Sturgis Hospital values the rights and respects the dignity
of each of our patients. As our patient, you have the right:
- To be treated with respect by all Hospital
personnel.
- To be free from all forms of harassment
and abuse.
- To have your expressed personal, cultural,
and spiritual values and beliefs considered when treatment decisions
are made. Care shall include the psychosocial, spiritual, and
cultural values that influence the perceptions of illness.
- To have a family member or representative
of your choice and your own physician notified promptly of your
admission to the Hospital.
- To know who is the primary physician
responsible for your care.
- To know the name and professional status
of caregivers providing service to you.
- To make informed decisions regarding
your care.
- To receive complete and current information
concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms
you can understand.
- To participate with your physicians and
other health care providers in planning and implementing your
health care.
- To accept or refuse (to the extent provided
by the law) any procedure, drug, or treatment and to be informed
of the possible consequences of any such treatment. When refusal
of treatment by the patient and/or legally authorized representative
prevents the provision of appropriate care in accordance with
ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the
patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.
- To have access to your medical record
and an explanation of all information contained in your record.
You also have the right to receive a copy of your medical record,
upon request, for a reasonable fee. The Hospital must actively
seek to meet this request as quickly as its record keeping system
permits.
- To have any proposed procedure or treatment
explained in terms you can understand. The explanation should
include:
- a description of the nature and purpose of the procedure or
treatment;
- the possible benefits;
- the known serious side effects, risks or drawbacks;
- problems related to recovery;
- the likelihood of success;
- alternative procedures or treatments; and
- costs, particularly expenses that will be your responsibility.
To know the mechanism for complaints concerning the quality
of care. It is the policy of Sturgis Hospital to research and
respond to patient concerns to promote satisfaction with our
services. A patient complaint/compliment form is located in
all nursing units and is available upon request to patients/significant
others. The complaint/concern will be routed to appropriate
managers, who are responsible to research and follow-up within
48 hours whenever possible. A response will always be provided
when requested by the patient and/or family member.
- To provide Advance Directives and to
have Hospital staff and physicians who provide care in the Hospital
comply with these directives.
- To appoint a person to make health care
decisions on your behalf in the event you lose the capacity
to do so.
- To personal privacy. Care discussion,
consultation, examination, and treatment will be conducted discreetly.
- To refuse to talk with or see anyone
not officially connected with the Hospital, including visitors.
- To have your medical record read only
by individuals directly involved in your treatment or the monitoring
of its quality and by other individuals only with your written
authorization or that of your legally authorized representative.
- To be placed in protective privacy when
considered necessary for personal safety.
- To examine your bill, to receive an explanation
of the charges and to receive, upon request, information relating
to financial assistance.
- To receive care in a safe setting.
- To have all communications and records
related to your care be kept confidential. Your record cannot
be given to a third party without your permission, unless you
are moved to another institution or as required by state law,
third party payment contract or hospital accrediting agency.
- Not to be discriminated against because
of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual
preference, disability, or source of payment.
- To receive services in response to reasonable
requests that are within the Hospital's capacity and consistent
with it's mission.
- To supportive care including appropriate
management of pain, treatment of uncomfortable symptoms and
support of your psychological and spiritual concerns and needs.
- To provide effective management of pain,
and acknowledgment of the psychosocial and spiritual concerns
of the patient and the family regarding dying and the expression
of grief by the parent and family.
- To assistance in obtaining consultation
with another physician.
- To request consultation regarding ethical
issues surrounding your care.
- To be transferred to another facility
only after having received complete information and explanation
concerning the need for and alternatives to such a transfer.
The facility to which you will be transferred must first accept
the transfer.
- To consent to or refuse care that involves
research, experimental treatments or educational projects.
- To be informed by a responsible caregiver
about continuing health care requirements and alternatives for
meeting those after you are discharged from the Hospital.
- To be informed of Hospital policies,
procedures, rules and regulations.
- To be free from restraints of any form
that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion,
discipline, convenience, or retaliation of staff. Restraints
will only be used if needed to improve the patient's well being
and less restricted methods have been determined to be ineffective.
- To participate in the consideration of
ethical issues that arise in the care of the patient. The Hospital
shall provide a mechanism to consider ethical issues utilizing
an ethics committee.
- To receive Notice of Privacy Practices
available and posted in the Registration area.
- To request an amendment of your medical
information. Sturgis Hospital may deny your request for certain
specific reasons, and, if denied, the Hospital will provide
you with a written explanation for the denial and information
regarding further rights you would have at that point.
- To receive an accounting of disclosures
of your medical information made by Sturgis Hospital, except
for disclosures for treatment, payment or Hospital operational
purposes, and for certain other specific disclosure types.
- To request restrictions on certain uses
and disclosures of your medical information. Sturgis Hospital
is not required to agree with your requested restriction.
As a patient at Sturgis Hospital, we ask that you help us in providing
the best care possible for you by assuming responsibility for your
care, too. You can do this by:
- Providing, to the best of your ability,
complete and accurate medical history, that includes: present
complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and
other matters relating to your health.
- Reporting unexpected changes in your
condition to the responsible physician or staff person.
- Letting us know whether you clearly understand
a proposed course of treatment and discharge instructions and
your role in carrying out both.
- Following your physician's treatment
recommendations and advice.
- Accepting responsibility for your actions
if you refuse treatment or do not follow your physician's orders.
- Considering the rights of other patients
and hospital personnel and showing respect for hospital property
- Giving the Hospital accurate and timely
information about payment sources and your ability to meet your
financial obligations.
- Providing prompt payment for services
billed that are not covered by insurance and making payment
arrangements on any outstanding balance.
- Communicating any problems you encounter
with your care and/or treatment.
At Sturgis Hospital, you will find qualified, caring health professionals. From the moment you enter, throughout your stay, and upon your discharge, you will be treated as our guest. As part of our Mission to provide "ever-improving quality health care" we believe in the philosophy of continuous quality improvement.