As a patient of St. Charles Surgical Hospital, you have the right and responsibility to be informed and participate in every decision regarding your treatment and care. When patients understand these rights and responsibilities they become partners in their care. Below we have outlined this information.

Your Responsibilities as a Patient

You have the responsibility to provide a complete and accurate medical history.

You are responsible for asking the care provider when you do not understand medical words or instructions about your plan of care.

You are responsible for following your plan of care. If you are unable or unwilling to follow the plan of care, you are responsible for telling your care provider. You are responsible for the outcomes of not following your plan of care.

You have the responsibility to be respectful of other patients, staff and property.

You have the responsibility to follow all hospital rules and regulations.

You have the responsibility to provide required information regarding payment of charges.

You are responsible for providing information for insurance and for working with the hospital to arrange payment when needed.

Should you have any additional questions regarding your rights and responsibilities as a patient, contact any of our staff members.

Patient Satisfaction

We welcome your comments on our facility. As a patient you will receive a patient survey in the mail. Please return the completed survey to us. Your comments will be used to improve our service as well as provide our staff with important information about how they are doing.

Expressing Your Concern

You and your family have the right to have your compliments, concerns and complaints addressed in a timely manner. Sharing your concerns and complaints will not compromise your access to care, treatment and services. The best person to help you is often your primary nurse. If your nurse is unable to resolve your complaint you can report your concern or complaint by calling the Quality/Risk Manager.

 

You and your representative have the right to lodge a concern or complaint with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

To submit a complaint in writing:
Department of Health and Hospitals
500 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
Or by telephone: 1-866-280-7737

You and your representative also have the right to lodge a concern or complaint with CIHQ – the Hospital’s Accreditation Program.

Reporting of a quality or safety concern to CIHQ can be accomplished by any of the following:

By Phone
(866) 324-5080

By Fax
(805) 934-8588

By Mail
Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality
P.O. Box 3620
McKinney, TX 75070

By E-Mail
complaint@cihq.org

In-Person by Appointment
Contact CIHQ at (866) 324-5080 for instructions.

 

Release of Information to Family/Significant Other
For your continued privacy, we will request that you provide us with the specific name(s) that you would allow medical information to be released to during your hospital stay. Hospital identifier information will be provided to you for distribution to the name(s) indicated. These individuals will need the hospital identifier information if they should call the facility requesting information regarding your health status while you are a patient. We recommend that you designate one or two people who can provide information to others.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A PATIENT

Access to Care

You have the right to receive treatment and medical services without discrimination based on race, age, religion, national origin, gender, color, sexual preference, disability, diagnosis, ability to pay or source of payment.

Respect and Dignity

You have the right to be treated with consideration, dignity, respect, recognition of your individuality and privacy.

Communication

You have the right to receive, as soon as possible, the services of a translator or interpreter to facilitate communication between you and the hospital’s health care personnel. You have the right to have written information that is appropriate to your age, understanding, and the language that you speak.

Participation in Care

You have the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care, and refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law, and be informed of the medical consequences of such action. You or your representative has the right to make informed decisions regarding your care. You have the right to obtain information from physicians and other direct caregivers in understandable terms concerning diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and plans for discharge and follow-up care.

Identification of Participants

You have the right to be informed of the names and functions of all physicians and other health care professionals who are providing direct care. You have the right to be informed if the hospital has authorized other health care and/or educational institutions to participate in your treatment.

Pastoral or Spiritual Services

You have the rights to pastoral and other spiritual services.

Advance Directives

You have the right to formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.

Refusing Medical Care

You have the right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment, including forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment or withholding resuscitative services.

Family and Physician Notification

You have the right to have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.

Visitation

You have the right to choose who may visit you during your hospital stay, regardless of whether the visitor is a family member, a spouse, a domestic partner (including same-sex domestic partner), or other type of visitor, as well as the right to withdraw such consent to visitation at any time.

Privacy

You have the right to personal privacy incase discussion, consultation, examination and treatment. You have the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to your care are treated as confidential by the hospital, except in cases required by law to be reported.

Safety

You have the right to receive care in a safe setting and be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.

Patient Records

You have the right to confidentiality of your medical records. You have the right to access information contained in your medical records within a reasonable time frame and the right to review your medical records in accordance with organizational policy and have information explained as necessary, except as restricted by law. You have the right to request an amendment to the medical record, as well as an accounting of disclosures regarding your own health information.

Restraints and Seclusion

You have the right to be free from the use of restraints of any kind except when it is medically necessary.

Research

You have the right to consent or refuse to participate in any treatment that is considered experimental in nature, and to have those studies fully explained prior to consent.

Disclosure

You are your representative have the rights to be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.

Follow-up and Discharge Instructions

You have the right to be informed by the attending physician and other providers of health care services about any continuing health care requirements after your discharge from the hospital.

Billing

You have the right to examine and receive an explanation of your bill regardless of source of payment.

Safety

In the event that it is necessary to transfer you to another facility, you have the right to a full explanation of the reason for transfer, provisions for continuing care and acceptance by the receiving institution except in the case of an emergency.

Pain Management

You have the right to appropriate assessment and management of pain as appropriate to the medical diagnosis or surgical procedure.

Concerns

You have the right to information about hospital policies that relate to your care. You have the right to express a concern, complaint, grievance regarding your care to the attending physician, nurse assigned to you, the department manager or director, the director of nursing or the patient advocate. You have the right to a timely response to your complaint, concern, grievance, and a resolution when possible. Expression of a concern, complaint or grievance will not compromise your care or future access to care.