Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Patient Rights
Patient Responsibilities
Visitation Rights
Reporting Major Concerns

Patient Rights

We respect the dignity and pride of each individual we serve. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, disability, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, payment source or ability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Each individual shall be informed of the patient's rights and responsibilities in advance of administering or discontinuing patient care. We adopt and affirm as policy the following rights of patients who receive services from our facility:

Considerate and Respectful Care

To receive ethical, high-quality, safe and professional care without discrimination
To be free from all forms of abuse and harassment
To be treated with consideration, respect and recognition of their individuality, including the need for privacy in treatment. This includes the right to request the facility provide a person of one's own gender to be present during certain parts of physical examinations, treatments or procedures performed by a health professional of the opposite sex, except in emergencies, and the right not to remain undressed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to undress

Information regarding Health Status and Care

To be informed of his/her health status in terms that patient can reasonably be expected to understand, and to participate in the development and the implementation of his/her plan of care and treatment
The right to be informed of the names and functions of all physicians and other health care professionals who are providing direct care to the patient
The right to be informed about any continuing health care requirements after his/her discharge from the surgery center, and each patient will be provided with written discharge instructions and when necessary, overnight supplies. The patient shall also have the right to receive assistance from the physician and appropriate staff in arranging for required follow-up care after discharge
To be informed of risks, benefits and side effects of all medications and treatment procedures, particularly those considered innovative or experimental
To be informed of all appropriate alternative treatment procedures
To be informed of the outcomes of care, treatment and services
To appropriate assessment and management of pain
To be informed if the surgery center has authorized other health care and/or education institutions to participate in the patient's treatment. The patient shall also have a right to know the identity and function of these institutions, and may refuse to allow their participation in his/her treatment

Decision Making and Notification

To choose a person to be his/her healthcare representative and/or decision maker. The patient may also exercise his/her right to exclude any family members from participating in his/her healthcare decisions
To have a family member, chosen representative and/or his or her own physician notified promptly of admission to the hospital
To request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate
To be included in experimental research only when he or she gives informed, written consent to such participation. The patient may refuse to participate in experimental research, including the investigations of new drugs and medical devices
To formulate advance directives and be informed prior to receiving treatment how the surgery center will or will not comply with these directives
To leave the surgery center against your physician's advice to the extent permitted by law

Access to Services

To receive, as soon as possible, the free services of a translator and/or interpreter, telecommunications devices, and any other necessary services or devices to facilitate communication between the patient and the surgery center's health care personnel (e.g., qualified interpreters, written information in other languages, large print, accessible electronic formats)
To bring a service animal into the facility, except where service animals are specifically prohibited pursuant to facility policy (e.g., operating rooms, areas where invasive procedures are performed, etc.)
To pastoral counseling and to take part in religious and/or social activities while in the surgery center, unless your doctor thinks these activities are not medically advised
To safe, secure and sanitary accommodation and limited refreshments prior to discharge
To access people outside the facility by means of verbal and written communication
To have accessibility to facility buildings and grounds. We recognize the Americans with Disabilities Act, a wide-ranging piece of legislation intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities. The policy is available upon request
To a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests for service

Access to Medical Records

To have his/her medical records, including all computerized medical information, kept confidential and to access information within a reasonable time frame. The patient may decide who may receive copies of the records except as required by law
Upon leaving the healthcare facility and in accordance with the surgery center's policies regarding records requests, patients have the right to obtain copies of their medical records

Ethical Decisions

To participate prior to receiving treatment in ethical decisions that may arise in the course of care including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, foregoing or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials
If the healthcare facility or its team decides that the patient's refusal of treatment prevents him/her from receiving appropriate care according to ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated

Protective Services

To access protective and advocacy services
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
To all legal and civil rights as a citizen unless otherwise prescribed by law
To have upon request to patient's physician an impartial review of hazardous treatments or irreversible surgical treatments prior to implementation except in emergency procedures necessary to preserve your life
To an impartial review of alleged violations of patient rights
To expect emergency procedures to be carried out without unnecessary delay
To give consent to a procedure or treatment and to access the information necessary to provide such consent
To not be required to perform work for the facility unless the work is part of the patient's treatment and is done by choice of the patient
To file a complaint with the Department of Health, Federal, State and/or Local Agencies, or other quality improvement, accreditation or other certifying bodies if he /she has a concern about patient abuse, neglect, about misappropriation of a patient's property in the facility or other unresolved complaint, patient safety or quality concern

