Patient Relations
Your rights
Your hospital stay will be more successful if you know what to expect. That’s why we have a Patient’s Bill of Rights, approved by our Board of Trustees. This is our pledge that your care will be delivered with dignity and respect. In hospitals you have the right:
- To receive care no matter what your race, color, religion, sex, or income level.
- To be treated with respect.
- To know the name of the doctor treating you and to be kept informed about your health and future health.
- To be informed about all the positive and negative things that can happen during a test or procedure. You have the right to accept or refuse a test or procedure after it has been explained to you. You also have the right to know the name of the person doing the test or procedure.
- To refuse any and all medical care and to be informed about what could happen if you refuse that medical care.
- To expect all aspects of your medical care to be kept private.
- To expect your records, electronic and written, to be kept private.
- To be informed about any relationship between Hospital and other healthcare and educational organizations when your care is involved.
- To receive and study your bill no matter what your source of payment is.
- To be informed of any and all Hospital rules that apply to how you may act as a patient.
- To complain about your care without fearing that your treatment will be affected. You also have the right to a written response, if you ask for one.
- To expect that a family member/representative and your doctor will be notified quickly of your admission as an inpatient to the hospital, unless you ask that this not be done.
- To receive care in a safe environment, free from abuse or harassment.
- To be informed of your rights in writing.
- To access an internal grievance process and to be given information about how to complain to an outside agency. The Hospital can provide you with addresses and telephone numbers of agencies that you might wish to contact.
- To all personal communication including phone calls, visitors, and mail, unless your physician feels such communication might not be helpful to your care and recovery.
- To have reasonable access to your medical records.
- To adequate pain control.
- To be free from restraints or isolation to force you to do something or to punish you.
- To have end of life issues treated with care and sensitivity.
- To request an autopsy with or without limitations, and to have the autopsy performed at this facility. If you choose to have an autopsy at an unaffiliated institution of your choice it will be at your own expense.
- To have your rights protected if you choose to take part in a research study or clinical trial.
- To have pastoral care and spiritual services when you request them.
Patient responsibilities
- Provide accurate and complete information about past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health.
- Cooperate with all the Hospital personnel caring for you, and feel free to ask questions if you do not understand any directions or information given to you.
- Help your doctors, nurses and others who provide your care by following their instructions and being responsible for your actions if you refuse treatment or don’t follow instructions.
- Be considerate of other patients, and see that your visitors are considerate as well. Too many visitors or too much noise may be troublesome to other patients.
- Keep appointments or call the Hospital when you can’t keep an appointment.
- Respect other people and their property, as well as Hospital property.
- Follow Hospital rules and regulations and be sure that your visitors do the same.
- Take reasonable measures to protect your personal belongings and to cooperate with Hospital personnel in providing such protection. Please leave your valuables at home or send them home with a family member. During transfers from room to room items can get misplaced. If you find it necessary to keep an item with you at the Hospital, please ask your nurse to secure it in the Hospital safe.
- Maintain the treatment recommended by your doctor and notify him or her of any changes after you leave the Hospital.
- Pay your hospital bills promptly and provide the necessary information for insurance processing. Ask any questions you may have concerning the bill.
- If you bring any item requiring use of electricity, please inform your nurse so that someone from our Engineering Department can check it to make sure it is working properly.