Your Rights as a Patient

The following list of patient rights protects your interests and promotes your well-being.

You, the patient, have the right to:

• Have access to care or treatment regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, ability to pay, or the presence or lack of an Advance Directive
• Be treated with respect, dignity, and privacy
• Personal and informational privacy, within the law
• Consideration of the psycho-social, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence perceptions of illness, recovery, death, and the grieving process
• Expect the hospital to take reasonable safety precautions to provide a secure environment
• A pain management plan, which may include pain medication and/or non-pharmaceutical options
• Relevant, current, and understandable information concerning your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
• Access to visitors
• Effective communication for those with hearing, vision, or speech impairment, limited English proficiency interpreter services are also available
• Participate in decisions involving your health care
• Consult with a specialist of your choice, at your expense. For in-house consultations, the specialist must have privileges in this facility
• Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action
• Expect reasonable continuity of care, and to be informed of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital
• Request and receive a detailed explanation of your bill regardless of the source of payment
• Express concern or complaint concerning the hospital, your care, or a hospital employee without your care being affected
• Access the hospital’s Biomedical Ethics Committee when ethical issues arise. These may include conflict resolutions and withholding or withdrawing resuscitative services of life- sustaining treatment
• Contact the nursing staff or Care Coordination (extension 7629) for information on how to access the Biomedical Ethics Committee
• Formulate Advance Directives and designate surrogate decision makers
• Protective services, should they be required
• Information about the outcome of care, including unanticipated outcomes
• Care in a safe setting
• The patient’s right to have a family member or representative of their choice and to have their own physician notified promptly of their admission
• Informed consent for non-emergent surgical procedures
• Freedom from medically unnecessary restraints. Should a patient experience a change in emotional, physical, or mental status, family members may be requested to sit with the patient or arrange for a private sitter

If a patient feels any of the above rights have been violated, the hospital has a grievance process for the prompt resolution of patient complaints. Patients shall contact the Nurse Manager of their unit, the House Supervisor, or a Patient Representative at 830.258.7182.

If you are unable to resolve or diffuse the issue with the organization’s patient representative and want to take further action, you may file a complaint or grievance by contacting:

Department of State Health Services
P.O. Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714-9347
1.888.973.0022

DNV GL – Healthcare Accredited Healthcare Organization
1.866.496.9647

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Your Responsibilities as a Patient

You, the patient and/or your family, are expected to:

• Provide accurate and complete information about your medical history
• Report unexpected changes in condition and follow recommended treatment plan
• Accept the consequences of refusing treatment
• Meet financial obligations as promptly as possible
• Follow hospital rules and regulations
• Respect the rights of other patients and hospital personnel. This includes assisting in the control of noise, limiting the number of visitors, and complying with non-smoking hospital regulations.
• Be respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.

Ensuring the rights of every patient ensures we meet regulatory requirements while providing safe and compassionate care.