York Hospital Patient's Bill of Rights

York Hospital is committed to providing patient care in accordance with the list of Patient's Rights which are required by federal and state law. In return, York Hospital expects that patients will act in accordance with the Patient's Responsibilities which are listed at the end of this document. These rights and responsibilities apply to all patients and, when appropriate, their representatives. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these rights or responsibilities, please contact the supervisor responsible for the relevant service area or unit, or the Hospital President's office.

Statement of Patient's Rights

1. Each patient has the right to be informed of his rights as early as reasonably possible in the course of his hospitalization. Each patient has the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to his conduct as a patient.
    
2. Each patient has the right to have his own physician and a family member or representative of the patient's choice notified promptly of the patient's admission to the hospital.
    
3. Each patient has the right to respectful care given by competent personnel.
    
4. Each patient as the right to good quality care and high professional standards that are
   continually maintained and reviewed.
    
5. Each patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting which provides appropriate protection for the patient's physical and emotional health and safety, and to be free from physical, verbal, and all other forms of abuse or harassment.
    
6. Each patient has the right to hospital services that are available and medically indicated, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, age, gender, sexual preference, handicap, or the source of payment for his care. Because the hospital is a charitable organization, each patient has the right to receive medically necessary hospital services without regard to his ability or inability to pay for those services.
    
7. Each patient has the right, upon request, to be given the name of his attending physician, the names of all other physicians directly participating in his care, and the names and functions of other health care personnel having direct contact with the patient.
    
8. Each patient has the right to personal privacy concerning his own medical care. Because case discussions, consultations, examinations and treatments are considered confidential, each patient has the right to have them conducted discreetly.
    
9. Each patient has the right to have all records pertaining to his medical care treated as
   confidential, except as otherwise provided by law or third party contractual arrangements. Confidential medical records will be made available to persons who are directly involved with the patient's care, as well as authorized personnel who monitor the quality of the patient's care.
    
10. Each patient or his designee has the right, upon request, to review and receive copies of all information contained in his medical records within a reasonable time frame, unless access is specifically restricted by the patient's physician for medical or other legally permissible reasons. The hospital will actively seek to meet each patient's legitimate request to gain access to his own medical records, as promptly as reasonably possible.
     
11. Each patient has the right to participate with his physician in the development and implementation of the patient's plan of care. Unless not medically advisable, each patient has the right to obtain from his physician complete, current information concerning diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information will be made available to the patient's next-of-kin or other appropriate person on the patient's behalf. Each patient's guardian, next-of-kin, or legally responsible representative has the right to exercise, to the extent permitted by law, these rights on behalf of the patient if the patient has been found incompetent in accordance with the law, is found by his physician to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure, is unable to communicate his wishes regarding treatment, or is a minor.
     
12. Each patient has the right to expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary delay.
     
13. Each patient or his representative has the right to make informed decisions regarding his care. This includes the patient's right to be informed of his health status, be involved in care planning and treatment, and be able to request or refuse treatment. This does not mean that the patient has the right to demand treatment or services which are medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
     
14. Except in emergencies, each patient has the right to have his physician obtain the patient's informed consent prior to the start of any procedure or treatment for which informed consent is required, in accordance with the Health Care Services Malpractice Act.
     
15. Each patient or, in the event the patient is unable to give informed consent, a legally responsible representative has the right to be advised if a physician proposes that the patient participate in a medical research program or donor program, and the patient or his legally responsible representative must give informed consent prior to such participation. The patient or his legally responsible representative has the right to refuse to participate in such programs and, at any time, to refuse to continue participating in any such program to which he has previously given informed consent.
     
16. To the extent permitted by law, each patient has the right to refuse any drugs, treatment, or procedure offered by the hospital, and to be informed by a physician of the medical
    consequences of his refusal.
     
17. Each patient has the right to assistance in obtaining consultation with another physician at the patient's request and own expense.
     
18. Each patient has the right to be provided with an interpreter, whenever reasonably possible, if necessary to facilitate meaningful communication among hospital staff and patients.
     
19. Each patient has the right to expect good management techniques to be implemented within the hospital, considering the effective use of the patient's time, and to avoid the personal discomfort of the patient.
     
