Support Services

We know that excellent patient care means supporting the patient and their family in many different ways. We offer a variety of support services to each of our patients to ensure they have the best experience possible.

Case Management Services

At Natividad, we value each individual who walks through our doors. Making sure that each patient has the care they need and a plan for leaving the hospital is very important to us. The Case Management Services Department ensures that each patient is getting the level of care they need, and works with the rest of the health care team to make sure patients have a safe discharge plan.

Language Access Services

We are proud to offer professional interpreter services at no cost to our patients and their families. In addition to our in-person interpretation, our telephone and video interpreter service is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Interpreters for American Sign Language (ASL) are available, and we also offer Telecommunications Devices (TDD) for the hearing impaired.
Learn more about our Language Access Services >

Palliative Care

Palliative care focuses on relief from the pain, stress, and other debilitating symptoms of serious and/or advance life-limiting illness. At Natividad, the Palliative Care program provides interdisciplinary, culturally sensitive care to our patients with a serious and/or advance life-limiting illness. We focus on providing comfort and relief to patients who have a life-threatening illness, and to their loved ones.

The Goal of Palliative Care
Our mission is to relieve pain and suffering as we improve the quality of life for patients and/or their families of all ages, whether or not they are receiving treatments for cure of their disease.

The Benefits of Palliative Care
Palliative care provides patients and families:

  • A better understanding of the patient’s condition and medical care options
  • Relief from pain, shortness of breath, nausea, constipation, difficulty sleeping, and other distressing symptoms associated with serious illness
  • Guidance with difficult treatment choices
  • Emotional, cultural, and spiritual support
  • Assistance with transition to hospice

Palliative Care Consultation
We are available for consultation when you want assistance with:

  • Managing symptoms
  • Discussing goals for care
  • Discussing advance directives
  • Facilitating family conferences
  • Breaking bad news
  • Communicating prognosis
  • Discussing hospice care

For a consultation or more information, call (831) 772-7583 or (831) 783-2583. Supported by the California Health Care Foundation based in Oakland, California.

Pharmacy Services

Making sure patients are getting the medicine they need when they stay at the hospital is a critical part of their care. The Pharmacy Department provides pharmaceutical services for all inpatients with acute and chronic diseases 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pharmacists, pharmacist interns, and pharmacy technicians are an important part of the health care team. Pharmacy staff members ensure medications are stored, prepared, and distributed safely and effectively. Medications are barcoded to confirm that the right medication gets to the right patient. Highly trained pharmacists ensure that ordered medications are appropriate for each patient. They actively manage medications per hospital protocol, adjusting doses and ordering labs for antibiotics and anticoagulants. At Natividad, our Pharmacy Department is available in both the medical surgical and intensive care units to ensure proper medication dosing. Our pharmacists participate in unit-based patient care rounds, working with interdisciplinary teams. The pharmacy is affiliated with several colleges of pharmacy, preparing the pharmacists of tomorrow.

Social Services

Social services are available for patients on an as-needed basis. Social workers are available to assess your needs and provide psychosocial support. You can request a social worker’s services through your nurse or by calling our Social Services Department.

The services we offer include:

  • Advising family caregivers
  • Problem solving strategies
  • Evaluation and reporting of child and elder abuse
  • Maternal substance abuse and domestic violence
  • Community and counseling referrals
  • Placement in board and care homes and shelters
  • Benefit counseling and advocacy
  • Referrals to alcoholism and drug abuse rehabilitation programs
  • Provide support to patients and families with serious and chronic illnesses

Spiritual Care

Natividad offers non-denominational spiritual care. If you would like a visit from a chaplain to address your spiritual concerns, please ask your nurse for assistance.

In times of stress and uncertainty, spiritual comfort can be an incredibly valuable resource. At Natividad, we know how important it is for patients and their families to feel supported throughout any medical journey. Our Spiritual Care service provides spiritual support to patients and their families. Hospital chaplains are here to help patients and their families who are experiencing concern, anxiety, stress, sudden loss, or difficulties dealing with prolonged illness. Our chaplains are standing by to comfort, to listen, to pray, and to talk when requested.

The Spiritual Care program at Natividad is committed to caring for the special spiritual needs of children, adults and families. Chaplains are available to help people of all faith traditions explore spiritual questions and concerns that may arise during hospitalization. They are committed to providing resources from an individual’s own faith or spiritual tradition, helping people to explore the comfort, hope and strength these traditions provide.

Interfaith
Your hospital chaplain respects your religious traditions and personal experiences. Whatever your denomination may be, chaplains come to support rather than to persuade. We also welcome the involvement of your home clergy while you are at Natividad.

The Spiritual Care program offers:

  • A meditation room/chapel on the 3rd floor of the inpatient building
  • Chaplains that are assigned to each hospital unit and are available to visit with patients and their families
  • Assistance to patients, families and hospital staff in finding and deepening their spiritual resources
  • Copies of scriptures and holy writings from various faiths available in the meditation room or from a chaplain
  • Literature to assist in developing faith and spiritual practices and to help those who are ill, recovering or grieving
  • Assistance with referrals to local faith communities and their leaders
  • Assistance with referrals to hospice care

Special services include:

  • Pastoral visits
  • Emotional and spiritual support
  • Prayer
  • Emergency baptism
  • Communion
  • Naming ceremonies
  • Blessings
  • Referral to community faith leaders

For our Spiritual Care services, please speak to your nurse or call 755-4174.

Emergency or after hours call Madonna Del Sasso Roman Catholic Church-Salinas: (831) 422-5323.