PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS

Bradley County Medical Center, its physicians, nurses, and entire staff are committed to providing you with quality medical care as our patient. It is our policy to respect your individuality and our dignity. We support your right to know about your medical condition and your right to participate in the decisions that affect your well-being. For this reason, we have adopted the following policy regarding patient rights. Should we not meet these goals, please let us know. Your comments will be of help to us and to future patients.

RIGHTS

As a patient, you have the right to:

Dignity and Respect
• To be treated with dignity and courtesy, to be given considerate and respectful care at all times and in all circumstances;
• To treatment for any emergent or urgent medical condition that is likely to deteriorate if such treatment is not given;
• To impartial medical care regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, religion/cultural beliefs, personal values, preferences, or economic background;
• To prompt and reasonable responses to questions and requests;
• To communicate with persons outside our facility; to receive visitors, mail, telephone calls, and other communication during your stay as long as they do not interfere with your ongoing treatment or that of others, and to have any restrictions on communication discussed with you;
• To be free from restraints that are not medically necessary;
• To leave the hospital even against the advice of the physicians;

Confidentiality of Information
• To privacy and to confidential handling of all communication and records regarding your healthcare;
• To have disclosure of your presence at this facility withheld to the extent permitted by law in the event that your safety is in jeopardy by outside persons;

Informed Decisions
• To a full explanation of diagnosis, proposed treatment, and procedures in terms that are easily understood and that include benefits, risks involved, significant complications, the outcome and alternative treatments available;
• To an interpreter as necessary to understand all pertinent communication;
• To review, with your physician, records pertinent to your healthcare and to have medical information explained or interpreted as necessary;
• To know at all times the identity and professional status of all individuals providing any type of service and to know what physician is primarily in charge of your care;
• To expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to be informed of available and realistic patient care options when care at our facility is no longer appropriate;
• To access protective and advocacy services or have these services accessed on your behalf;
• To be informed by your physician or his/her delegate of the continuing healthcare requirements following your discharge;
• To be informed of our facility's policies and practices that relate to patient care, treatment, and responsibilities, including financial information;
• To request and receive an itemized explanation of the total bill for health services rendered;

Participation in Care
• To be involved in decisions about your medical care to the extent permitted by law, and to be informed of the likely medical consequences of those decisions;
• To refuse treatment;
• To exclude any or all family members from participating in your health care decisions;
• To have an advanced directive, such as a living will, a health care proxy, or a durable power of attorney for health care;
• To be involved with family and other decision-makers in resolving dilemmas about care decisions;
• To pastoral counseling;
• To participate in the assessment and management of pain;
• To express any concerns or grievances orally or in writing without fear of reprisal;
• To be advised if the hospital or your physician propose to engage in or perform experimentation affecting your care. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects;

Patient and Family Responsibilities: As a patient, you and your designees are responsible:
• For providing accurate information about your present illness and past medical history;
• For seeking clarification when necessary to fully understand your health problems and proposed plan of action;
• For following through on the agreed plan of care;
• For following the rules and regulations of the healthcare facility, including those pertaining to patient safety;
• For being considerate of the rights of others;
• For providing information for insurance claims and for working with our business office to make payment arrangements as necessary.

TO EXPRESS ANY CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO OUR POLICIES OR THE SERVICE YOU ARE RECEIVING, YOU MAY SPEAK TO YOUR PHYSICIAN, YOUR NURSE, A PATIENT REPRESENTATIVE, OR AN ADMINISTRATOR. IF YOU WISH TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN GRIEVANCE, YOU MAY DO SO BY CALLING (870-226-3731) OR MAIL AT:

Hospital Administration
404 South Bradley Street
Warren, AR 71671

We are committed to addressing your concerns in a timely manner and to your satisfaction.