Southside makes every effort to serve patients with special needs. Our special services include:

Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program
Many people choose not to have blood transfusions. Southside takes the following precautions to make sure their wishes are honored:

• Well-defined and publicized policies for doctors, nurses, laboratory and admissions personnel, and others who care for or assist bloodless medicine and surgery patients
• Bloodless medicine and surgery consent forms, wrist bands, chart stickers and identification in the hospital's data bases
• A panel of doctors trained in bloodless medicine and surgery and its techniques
• A full-time coordinator available around the clock

Translators
Many members of Southside's staff are bilingual or multilingual and often can serve as translators. In the Emergency Department, several staff members are fluent in Spanish. When needed, Southside has access to translators who are available around-the-clock by telephone and who speak almost any language or dialect.

Services for the Deaf
Southside uses "Deaf Talk," a televised system that links the Emergency Department and the patient to an offsite translator. The translator communicates with patients or families in sign language and translates the answers into spoken words for the hospital staff. Southside also has telephone devices for the deaf for patients and families who need them.