Responding to requests from patients and visitors to improve the convenience of parking, Jefferson Regional Medical Center will add a valet service on its main campus on Coal Valley Road, Jefferson Hills, beginning July 12.

The new service provides patients and visitors with the option to drive directly to the entrance of Jefferson Hospital or the South Hills Medical Building for valet service, or to self-park in the visitors lot as they had previously done.

All fees will be payable at the cashier stations in the South Hills Medical Building or Hospital lobbies. Valet service is $5. Self-parking is reduced from $3 to $2.

Self-park fees may be paid at automated locations in both lobbies. Cashiers and machines accept VISA, Master Card, Discover, and cash.

The current number of reserved parking spaces exceeds industry standards but the handicap accessible spaces are not enough to meet the needs of patients and visitors. The current reserved spaces are as far as 50 yards from facility entrances requiring people to walk that distance up a slight grade to the buildings.

The valet option enables people to drive directly to the building entrance, be protected from the weather and save some time, too. Administration is hopeful that the patients and visitors will find the new option convenient and reasonably priced.

The valet service is being provided as a cost-neutral alternative and it should improve accessibility for patients and visitors. As a result, additional changes include elimination of the first free hour of parking (along with the reduced rate from $3 to $2) and shuttle services from B lot will be eliminated due to the valet option.