Rights and Responsibilities

We want you to have the best possible care as prescribed or recommended by those treating you. We also want you to know what your rights are as a patient as well as what your obligations are to yourself, your physician, and the Hospital.

Patients have the right to:

1. Reasonable access to care. To exercise their rights without regard to sex, cultural background, economic status, education, religion, disability or the source of payment for their care.

2. Considerate and respectful care by staff educated about patient rights and their role in supporting those rights. Participation in consideration of ethical issues including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitation, foregoing or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and participation in investigational studies / clinical trials. Request to see a copy of the hospital's Ethics Committee and Ethical Issue Resolution Policy and the Organizational Ethics and Code of Ethical Behavior Policy if desired.

3. Freedom of choice of physician and the knowledge of the name of physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating this care, and the name and professional relationships of other physicians who will see them.

4. Receive information from this physician about the illness, the course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms that can be understood and participation to make informed decisions regarding care.

5. Receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as may be needed in order to make decisions regarding care and refusal of treatment to the extent permitted by law and be informed of the medical consequences of such action.

6. Participate actively in decisions regarding medical care to the extent permitted by law. This includes the right to access protective services if needed, the right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment and the right to formulate an advance directive (living will) and/or durable power of attorney and to appoint a decision maker if unable to communicate.

7. Consideration of privacy and confidentiality in case, consultation, examination and treatment. Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to the case and stay in the hospital. Written permission will be obtained before the medical records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with the care.

8. Right to privacy to keep his/her person and property free from public scrutiny.

9. Right to a secure environment and protection of his/her person and valuables.

10. Examine and receive an explanation of his bill regardless of sources of payment.

11. Contact you health care provider or Administration if there are questions about these rights.

The patient/parent/guardian has the following responsibilities:

1. Ask questions about specific problems and request information when the illness or treatment is not understood.

2. Provide accurate and complete information to physicians and other caregivers.

3. Provide the hospital with a copy of the written advance directive if there is one.

4. Follow the treatment plan recommended by physicians and other caregivers, or if the treatment is refused, the patient/parent/guardian is responsible for the actions and the medical consequences.

5. Consider he rights of all hospital personnel and other patients and ensure that visitors are considerate in the control of noise, limiting numbers of visitors and abstaining from smoking.

6. Respect the property of both the hospital and other patients.

7. Follow all hospital policies affecting patient care and conduct.

8. Provide necessary information to ensure processing of hospital bills and make payment arrangements when necessary.