Before your surgery, you can update personal, medical and insurance information
through the MyBCH portal. Instructions on how to access this portal can
be found at
bch.org/mybch. The pre-registration department will also confirm this information is
complete and will call you if more information is needed.
Pre-Anesthesia Testing (PAT) Phone Call
Before your surgery you will get a phone call from Pre-Anesthesia Testing
(PAT). If you do not receive this call 72 hours before your surgery, please
call: 303-415-8128.
This phone interview will take between 20 and 30 minutes. The PAT nurse
will review your health information and the medications you take. Please
have your list of medications ready for your interview.
A hospital pharmacist may contact you by phone before your surgery to talk
about your medication list.
Tests
You will be instructed if any tests are needed.
Medications
Be sure to let your surgeon and your nurse know if you are taking any blood
thinners or antiinflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, Relafen, Celebrex,
Coumadin, heparin, etc. If you are not sure about the types of medications
you are on, please be sure to ask.
Important notes
If you get a cold, sore throat, or fever before your surgery, let your
surgeon’s office know as soon as possible.
You must have someone accompany you home after your surgery.
For your safety, you should have someone stay with you for the first 24
hours after surgery.
For more information, please talk to your surgeon or nurse.
Boulder Community Health takes prevention of surgical site infections seriously.
We have a standardized group of things we do that will help prevent infection.
It is important to prepare your skin before surgery to help prevent post-surgical
infections. Medical literature shows that most post-operative infections
come from the microbes that normally live on our skin. These instructions
and video show you how to prepare your skin with a special antiseptic
soap, Hibiclens® (or the generic is chlorhexadine gluconate 4%). The
goal of this process is to reduce the amount of microbes on your skin
prior to surgery to help reduce the chance of post-op infection
You will be asked to not eat or drink before your surgery or surgery.
Why is this important?
You will be receiving medications (called anesthesia) for your surgery.
If you have food or liquid in your stomach when you receive anesthesia,
some of it could get into your lungs. This is called “aspiration”.
Although aspiration is rare, if it happens it can cause an infection, lung
damage or breathing problems.
Food
You may have anything you like up until nine hours before your scheduled
surgery time. If you received specific instructions for bowel prep, please
follow them.
Drink
You may have clear liquids until three hours before your surgery time.
This should contain sugar and electrolytes. We recommend that you drink
at least eight ounces three to four hours before your surgery.
Anything containing solids like fats or proteins could cause a delay in
your surgery.
Examples of non-clear liquids to avoid:
Any dairy or nondairy creamer
Beef and chicken broth containing fat
Orange juice
Examples of a clear liquid:
Gatorade or a similar sports drink containing electrolytes is preferred
Water
Black coffee or tea (sugar or honey without honeycomb are allowed)
Cranberry juice, grape juice or apple juice
Jell-O without any solids in it
Soft drinks
Medications, tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs
Before surgery, your routine medication instructions will be discussed
with your Pre-Anesthesia Testing (PAT) nurse.
No tobacco or vaping after midnight the night before your surgery.
No marijuana or alcohol three days before surgery.
Please speak with your doctor about any other recreational drug use.
For more information about these instructions, please contact the doctor
doing your surgery.
Why do I have to come in so early before my surgery?
There are many things we need to do to prepare for your surgery like take
your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and listen to your lungs.
You will meet with your anesthesiologist before your surgery.
We may have to shave and/or wash your surgical site. We will answer any
questions you may have and make sure you are safe during your hospital visit.
Will I have my surgery at the time I am scheduled?
Your scheduled surgery time is an estimated time. Cases may take a shorter
or longer amount of time. This is why we cannot give you an exact scheduled
time. Also, emergency surgeries can change our daily schedule. We will
make every effort to do your surgery on time and will keep you and your
family informed of any delays. Please feel free to ask if you have any concerns.
Why can’t I eat or drink before my surgery?
If your stomach is empty, the risk of vomiting during surgery is greatly
reduced. See the section above titled “Eating and Drinking Before
Surgery” for more information.
What should I wear/bring to the hospital?
Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing.
Remove jewelry in case you have any swelling after your surgery.
It is best to leave valuables at home or with your family.
Can I have a visitor stay with me before or after my surgery?
We have updated our visitation policy due to respiratory virus season.
There are no restrictions for visitors of surgery patients, however, visitors
under the age of 12 are
not allowed in either pre- or post-surgery areas unless it is in the best interest
of the patient. While masking is now optional at BCH facilities, masking is
required for visitors during contact in patients with high-risk medical conditions.
Please view our
visitation policy page to learn more.
How will I feel after my surgery?
You may feel cold or have the chills. We do have warm blankets on hand.
Noises may seem louder than usual and your eyesight may be blurred.
You may have a dry mouth.
The area where you had surgery may hurt but the nurse can give you pain
medicine ordered for you by your surgeon.
When will I be allowed to go home?
Everyone reacts differently to the medications we give so the recovery
time depends on the person.
When you are awake and doing well you will sit up in a chair.
Your nurse will go over your care instructions before you leave.
You need to have someone stay with you for the first 24 hours in case you
have a reaction to any of the medications we gave you.
You need to have someone drive you home.
