Patient Bill of Rights

As a patient at San Angelo Community Medical Center, you are guaranteed the following rights:

1. Impartial and reasonable access to medically indicated treatment regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin or sources of payment for care.
2. Considerate and respectful care that respects your psychosocial, spiritual and cultural values and beliefs.
3. Reasonable response to your requests and needs for treatment of service, providing transfer or referral when necessary, within the hospital's capacity, its stated mission, vision and applicable law and regulations.
4. To be provided the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care and the names and professional relationships of other physicans and staff members providing care for you.
5. Make decisions and participate actively in  your care, consent or to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and be informed of the medical consequences of such actions.
6. Obtain information from physicians and other direct caregivers in understandable terms concerning diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and plans for discharge and follow-up care.
7. To be informed of any human experimentation or other research or educational projects/investigational studies affecting your care, maintaining the right to refuse.
8. To participate and receive adequate information regarding ethical questions that arise in the course of your care, including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials. You may ask your nurse or physician to consult the Ethics Committee for resolution of conflict in decision-making regarding your care. You may request to see a copy of the hospital's Ethics Issue Resolution Policy and the Code of Ethical Behavior Policy.
9. Effective assessment/management of pain as appropriate to the medical diagnosis, surgical procedure or terminal condition.
10. Information about hospital policies that relate to your care. You have the right to express a concern or complaint regarding your care to the attending physician, nurse assigned to you or the nursing supervisor. You have the right to a timely response to your concern or complaint and a resolution when possible. Expression of a concern or a complaint will not compromise your care or future access to care.
11. Be cared for by staff members who have been educated about patient rights and their role in supporting these rights.
12. Receive care in a safe setting, free of all forms of abuse or harrassment, and to be free from seclusion or restraints of any form that are not medically necessary.
13. To receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure you may need in order to give informed consent or refuse this course of treatment, which shall be consistent with any legal requirements. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the treatment, the medically significant risks, discomforts involved in this treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment, benefits, unanticipated outcomes and the risks involved in each.
14. To have full consideration of security/confidentiality and privacy concerning your records and medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and shall be conducted discretely, except in cases such as abuse or public health hazards, which are required by law to be reported. The patient has the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any individual.
15. To formulate Advance Directives concerning treatment/organ donation, and to designate a surrogate decision-maker to make health care decisions on your behalf, with the exception that the hospital will honor that directive to the extent permitted by law. And executed advance directive shall be in the patient record and reviewed periodically with the patient or surrogate decision-maker. The existence of an advance directive shall not alter the care of the patient.
16. To access protective services.
17. To file a complaint with the hospital or state/certification agency in regards to patient care, abuse, neglect, or about the misappropriation of patient property in the facility.
18. To leave the facility even against the advice of your physician.
19. To expect reasonable continuity of care, to know in advance what appointment times and physicians are available and to be informed of your continuing health requirements after discharge.
20. To know the hospital rules and regulations that apply to your conduct as a patient and to be informed of policies regarding any complaints you may have.
21. To have a family member or representative of his/her choice or own physician notified of their admissions.
22. To be treated equitably and humanely, with respect to dignity and privacy, when near death. Comfort shall be maintained with effective pain management using chemical and nursing comfort measures. Primary and secondary symptoms, which respond to treatment, shall be treated as desired by you, your family or your surrogate decision-maker. You also may expect the psychosocial, spiritual and cultural concerns of you and your family regarding death to be met.
23. To have your parent, legal guardian or other legally authorized responsible person who may exercise your rights upon your behalf if you are a minor, legally incompetent or medically incapable of understanding proposed treatment or procedures.
24. Review your medical records and have information explained or interpreted as necessary, except as restricted by law and to examine and receive an explanation of your bill regardless of your source of payment.