Patient Rights We encourage all patients to know and understand their rights and responsibilities. If you have any questions about your rights and responsibilities, or any concerns about your health care, your health care team is available to help you. They will make every attempt to address your concerns. 

1. Our patients have the right to considerate and respectful care.
2. Our patients have the right to and are encouraged to obtain from physicians and other direct caregivers relevant, current, and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
3. Except in emergencies when the patient lacks decision-making capacity and the need for treatment is urgent, our patients are entitled to the opportunity to discuss and request information related to the specific procedures and/or treatments, the risks involved, the possible length of recuperation, and the medically reasonable alternatives and their accompanying risks and benefits.
4. Our patients have the right to know the identity of physicians, nurses, and others involved in their care, as well as when those involved are students, residents, or other trainees.
5. Our patients have the right to know the immediate and long-term financial implications of treatment choices, insofar as they are known.
6. Our patients have the right to make decisions about the plan of care prior to and during the course of treatment and to refuse a recommended treatment or plan of care to the extent permitted by law and facility policy and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action. In case of such refusal, our patients are entitled to other appropriate care and services that the facility provides or transfer to another facility. The facility should notify patients of any policy that might affect patient choices.
7. Our patients have the right to every consideration of privacy. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment should be conducted in a manner that protects each patient’s privacy.
8. Our patients have the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to his/her care will be treated as confidential by the facility, except in cases when reporting is permitted or required by law. Our patients have the right to expect that the facility will emphasize the confidentiality of this information when it releases it to any other parties entitled to review information in these records.
9. Our patients have the right to review the records pertaining to their medical care and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law.
10. Our patients have the right to expect that, within its capacity and policies, the facility will reasonably respond to the request of a patient for appropriate and medically indicated care and services. When medically appropriate, the facility may refer a patient to another facility for care.
11. Our patients have the right to ask and be informed of the existence of business relationships among the facility, educational institutions, other health care providers, or payers that may influence the patient’s treatment and care.
12. Our patients have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to be informed by physicians and other caregivers of available and realistic patient care options when care is no longer appropriate or available.
13. Our patients have the right to be informed of facility policies and practices that relate to patient care, treatment, and responsibilities.
14. Our patients have the right to be informed of available resources for resolving disputes, grievances, and conflicts through patient service lines and/or a hotline.
15. Our patients have the right to be informed of the facility’s charges for services and available payment methods.

Patient Responsibilities

1. Patients must take responsibility for maintaining good health.
2. Patients are expected to provide complete and accurate information concerning demographics, present illness, medical history, hospitalizations, medications, perceived risk, and insurance coverage.
3. Patients should be considerate of the facility’s providers, staff, and property and follow the rules, policies and procedures of the facility.
4. Patients are expected to ask questions if they do not understand the treatment plan, or services or what they are expecting to do following the services.
5. Patients should follow their plan of care, treatment, or services. Patients should accept their share of responsibility for outcomes of not following their plan of care, treatment, or service.
6. Patients are expected to meet all financial obligations for the services provided.
7. Patients have the responsibility to notify staff or medical providers if there are any limitations (cultural, religious or other) that may limit the care provided or pose barriers to providing care.

These rights can be exercised on the patient’s behalf by a designated surrogate or proxy decision-maker if the patient lacks decision-making capacity, is legally incompetent, or is a minor.

Last updated: October 2, 2024