Patient Bill of Rights

As a patient, you have the right to:

1. Access medically indicated treatment and accommodations regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, religion or payment source.
2. Considerate, respectful care with the recognition of personal dignity.
3. Reasonable response to your requests and needs for treatment or service.
4. Appropriate pain assessment and management.
5. Acknowledgement of your emotional and spiritual concerns.
6. Personal and informational privacy and confidentiality of your medical records, within the law.
7. Access information contained within your medical record within a reasonable time frame and to request and obtain an itemized statement and detailed explanation of your total bill.
8. Make healthcare decisions, including the right to accept or refuse medical care and treatment and to be informed of the consequences of your refusals.
9. Participate in the development and implementation of an individualized treatment plan and any discharge continuing healthcare needs.
10. Informed participation in healthcare decisions and an explanation of your diagnosis, condition, treatment, proposed procedures, risks and benefits in understandable terms.
11. Formulate advance directives and appoint a surrogate decision maker for healthcare on your behalf as permitted by law.
12. Participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise during your hospital stay.
13. Be informed of any human experimentation or research projects affecting your care or treatment.
14. Know the identity and professional status of those persons providing services and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for your care.
15. Separation according to age appropriate needs affecting your care and treatment.
16. Not be transferred to another facility without an explanation of the risk, benefits, and need for the transfer and any alternatives, at your expense.
17. Consult with another physician of your choice.
18. File a complaint regarding the care and services and receive information about the hospital's process for the initiation and resolution of patient complaints.
19. Treatment in the least restrictive setting, free from restraints or any use for coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
20. Expect reasonable safety in hospital practices and environment.
21. Be free from all forms of abuse, neglect or harassment.
22. Have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician notified of your admission to the hospital.
23. Access to communication with people outside the hospital.