If you will be spending a night or more in the hospital, you will be taken
to your room after your recovery period. The nurses will go over your
instructions before you go home.
When can I go back to my usual activities?
You should not drive a car for 24 hours after your surgery.
Your surgeon will discuss going back to work and exercising with you, depending
on any limitations you may have.
What danger signs should I call my surgeon about?
Too much bleeding.
Signs of infection such as swelling, the surgical area feeling warm, increased
pain, red streaks on your skin, drainage from the wound, or a fever of
100.6°F or higher.
Trouble breathing (call 911).
If you can’t urinate.
For more information, please talk to your surgeon or nurse.
Starting January 1, 2020, Colorado state law protects you from “Surprise
Billing,” also known as “Balance Billing.” These protections
apply when:
You receive covered emergency services, other than ambulance services,
from an out-of-network provider in Colorado, and/or
You unintentionally receive covered services from an out-of-network provider
at an in-network facility in Colorado.
What is surprise/balance billing, and when does it happen?
If you are seen by a provider or use services in a facility or agency that
is not in your health insurance plan’s provider network, sometimes
called “out-of-network,” you may receive a bill for costs
associated with that care. Out-of-network facilities or agencies often
bill you for the difference between what your insurer decides is the eligible
charge and what the out of-network provider bills as the total charge.
This is called “surprise” or “balance” billing.
When you cannot be balance-billed:
Emergency services: If you are receiving emergency services, the most you can be billed is
your plan’s in-network cost sharing amounts, which are copayments,
deductibles, and /or coinsurance. You cannot be billed for any other amount.
This includes both the facility where you receive emergency services and
any providers that see you for emergency services.
Please note that not every service provided in an emergency department
is an emergency service.
Non-Emergency services at an in-network facility by an out-of-network provider: The facility or agency must tell you if you are at an out-of-network location
or at an in-network location that is using out-of-network providers. They
must also tell you what types of services you will be using that may be
provided by an out-of-network provider.
You have the right to request that in-network providers perform all
covered medical services.
However, you may have to receive medical services from an out-of-network
provider if an in-network provider is not available. In this case, the
most you can be billed for covered services is your in-network cost-sharing
amount which are copayments, deductibles, and/or coinsurance. These providers
cannot balance bill you for additional costs.
Additional protections:
Your insurer will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
Your insurer must count any amount you pay for emergency services or certain
out-of-network services (described above) toward your in-network deductible
and out-of-pocket limit.
Your provider, facility, hospital, or agency must refund any amount you
overpay within 60 days of being notified.
No one, including a provider, hospital, or insurer, can ask you to limit
or give up these rights.
If you receive services from an out-of-network provider or facility or
agency in any other situation, you may still be balance billed, or you
may be responsible for the whole bill. If you intentionally receive non-emergency
services from an out-of-network provider or facility, you may also be
balance billed.
If you think you have received a bill for amounts other than your copayments,
deductible, and/or coinsurance, please contact the billing department,
or the Colorado Division of Insurance at 303- 894-7490 or 1-800-930-3745.
Please note that this law does not apply to all Colorado health plans.
It only applies if:
You have a “CO-DOI” on your health insurance ID card, and
You are receiving care and services provided at a regulated facility in
the state of Colorado.
Please contact your health insurance plan at the number on your health
insurance ID card or the Colorado Division of Insurance with questions.
Boulder Community Health (BCH) is a participating provider in many health
plans and networks. BCH will give you a list of plans in which we participate
upon request. Some health plans may use smaller networks for certain products
and services they offer, so it is important to check whether BCH participates
in the specific plan you are covered by. To verify Boulder Community Health
is in network for your payer you will need the following information:
Facility Name: Boulder Community Health, Tax ID (TIN)# 840175870, National
Provider Identification (NPI) # 1821074196
BCH would like you to understand that the physician services you receive
at our facility are not included in hospital charges. Physicians who provide
services at BCH may be independent physicians, or they may be employed
by BCH. Independent physicians bill separately for the services they provide
and may or may not participate in the same health plans as BCH. You should
check with the physician arranging your hospital services to find out
which plans he or she may participate in.
Physicians employed by BCH, including those listed below, participate in
the same plans and networks that BCH does.
Hospitalists
Intensivists
Cardiologists at Boulder Heart
Neurologists at Associated Neurologists
General Surgeons at Boulder Valley Surgical Associates
Primary Care Physicians at all BCH Ambulatory Clinics
Infectious Disease Physicians at Beacon Center for Infectious Diseases
To the best of our knowledge, hospital-based physicians, those physician
groups that BCH contracts with to provide services within the BCH facility,
participate in the same plans and networks that BCH participates. Hospital-based
independent physicians include the following:
Emergency Medicine Physicians: Boulder Emergency Physicians, PC: 833-294-7256
You should refer to your individual policy or summary of benefits for more
information about your out-of-network benefits and coverage and costs
for in-network services.
If you have questions about whether BCH is in-network with your insurance,
please contact Financial Counseling at 303-415-5119.
If you have questions about whether your provider is in-network with your
insurance, please contact your provider’s office directly.
Consent for surgery and patient rights
Please click the links below to download the consent for surgery form and
to view your patient rights and responsibilities document.
