Patient Rights

When visiting any hospital, you should be aware of your rights as a patient. We at Millcreek Community Hospital believe strongly in your rights. In compliance with the Department of Health requirement here are your rights as a patient at Millcreek Community Hospital.

Patients’ Rights

1. A patient has the right to be informed of their rights at the earliest possible moment in the course of their hospitalization.
2. A patient has the right to have a family member or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission.
3. The exercise of patient rights provides for informing each patient or, when appropriate, the patients representative (as allowed under state law) of the patients rights in advance of furnishing or discontinuing patient care whenever possible.
4. The patient who does not speak English should have access, where possible, to an interpreter.
5. A patient has the right to respectful care given by competent personnel.
6. The exercise of patient rights provides for the right to receive care in a safe setting.
7. A patient has the right to good quality care and high professional standards that are continually maintained and reviewed.
8. A patient has the right to participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care.
9. A patient has the right to exercise his or her rights while receiving care or treatment in the facility without coercion, discrimination, or retaliation. The exercise of patient rights provides for the right to have a surrogate (parent, legal guardian, person with medical power of attorney) exercise the patients rights when the patient is incapable of doing so without coercion, discrimination, or retaliation.
10. A patient has the right, upon request, to be given the name of their attending physician, the names of all other physicians directly participating in their care, and the names and functions of other health care persons having direct contact with the patient. A patient also has the right to know the reasons for any proposed change in the professional staff responsible for his or her care. A patient has the right to know the relationship(s) of the hospital to other persons or organizations participating in the provision of his or her care.
11. A patient has the right to every consideration of their personal privacy concerning their own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment are considered confidential and should be conducted discreetly.
12. A patient has the right to have all records pertaining to their medical care treated as confidential except as otherwise provided by law or third-party contractual arrangements.
13. A patient has the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to their conduct as a patient.
14. A patient has the right to expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary delay.
15. The patient has the right to full information, in laymans terms, considering their diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis including information about alternative treatments and possible complications. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information shall be given on their behalf to the patients next of kin or other appropriate person. The patient or his or her representative has the right to make informed decisions regarding his or her care, be informed of his or her health status, and be involved in care planning and treatment.
16. Except for emergencies, the physician must obtain the necessary informed consent prior to the start of any procedure or treatment or both. Informed consent is defined in Section 103 of the Health Care Services Malpractice Act (40 P.S. Section 1301.103).
17. A patient or, in the event the patient is unable to give informed consent, a legally responsible party, has the right to be advised when a physician is considering the patient as a part of a medical research program or donor program and the patient, or legally responsible party, must give informed consent prior to actual participation in such a program. A patient, or legally responsible party, may, at any time, refuse to continue in any such program to which they have previously given informed consent.
18. A patient has the right to refuse any drugs, treatment, or procedure offered by the hospital to the extent permitted by law and a physician shall inform the patient of the medical consequences of the patients refusal of any drugs, treatment, or procedure.
19. A patient has the right to assistance in obtaining consultation with another physician at the patients request and own expense.
20. A patient has the right to medically appropriate services and impartial access to treatment without discrimination and regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap, age, or source of payment.
21. The hospital shall provide the patient, upon request, access to all information contained in his or her medical records, unless access is specifically restricted by the attending physician for medical reasons or is prohibited by law.
22. The patient has the right to expect good management techniques to be implemented within the hospital considering effective use of the time of the patient and to avoid the personal discomfort of the patient.
23. When medically permissible, a patient may be transferred to another facility only after they or their next of kin or other legally responsible representative has received complete information and an explanation concerning the needs for and alternatives to such a transfer. The institution to which the patient is to be transferred must first have accepted the patient transfer.
24. The patient has the right to examine and receive a detailed explanation of their bill and the right of access to the cost, itemized, when possible, of services rendered within a reasonable period of time.
25. The patient has the right to full information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources for their health care. The patient has the right to be informed of the source of the hospitals reimbursement for his/her services and of any limitations which may be placed upon his/her care.
26. The patient has the right to expect that the health care facility will provide a mechanism whereby they are informed upon discharge of their continuing health care requirements following discharge and the means for meeting them.
27. A patient has the right of access to an individual or agency who is authorized to act on their behalf to assert or protect the rights set out in this section. The person shall not be employed by the health care facility.
28. The patients family has the right of informed consent of donation of organs and tissues.
29. The exercise of patient rights provides for the right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
30. The exercise of patient rights provides for the right to exercise Advance Directives regarding decisions in accordance with federal and state patient regulations and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.
31. The patient has the right 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 by staff.
32. The patient has the right to have pain treated as effectively as possible and has the right to be informed of such.
33. The patient has the right, subject to his or her consent, to receive the visitors who he or she designates, including but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including same sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend and his or her right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
34. The hospital has in place a process for prompt resolution of patient grievances. Regardless of whether or not the hospital complaint procedures are used, complaints can also be addressed to: Pennsylvania Office of Civil Rights, Division of Acute & Ambulatory Care, Room 532 Health & Welfare Building, 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701, 717-783-8980 Fax-717-705-6663, Complaint Hotline: 1-800-254-5164, http://apps.health.pa.gov/dohforms/FacilityComplaint.aspx

REFERENCE:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Licensure Regulations for General & Special Hospitals, Title 28 Pa. Code Part IV, Subpart A, Sections 103.21-103.24, April 1983; American Osteopathic Association Accreditation Requirements for Healthcare Facilities, Sections 15.01.08, revised July 2014