Sturgis Hospital Patient Rights

PATIENT RIGHTS

Patient Rights

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.

Patient Responsibilies

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.