in the Hospital. Do not hesitate to ask employees or visitors to identify themselves. If you have any concerns about the identity of any person entering your room, contact a member of the nursing staff immediately. Report any suspicious behavior immediately to the Security Department. To be connected to NewYork-Presbyterian Security from an internal Hospital phone, dial 911 or (646) NYP-9111 from an external phone or cell phone.

Security

911 from an internal Hospital phone
(646) NYP-9111 from an external phone or cell phone

The Security Department monitors the Hospital premises seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Special security measures in the maternity and pediatric areas provide further security for newborns and children during their stay in the Hospital. Please note that anyone entering the Hospital will be asked to show identification.

Valuables

The Hospital is not responsible for loss or damage to any personal property, including hearing aids, eyeglasses, or dentures, kept in your room. Please send your valuables home with a friend or loved one for safekeeping. If this is not possible, contact the Patient Care Director or Security to have the valuables secured.

Lost and Found

If you lose something, please notify your nurse right away and we will make every effort to find it. Unclaimed articles are turned in to the Hospital’s Security Department.

Balloons/Flowers

For the health and safety of our patients, latex balloons are prohibited in the Hospital. Silk flowers are preferred over real flowers, as real flowers pose an allergy risk to some patients.

Mylar balloons and flowers (fresh cut, artificial, and dried arrangements) are prohibited in all intensive care units, recovery rooms, operating rooms, nurseries, the labor and delivery unit, as well as in oncology and transplant units.

Electrical Appliances

For the safety of all patients and employees, the use of non-hospital electrical appliances, such as hairdryers, is restricted to battery-operated devices only. Please note these devices may not be recharged in the Hospital. If you have any questions, please speak with your nurse.

No Smoking Policy

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a completely smokefree environment — indoors and outdoors. Smoking, including the use of electronic or other similar vapor producing devices, is prohibited in Hospital buildings, at entrances, on all outside grounds, and in gardens, courtyards, and parking facilities. For information on programs that can help you stop smoking, ask your doctor or visit the Hospital’s website at https://www.nyp.org/clinical-services/smoking-cessation.