20. Each patient has the right to be free from restraints and seclusion of any form that is not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by hospital staff.
     
21. Each patient has the right to formulate advance directives (including directives regarding withholding resuscitating services and foregoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment) and, when such directives are medically and legally applicable, to have staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with such directives. In the event the patient's advance directives are incompatible with the hospital's mission, values or philosophy, or a practitioner objects to such directives on religious, moral or other grounds, each patient has the right to be transferred to another hospital or practitioner who will comply with such directives. Each patient has the right to appoint a surrogate to make health decisions on his behalf.
     
22. When medically permissible, each patient may be transferred to another facility, but only after he or his 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 for transfer.
     
23. 23. Each patient has the right to expect that the hospital will provide a mechanism whereby he is informed upon discharge of his continuing health care requirements following discharge and the means for meeting them.
     
24. Each patient has the right, as part of the discharge planning process, to exercise freedom of choice regarding the selection of home health agencies and other entities who will provide post-discharge care, pursuant to Section 4321 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
     
25. Each patient has the right to examine and receive a detailed explanation of his bill, regardless of the source of payment for his care.
     
26. Each patient has the right to full information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources for payment of his health care.
     
27. Each patient has the right of access to an individual or agency who is authorized to act on his behalf to assert or protect the rights set forth in this Statement of Patient's Rights.
28. Each patient, or his representative, has the right to submit a verbal or written grievance with the hospital regarding alleged violations of the rights set forth in this Statement of Patient's Rights. Each patient is encouraged to communicate any concern or complaint to the supervisor responsible for the relevant service area, who will attempt to informally resolve and respond to the concern or complaint. Each patient who is not satisfied with the supervisor's response may submit a grievance to the Hospital President's Office, either in person, in writing, or by calling the Care Line at extension 12273. Each patient may request the supervisor of the relevant service area to assist them in submitting a grievance to the Hospital President's Office. Upon receipt of a grievance, the hospital will make reasonable efforts to achieve a prompt and fair review and resolution of the grievance and provide a written response to the patient. The hospital will not discriminate or retaliate against any patient or his representative who submits a grievance
     
29. Each patient, or his representative, has the right to submit a verbal or written grievance to the Pennsylvania Department of Health at any time, regardless of whether they first use the hospital's grievance process as described above. The Pennsylvania Department of Health may be contacted by writing to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Acute and Ambulatory Care, P.O. Box 90, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108-0090, or by calling 1-800-254-5164.

For information regarding your rights as a patient, please call the York Hospital CARE Line at 851-2273.

Statement of Patient Responsibilities

Each patient at York Hospital is expected to act in accordance with the following responsibilities:

1. In order for us to facilitate effective medical treatment, each patient will, to the best of his knowledge, provide timely, accurate and complete information to hospital personnel
   and practitioners about the patient's present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations,
   medications, advance directives, and other matters relating to the patient's health history
   or care. If the patient is unable to effectively communicate with hospital personnel or
   practitioners, representatives of the patient will make reasonable efforts to be available to hospital personnel and practitioners in order to provide and receive information.
    
2. Each patient will work in a cooperative and mutually respectful manner with all hospital personnel and practitioners; for example, by following their reasonable instructions and medical orders.
    
3. Each patient will ask questions if instructions, orders and/or procedures are not clearly
   understood, and will inform hospital personnel and practitioners if the patient does not clearly comprehend a contemplated course of action or what is expected of him.
    
4. Each patient will refrain from taking drugs which have not been prescribed by the patient's physician and administered by hospital personnel, and will not consume alcoholic beverages or toxic substances during the patient's stay.
    
5. Each patient will be considerate of other patients and hospital personnel; for example, by assisting in the control of noise and limiting the number of visitors in the patient's room at any one time. Each patient will be respectful of the property of the hospital and other persons.
    
6. Each patient will assume financial responsibility for all services rendered, either through
   government payors (Medicare or Medicaid), third party payers (employers, insurance companies, or managed care plans), or by personally paying for any services which are not covered by government or third party payers. Each patient will cooperate with the hospital in identifying and seeking payment from all relevant government or third party payers. Each patient who believes he may be qualified for free or discounted services, based on his financial circumstances, will notify appropriate hospital personnel.