Preoperative Evaluation Center
The Preoperative Evaluation Center was created by Robert Donham MD PhD in 1981 to help reduce the number of postponed and cancelled cases on the day of surgery. Since its creation we have grown from two practitioners that visited patients on the inpatient wards, to a clinic with a staff of twenty five, full and part-time employees. We work for the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. Our goal, simply put, is to make your surgery as safe and stress free as possible. With that in mind, we ask you for your help. Please bring copies of the following with you on the day of your preoperative assessment: any recent stress test reports, echocardiograms, pulmonary function test results and at least one old EKG. If you cannot bring the actual information, please bring a list of the names and phone numbers of your current physicians. This enables us to contact your physicians to obtain any necessary results.
We also ask that you also bring a list of your current home medications including: drug name, dose and frequency of all of your medications including supplements. This information is essential to providing safe care.
We are located in the basement of the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center at 601 North Caroline Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21287. For those familiar with the main hospital we are in the building facing Broadway street directly across from the Wilmer Eye Institute.
Our hours of operation are from 07:30 AM to 4:30 PM The main number to the clinic is 410-955-6945 to reach the clinic secretary please dial 410-955-6353. When you exit the elevators in the basement go to the second registration desk past the Outpatient Surgery reception desk.
During your visit with us you will be registered by one of our registrars. The registrar will review your demographic information and insurance to verify that they are correct. You will be asked to complete several forms including the Patient History Questionnaire, Home Medication List, Outpatient Agreement form and Advanced Directive forms. Please remember to bring your driver’s license and insurance cards with you. The registrar will obtain a copy of your driver’s license and insurance card for our records. Please be patient, this process can take at least one half hour to complete.
You will then be called into the clinic to have vital signs taken by one of our technicians, followed by an anesthesia directed physical exam completed by either a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. We do not bill directly for your preoperative evaluation. The clinic is reimbursed as part of your global anesthesiology fee once you have surgery. The actual exam takes between ½ and one hour to complete. Once completed, you will be given detailed instructions about when and where to report for your surgery and what medications you should take on the day of surgery. The practitioner will also review when you should stop eating and drinking prior to surgery. You will be given time to ask questions. We recognize that this is often an extremely stressful time in your life and we encourage you to write down questions that you may have for us.
If you are referred to us for an Anesthesiology Consult you will be seen by a second year anesthesiology resident physician and an attending anesthesiologist. The Anesthesiology Consults are completed at the requested of the attending surgeons. There is a separate fee for this service.
Once your exam is completed and questions have been answered you may be asked to have laboratory studies done. The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center has full radiology and laboratory facilities in the building. Radiology is located on the 4th floor for most routine studies. Their hours of operation are 07:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Express Testing is located on the 1st floor beside the pharmacy. They will complete your blood work, EKG and collect urine samples as requested. Their hours of operation are from 07:00 AM until 5:45 PM daily.
If you are scheduled to be admitted to the hospital after your procedure you will be given the opportunity to see an Admission Office representative here in the clinic. They will confirm your insurance for admissions, reserve a hospital bed for you and discuss telephone and T.V. options during your stay.
During your visit, please feel free to take advantage of the Adult Patient Education room located to the left rear of the clinic waiting room. We have six computers linked to both the hospital intranet and the internet available for your use. These computers provide links to several hospital and internet based educational sites for your review. We also have several TV/VCRs available if you would like to review videos about anesthesia or about specific types of surgery. You may also use these computers to check your e-mail, the news or the current weather conditions. We encourage you to use these workstations to complete your Patient History Questionnaire and then print it out on one of the printers provided for our review.
If you are hungry or thirsty during your visit feel free to visit the coffee shop on the first floor of the Outpatient Center. Their hours of operation are from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM. This shop is operated by the Johns Hopkins, Women’s Board and part of their proceeds actually helped finance our Adult Patient Education room. You are also welcome to visit the 601 Grill located on the second floor of the Outpatient Center in the Broadway wing. They offer a wide variety of foods and drinks. Their hours of operation are from 6:00 AM until 4:00 PM.
For questions or concerns please feel free to contact; William P. Fleming PA-C, Manager Preoperative Evaluation Center at: 410-955-6947.