Payment and Administration

To examine and receive an explanation of the patient's healthcare facility's bill regardless of source of payment, and may receive upon request, information relating to the availability of known financial resources
A patient who is eligible for Medicare has the right to know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the health care provider or health care facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate
To receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care
To be informed in writing about the facility policies and procedures for initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints, including the address and telephone number of where complaints may be filed

Additional Patient Rights

Except in emergencies, the patient may be transferred to another facility only with a full explanation of the reason for transfer, provisions for continuing care and acceptance by the receiving institution
To initiate their own contact with the media
To request a change of providers, or members of the care team, should other qualified individuals be present
To seek the opinion of another physician, including specialists, at the request and expense of the patient
To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment
To request a transfer to another area (if medically appropriate) if another patient or a visitor in the room is unreasonably disturbing him/her

Patient Responsibilities

The care a patient receives depends partially on the patient him/herself. Therefore, in addition to the above rights, a patient has certain responsibilities. These should be presented to the patient in the spirit of mutual trust and respect.

To provide accurate and complete information concerning his/her health status, medical history, hospitalizations, medications and other matters related to his/her health
To report perceived risks in his/her care and unexpected changes in his/her condition to the responsible practitioner
To report comprehension of a contemplated course of action and what is expected of the patient, and to ask questions when there is a lack of understanding
To follow the plan of care established by his/her physician, including the instructions of nurses and other health professionals as they carry out the physician's orders
To keep appointments or notifying the facility or physician when he/she is unable to do so
To be responsible for his/her actions should he/she refuse treatment or not follow his/her physician's orders
To assure that the financial obligations of his/her healthcare care are fulfilled as promptly as possible
To follow facility policies, procedures, rules and regulations
To be considerate of the rights of other patients and facility personnel
To be respectful of his/her personal property and that of other persons in the facility
To help staff to assess pain, request relief promptly, discuss relief options and expectations with caregivers, work with caregivers to develop a pain management plan, tell staff when pain is not relieved, and communicate worries regarding pain medication
To inform the facility of a violation of patient rights or any safety concerns, including perceived risk in his/her care and unexpected changes in their condition
To provide a responsible adult who, in accordance to the surgery center's directives, will remain at the facility for the duration of his/her stay, transport him/her home from the facility and remain with him/her for the initial 24 hours after surgery/anesthesia, if required by his/her physician

Visitation Rights

We recognize the importance of family, spouses, partners, friends and other visitors in the care process of patients. We adopt and affirm as policy the following visitation rights of patients/clients who receive services from our facility:

To be informed of their visitation rights, including any clinical restriction or limitation of their visitation rights
To designate visitors, including but not limited to a spouse, a domestic partner (including same sex), family members, and friends. These visitors will not be restricted or otherwise denied visitation privileges on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability. All visitors will enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with any clinically necessary or other reasonable restriction or limitation that facilities may need to place on such rights
To receive visits from one's attorney, physician or clergyman at any reasonable time
To speak privately with anyone he/she wishes (subject to surgery center visiting regulations) unless a doctor does not think it is medically advised
To refuse visitors
Media representatives and photographers must contact the Administrator/surgery center spokesperson for access to the surgery center

Reporting Major Concerns

To report a patient rights concern, please contact any of the following:

Center Administrator

Administrator
19010 Stone Oak Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78258
Phone: (210) 575-5200

State Reporting Agency

Medicare Ombudsman

File a complaint at Medicare.gov

Accrediting Organization

HCA Healthcare Ethics Line

800-455-1996

If you need access to services or to report a concern regarding discrimination in access to services, please contact:

Equity Compliance Coordinator
19010 Stone Oak Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78258
Phone: (210) 575-5200

You can file a grievance in person or by mail or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Equity Compliance Coordinator is available to help you.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal or by mail or phone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)
Office for Civil Rights Complaint Forms.