Sweetwater Medical Center

While you are a patient in the hospital, your rights* include the following:

1. You have the right to considerate and respectful care.

2. You have the right to be well informed about your illness, possible treatments, and likely outcome and to discuss this information with your doctor. You have the right to know the names and roles of people treating you.

3. You have the right to consent to or refuse a treatment, as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will receive other needed and available care.

4. You have the right to have an Advance Directive, such as a living will, healthcare proxy, and/or a CPR Directive. These documents express your choices about your future care or name someone to decide if you cannot speak for yourself.

5. You have the right to privacy. The hospital, your doctor, and others caring for you will protect your privacy as much as possible.

6. You have the right to expect that treatment records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law. When the hospital releases records to others, such as insurers, it emphasizes that the records are confidential.

7. You have the right to review and receive your medical records, per hospital policy, and to have the information explained, except when restricted by law.

8. You have the right to expect that the hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of its ability. Treatment, referral, or transfer may be recommended. If transfer is recommended or requested, you will be informed of risks, benefits, and alternatives. You will not be transferred until the other institution agrees to accept you.

9. You have the right to know if this hospital has relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment and care. These relationships may be with educational institutions, other healthcare providers, or insurers.

10. You have the right to consent or decline to take part in research affecting your care. If you choose not to take part, you will receive the most effective care the hospital otherwise provides.

11. You have the right to be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.

12. You have the right to know about hospital rules that affect you and your treatment and about charges and payment methods.

13. You have the right to know about hospital resources, such as patient representatives or ethics committees, that can help you resolve problems and questions about your hospital stay and care.

14. You have the right to expect that you will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, financial capability, or marital status in receiving services.

15. You have the right to expect attention to your normal body functions and food and fluid needs, no matter the treatment or safety issues involved in your care.

16. As a patient, you can expect information about pain and pain relief measures, a concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management who respond appropriately to reports of pain, and that your reports of pain will be acknowledged, assessed, and managed.

17. You have the right to the proper and safe use of restraints in acute medical and surgical care. You have the right to the proper and safe use of seclusion and restraints in behavioral management.

18. You have the right to present concerns or comments if you are having problems with the care or treatment you are receiving. The hospital has designated a Patient Relations Representative that you may contact by dialing "0" (the hospital operator) or extension 8412. Your comments will be registered by the representative and a member of the hospital administrative staff will contact you as soon as possible.


*These rights can be exercised on the patient's behalf by a designated surrogate or proxy decision maker if the patient lacks decision making capacity, is legally incompetent, or is a minor.