Patient Bill of Rights

Elbowoods Memorial Health Care Center adopts and affirms as departmental policy the following rights of patients who receive services from the Elbowoods Memorial Health Care facilities.  This policy affords you, the patient the right to:

  • be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity;
  • receive, upon request, the name of the person in charge of your care; and the name and function of any person or institution providing services or authorized to provide services to you;
  • obtain from the person responsible for your health care, complete and current information concerning your diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and expected outlook in terms you can reasonably expect to understand.  When not medically advisable to give such information to you, the information shall be made available to a person designated by you or to a legally authorized person on your behalf;
  • receive information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment, except for emergency situations.  This information shall include as a minimum an explanation of the specific procedure or treatment itself, its value and significant risks, and alternative treatment methods if any;
  • be given the opportunity to participate in decisions involving your health care, except when such participation is contraindicated for medical reasons;
  • refuse treatment and to be informed of the medical or other consequence of your action;
  • privacy to the extent consistent with adequate medical care.  Case discussions, consultation, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly; also privacy and confidentiality of all records pertaining to your treatment, except as otherwise provided by law or third party payment contract; patients are given the opportunity to approve or refuse the release of their records, except when required by law;
  • a reasonable response to your request for services customarily rendered by the facility, and consistent with your treatment;
  • expect reasonable continuity of care and to be informed, by the person responsible for your health care, of possible continuing health care requirements should your care be transferred to another provider; you also have the right to change primary or specialty providers if other qualified providers are available;
  • refuse to participate in research.  Human experimentation affecting care or treatment shall be performed only with your informed consent;
  • know the facility's rules and regulations that apply to your conduct as a patient;
  • inquire about assistance (in the case that you become incapacitated) in the development of advance directives for future care including living wills or durable power of attorney;
  • receive, upon request, consultative services on ethical issues;
  • access to protective services, should you need such protection;
  • appropriate assessment and management of pain.