Patient Rights
As a Patient, you have the right to:
- Become informed of rights as a patient in advance of, or when discontinuing, the provision of care. The patient may appoint a representative to receive this information should the patient so desire.
- Be treated with dignity and receive considerate and respectful care provided in a safe environment.
- Remain free from seclusion or restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
- Exercise these rights without regard to age, race, disability, sex or cultural, economic, education, or religious background or the source of payment for care given.
- Knowledge of the name of the physician and professional staff who have primary responsibility for coordinating the patient’s care and the name and professional relationships of other physicians and non-physicians who will participate in care.
- Receive information from the physician about the illness, course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms that the patient can understand.
- Receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as needed in order to give informed consent or to refuse this course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved in treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
- Participate actively in decisions regarding medical care. To the extent permitted by law, this includes the right to request and/or refuse treatment.
- Formulate advance directives regarding patient’s healthcare, and have the surgery center staff and practitioners who provide care in the surgery center comply with these directives (to the extent provided by state laws and regulations). Please note that if you have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order, your DNR request will be stopped when you receive any anesthetics and will not be followed until after the effects of anesthesia have worn off.
- Know that you can express a complaint regarding your care or any violation of your rights and that you’re doing so will not adversely affect the quality of care provided.
- Be advised of the surgery center’s grievance process, should the patient wish to communicate a concern regarding the quality of the care patient receives. Notification of the grievance process includes: who to contact to file a grievance and that patient will be provided with a written notice of the grievance determination that contains the name of the surgery center contact person, the steps that were taken on patient’s behalf to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance and the grievance completion date.
- Change physicians if desired, either within the surgery center or another physician of the patient’s choice.
- Full consideration of privacy concerning the medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatments are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. The patient has the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any individual involved in the patient’s healthcare.
- Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to the patient’s care and visit at the surgery center. The patient’s written permission shall be obtained before medical records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with the patient’s care.
- Full disclosure of the privacy policy.
- Access information contained in your medical records within a reasonable time frame in accordance with state/federal laws and regulations.
- Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.
- Leave the surgery center even against the advice of the attending physician.
- Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of appointment as well as the physician providing the care.
- Be informed by the attending physician or designee of the continuing health care requirements following discharge.
- Obtain information before scheduled surgery about payment requirements of the bill, regardless of the source of payment.
- Examine and receive an explanation of the bill regardless of the source of payment.
- If eligible for Medicare, to know in advance of treatment whether a healthcare provider or facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate.
- Expect for reasonable safety insofar as the surgery center’s practice and environment are concerned.
- Have all patient’s rights apply to the person who may have the legal responsibility to make the decision regarding medical care on behalf of the patient.
- A list of these patient’s rights, which shall be posted within the surgery center so that such rights may be read by all patients.
- Receive appropriate information regarding provider credentialing.
- Received pastoral care as requested and as appropriate to patient’s needs.
All surgery center personnel, medical staff members and contracted agency personnel performing patient care activities shall observe these patient rights.
If you want to file a grievance or complaint, click here.