Interpreters and Other Services
South Texas Health System Heart, a facility associated with South Texas Health System, offers a variety of special services to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. These special services include the following:
To ensure that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from services, we provide the following assistance:
- Certified language interpreters are available either on campus or through a contracted interpreter service.
- For persons with hearing impairments: sign language interpreters, tele-interpreters, writing materials, telephone amplification devices and/or a TTY device.
- For persons with vision impairments: readers, personal assistance, large print or audio-taped materials.
- For persons with speech impairments: writing materials and communications boards.
- For persons with manual impairments: wheel chairs, personal assistance and other lifters.
- Our facility is physically accessible to mobility-impaired persons.
Internet Access
Wi-Fi wireless internet access is now available as a complimentary service for patients, families and visitors at South Texas Health System Heart.
Wireless service is available in the following locations:
- Lobbies and dining areas
- Patient and family waiting areas
- Inpatient rooms
Users needing technical support should call 956-388-2233.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
All departments within STHS facilities must obtain authorization from the patient or the patient’s personal representative when disclosing protected health information for a purpose other than providing treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. The HIPAA approved authorization form may be obtained from the Medical Records Department. Disclosures made to the patient, to the physicians treating the patient, to insurance companies, or law enforcement officials do not need to be tracked but we must make certain that a consent form (different from authorization form) is in the medical record before the release.
If you need copies of your medical record, including but not limited to, reports, films, videos, CDs, or DVDs, after discharge, please contact Medical Records. There may be a fee for copying your records.
Ethical Issues
STHS has a multi-disciplinary Ethics committee. During your hospital stay issues may arise concerning the extent or course of your treatment. If this should occur, you or your family should request to meet with the physicians on the case, the Risk Manager, the Case Manager/Social Worker, or the Department Director. If this cannot be resolved after meeting with the patient/family and physician, then the dilemma may be referred to the Ethics Committee. Any of the above can assist you with making this request.
End of Life Care/ Palliative Care
Giving good, holistic end-of-life care is part of the mission of the caregivers and doctors of the South Texas Health System. Holistic care includes pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, inclusion of patient and/or family members in all decisions, and responsiveness to the needs of the patient and the family. We are dedicated to treating our patients and their family with the utmost respect.
Our clinical staff and doctors make every effort to:
- Meet the patient’s and family’s needs in a timely, considerate and empathetic way
- See to it that all tests, interventions, and treatments are explained in an emotionally sensitive and supportive decision making process
- Provide empathetic emotional and spiritual support to all people
- Treat patients as a “whole” person and not just a “disease”
Ultimately, our goal is to listen to our patients and their families and to provide as much comfort and caring as possible, especially at the end of a patient’s life. Please refer any questions you may have concerning end-of-life care to your physician.
Advance Directives
Texas and federal law gives every competent adult, 18 years or older, the right to make his/her own health care decisions, including the right to decide what medical care or treatment to accept, reject or discontinue. If you do not want to receive certain types of treatment or if you wish to name someone to make health care decisions for you, you have the right to make these desires known to your doctor, hospital, or other health care providers, and in general have these rights respected. You also have the right to be told about the nature of your illness in terms that you can understand, the general nature of any proposed treatments, the risks of refusing to undergo these treatments, and any alternative treatments or procedures that may be available to you.
Upon registration at the hospital, you will be asked about Advance Directives and given written information about them upon request. Please do not hesitate to contact the admitting office, your nurse, your physician, Risk Management, or Case Management for more information about Advance Directives.
If you have Advance Directives or a Living Will, please provide us with a copy as soon as possible upon your admission to the hospital.
Organ/ Tissue/ Eye Donation
Donation of organs and tissue is a gift of life and health for many people with serious or life-threatening disease. STHS works with the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA). We will ensure that all patients/families who meet the established criteria are provided the opportunity to discuss organ/ tissue/eye donation with TOSA. For more information on organ donation, contact TOSA directly at the toll free number 1-866-685-0277.
Web Accessibility
South Texas Health System Heart is committed to making our website's content accessible and user friendly to everyone.
Learn more about our commitment to accessibility →