Patients & Visitors
Accommodations
Family House, established in 1983, is a non-profit licensed organization that provides a special "home away from home" for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for treatment of serious or life-threatening illnesses. By providing a supportive, home-like environment, Family House strives to make a difference in the quality of the families’ lives while they are in Pittsburgh. Located in the Oakland and Shadyside sections of Pittsburgh, Family House operates four free-standing houses (Family House Shadyside, Family House McKee, Family House Neville and Family House University Place) with a total of 160 guest rooms. For housing information, please call 412-647-7777 or visit the Family House website.
For your convenience, automated teller machines (ATMs) are located in the:
- main lobby, entrance B (second floor)
- first floor, cafeteria (vending room)
Cafeteria and Dietary Services
The cafeteria at UPMC St. Margaret is located on the first floor of the hospital.
- Hours
breakfast –6 to 10:30 a.m.
continental breakfast – 10:30 to 11 a.m.
lunch – 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
dinner – 4 to 7 p.m.
Beverages, cold sandwiches, and desserts are available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Vending machines (located next to cafeteria) are available 24 hours a day. For more information, contact the cafeteria at 412-784-4151. Gourmet coffee and pastries are available at a station located in the entrance A lobby.
Patients can make their daily meal selections from a menu provided in accordance with the diet prescribed by their physician. In addition, the hospital offers a gourmet menu as well as guest trays at an additional charge.
Community Outreach
Contact Community Relations at 412-784-5160 for more information.
- automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
- consumer product safety commission study site
- financial assistance
- health screenings
- Lifeline (personal emergency response system)
- paramedic response team
- Pittsburgh poison control network
- school health partnerships
- speakers bureau
- senior legal services
Express registration is available for those who want the convenience of registering in advance for their laboratory testing. Contact Express Lab at 412-784-5300 or 1-866-334-5227 for information and registration.
The Gift Shop is located on the second floor of the hospital near the entrance B lobby. The shop carries a variety of cards, gifts, magazines, and other personal items.
- Hours:
weekdays – 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
weekends – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
holidays – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Health Education Programs
Contact Community Relations at 412-784-5160 for more information.
- 55 Alive driving course
- arthritis exercise
- better breathing
- cancer prevention, early detection, and support programs
- cardiac education
- CPR and AED training
- diabetes
- durable power of attorney
- exercise/weight control for seniors
- fall prevention clinic
- health insurance counseling
- health sciences library with Internet access
- smoking cessation
- sports medicine workshops
- town Meeting for Seniors
- young and Active with Arthritis
- weight management
- Womancare classes taught by Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC
Patients, family members and members of the community are welcome to use the Health Sciences Library at UPMC St. Margaret during scheduled business hours. We provide health and disease specific research, internet, and email access and recreational reading materials. For more information, contact us at 412-784-4238.
To meet the special needs of patients and visitors with hearing impairment, services are offered through the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services. Contact the center.
UPMC prides itself on providing quality care to patients. All UPMC hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission (formerly called Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or JCAHO). If a patient believes his or her concerns about care or safety have not been addressed, please call patient relations at 412-784-4398, to file a complaint. Upon receipt of a complaint UPMC St. Margaret will make every effort to respond in a prompt and fair manner to address the complaint. However, complaints can further be addressed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-724-3258, or with the Joint Commission at 1-630-792-5000.
Referral Services for Seniors
The St. Margaret Foundation offers Classic Connections, a free information and referral service for seniors — age 55 and older — their families, and caregivers. The service provides resources for issues related to aging.
The chapel is located next to the hospital's main lobby, and it is always open. Inpatients may be escorted to the chapel, if requested.
Chapel services, when available, are televised on the inter-hospital television system on channel 8.
An Episcopal priest visits the hospital every Thursday and Sunday and is on-call as needed. Eucharistic ministers visit daily and distribute the Sacrament. Upon request, a patient’s own priest, minister, or rabbi can be contacted.
Smoke-Free Environment
To protect our patients, visitors, and staff from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, smoking is not permitted anywhere on UPMC property. All UPMC hospitals, facilities, grounds, including parking lots and garages, are smoke-free. UPMC has no designated smoking areas. If you choose to smoke, you cannot do so on the UPMC campus. A patient who smokes does so against our advice and assumes the risk for any consequences.
Contact Community Relations at 412-784-5160 for more information.
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Bariatrics
- Bereavement
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Men with arthritis