Detailed Rights & Responsibilities

Respect

Your Rights Are:

• To be treated with respect and courtesy.
• To be free from physical or mental abuse and corporal punishment.
• To receive safe, considerate, ethical and cost-effective medical care.
• To have your individual cultural, spiritual and psychosocial needs respected including the right to pastoral and other spiritual services.
• To have your privacy and personal dignity maintained.
• To expect that information regarding your care and clinical records will be treated as confidential.
• To receive care in a safe setting, free from any form of abuse or harassment.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To respect hospital personnel.
• To respect caregivers’ efforts to provide care for other patients.
• To respect hospital property.
• To be considerate of other patients by following our guidelines on the number of visitors, visiting hours and noise level. Please be sure that your visitors are also considerate.
• To follow Susquehanna Health’s rules affecting your care, conduct and safety including our policy prohibiting weapons and alcohol on all hospital property and our TOBACCO FREE policy.
• To help us protect your confidentiality and privacy - and that of other patients.

Treatment

Your Rights Are:

• To request treatment.
• To receive treatment regardless of race, religion or any other discrimination prohibited by law.
• To receive emergency treatment without unnecessary delay and regardless of ability to pay.
• To expect reasonable continuity of care and to be informed of available and realistic care options when hospital care is no longer appropriate.
• To have your pain evaluated, treated and managed appropriately.
• To be free from the use of restraints and/or seclusion unless clinically necessary.
• To have your wishes concerning organ/tissue donation followed to the extent of our capabilities and within the law.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To follow your caregivers’ instruction.
• To be open and honest with us about your understanding of the health and pain management information we give you. Let us know immediately if you do not understand, or feel that you cannot follow the instructions we give you.
• To participate in decision-making about your medical care.
• To recognize the impact of lifestyle on your personal health.
• To tell your doctor, nurse and other members of the healthcare team about any changes in your condition.

Advance Directives

Your Rights Are:

• To have or formulate an advance directive (Living Will and/or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions).
• To obtain information regarding an advance directive.
• To have your advance directive (if you have one) included in your medical record.
• To have your advance directive followed to the extent that is medically appropriate and lawful.
• To change your advance directive at any time.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To ask us if you would like more information regarding an advance directive.
• To inform us if you have an advance directive.
• To give us a copy of your advance directive (if you have one).

Information

Your Rights Are:

• To receive information in a way that helps you understand your care. This includes translation services and/or adaptive equipment if you are not fluent in English or are hearing-impaired.
• To be informed of your health status.
• To be informed of appropriate treatment options, including their risks and benefits, alternative treatment options, the consequences of no treatment, and the result of medical care provided - including any unanticipated adverse outcomes.
• To have information regarding your medical treatment explained to your family member or other appropriate individual when you are unable to participate in decisions about your care.
• To be advised of hospital policies, procedures, rules and regulations that may affect your care.
• To be aware of any proposed hospital research in which you may be involved.
• To be aware that the hospital’s Ethics Committee and/or pastoral services are available to you to discuss issues related to your care.
• To understand that your caregivers may be both teachers and students.
• To know the names and titles of all those involved in your care.
• To see and request a change to your medical records (in accordance with hospital policy and/or the law).
• To review your bill and to have any questions or concerns you have adequately addressed.
• To keep your medical records confidential unless release is required by law or your insurance.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To provide the hospital with accurate and complete information.
• To ask your caregivers for more information if you do not understand your illness or treatment.
• To provide the hospital with necessary payment and/or insurance information.

Involvement

Your Rights Are:

• To be involved in making informed decisions concerning your care.
• To have a family member or representative of your choice and your doctor notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
• To have your family members and/or others involved in decisions about your care.
• To exclude your family members and/or others from participating in decisions about your care.
• To discuss and be involved in any treatment planned for you, including the development and implementation of your plan of care.
• To give your consent for any treatment or procedure before the treatment or procedure is started except in emergencies.
• To refuse any treatment or procedure and to be told of the possible outcome of your refusal by your doctor.
• To leave the hospital or request a transfer to another facility when medically permissible and in accordance with hospital policy and/or law. The facility to which you are to be transferred must first accept you for transfer.
• To refuse to be treated by a student.
• To consent or decline to participate in clinical research.
• To change your consent at any time.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To be a partner in your safety. We can be more effective if you and your family play an active role in reaching our goal of safe care.
• To be involved in the care you are receiving, ask questions and don’t assume anything.
• To ask questions: Have your caregivers cleaned their hands, have they confirmed your identity by checking your wristband and are they providing you with the correct medications and treatments?
• To ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
• To abide by hospital rules and regulations.
• To keep your appointments.
• To pay your bills on time.
• To inform the hospital if you believe your rights have been violated.

Visitation

Your Rights Are:

• To choose who may or may not visit you. Your visitors may include a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), other family members and friends.
• To change your mind at any time about your visitor preference.
• To be aware that Susquehanna Health will not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To communicate your visitation requests with a member of the healthcare team.
• To be considerate of other patients by following our guidelines on the number of visitors, visiting hours and noise level.
• To understand and respect that restrictions or limitations on visitation may be implemented when clinically reasonable or necessary. These situations include but are not limited to:
  • When the patient is undergoing medical care procedures.
  • During emergency situations.
  • When there may be infection control issues, a pandemic or other community disease outbreak.
  • When visitors may interfere with the care of other patients.
  • When visitors cannot safely care for themselves.

Complaints

Your Rights Are:

• To express dissatisfaction regarding the quality of your care without jeopardizing future care.
• To have your concerns addressed promptly and in a fair and consistent manner.
• To receive a written response to a formal grievance within seven working days from the day we receive your grievance.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To express your concerns regarding the quality of your care to your doctor, nurse or another member of the healthcare team.
• To contact the manager of the department where you are receiving care if your concerns are not addressed in a timely manner.
• To file a complaint with Susquehanna Health or the PA Department of Health when there is a grievance with your medical care or violation of your patient rights. You may call the following numbers during regular business hours:
  • Williamsport Regional Medical Center.................(570) 321-2102
  • Divine Providence Hospital................................(570) 326-8102
  • Muncy Valley Hospital.......................................(570) 546-4242
  • PA Department of Health..................................800-254-5164

You may also write to the PA Department of Health:

Acute and Ambulatory Care Services
Health and Welfare Building
625 Forster Street, Room 532
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0090

*If you feel that your concern was not resolved at Williamsport Regional Medical Center, you or a representative of your choice may contact The Joint Commission by calling 800-994-6616, sending an email to complaint@jointcommission.org, visiting www.jointcommission.org, or writing to:

The Joint Commission--Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181