Service Animals in the Hospital

Caring for You and Your Service Animal

Hackensack Meridian, Mountainside Medical Center is dedicated to a welcoming, safe, secure and barrier-free environment for its patients, visitors, physicians and staff. We welcome your service animal during your inpatient or outpatient experience or if you are visiting with us. For your safety and that of your service animal and others, please note this important information.

• We understand that service dogs are working animals, not pets, who help ensure the safety of people with disabilities. They are welcome in all public areas of the hospital.
• Our team members may ask only the following questions to be sure we are appropriately meeting your needs
  • Is the service animal required because of a disability?
  • What work has the dog been trained to perform for the person with the disability?
• Supervision of the service animal, including care, toileting, feeding, grooming, etc. is your responsibility. Mountainside Medical Center staff are not responsible for supervision of your service animal
• If you are unable to care for your service animal during the course of your treatment with us, we ask that you arrange to have a family member or friend care for the animal. If that is not possible, and dog sitting or boarding needs to be arranged, any expenses will be your responsibility.
• There are locations in the hospital where service animals are not permitted. Those include sterile areas such as operating rooms, recovery rooms, certain critical care areas, etc. and areas where the safety of the animal might be affected including MRI and radiation therapy.
• Mountainside Medical Center may ask that the service animal be removed if there is a potential threat to others such as aggressive behavior, excessing barking, howling or crying, or if the service animal is not housebroken or is experiencing vomiting or diarrhea.
• Service animals must be leashed or tethered unless that would interfere with the animal’s work or if your disability prevents the use of such devices.

Should you have any questions, need additional information or assistance, please contact our Patient Satisfaction Coordinator or Safety Officer.

Thank you for choosing Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center for your healthcare needs.