At St. Jude, our physicians, nurses and staff are committed to providing you with outstanding care and service. Our goal is to meet and exceed your expectations. Your nurse can provide you with most of what you may need during your stay, and the nurse manager on your floor is always available to help resolve any concerns you may have.

Should you have any comments, questions, or concerns that have not been resolved, please feel free to contact the Patient Representative, or the hospital operator will direct your call to the Administrative Supervisor. Every effort will be made to resolve your requests in a timely manner.  If you have a complaint about the quality of care at a Joint Commission-accredited health care organization, you may submit your complaint online or send it to the Joint Commission by mail, fax or e-mail.

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fax: Office of Quality Monitoring (630) 792-5636

Mail:
Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

If you have questions about how to file your complaint, you may contact the Joint Commission toll-free at (800) 994-6610, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (central time).

Accommodations and Amenities
Food and Nutrition Services
Your Hospital Team
For Your Safety and Security
Going Home
Hospital Bills and Insurance
Decisions about Treatment
Ethics Resource Services
Patient Rights

Accommodations and Amenities

The hospital sometimes has to make adjustments in patient accommodations because of availability on the day of your admission, emergency admissions or a doctor’s orders. If circumstances prevent you from receiving the accommodations you requested upon admission, we will make every effort to move you as soon as possible.

Calling Your Nurse
A call light button to reach your nurse is located at your bedside. When you press the button, the nursing station is alerted. A staff member will respond to your signal as soon as possible.

Guest Relations
The Guest Relations desk has been designed to provide you, our patients and guests, access to non-medical services that will make your hospital experience more comfortable and accommodating. It is open 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and can be accessed by calling ext. 6494 . The Guest Relations Coordinators have been specially trained to provide a host of non-medical services including but not limited to:

Recreation/Diversionary Services

• Selected Games (can be checked out)
• Television with VCR and selected videos
• Newspaper, Magazine, Book Delivery
• Spiritual Reading Materials
• Gift Shop (Shopping Service)
• Complimentary Stationery

Support Services

• Food Service Requests (Patient requests will require physician approval)
• Patient Room Maintenance Requests
• Housekeeping Requests

Community Amenities Information

• Hotel and Transportation
• Restaurant and Dining
• Local Entertainment
• Shopping Mall Locations
• Religious Institution Directory
• Bank/Savings and Loan Directory

Most services are free of charge. However, you will be informed at the time of your call if there is a cost for the service. Purchases cannot be applied to your hospital bill and must be paid for at the time of service. Some services are only offered at selected times.

Interpreters
The hospital has access to interpreters for a number of foreign languages should a patient require it. For more information call the hospital operator.

Telephones
Telephones are provided in each room, except on the Intensive Care and Critical Care Units’ patient rooms. Local calls may be made from your room at any time by dialing 9 and the number you want to call.

Long distance and toll calls can be made from your room at any time by dialing 9-0 and the number. Long distance calls cannot be charged to your room. You can make a credit card call or charge a long distance call to your home number.

Your family and friends can call you any time by dialing (714) 871-3280, and the hospital operator will transfer the call directly to your room.

If you experience dialing difficulty, please contact the hospital operator for assistance by dialing “0” at any time.

Mail
Volunteers deliver letters and packages to patients each morning. Letters and parcels that arrive after you have been discharged are forwarded to your home. Stamps and stationery may be purchased in the gift shop. Outgoing mail may be left at the nurses’ station or given to a volunteer.

Flowers
Flowers are delivered to your room by volunteers. Please keep in mind that large plants and flowers are difficult to deliver and remove when you are discharged. Because of the special needs of our patients on the Critical Care Unit, flowers are not allowed.

Newspapers
Newspapers may be purchased at the entrance to the hospital. You may have a newspaper brought to your room by calling the Guest Relations desk at ext. 6494.

Notary Public
A list of local notary public services is available for patients. For information call the Guest Relations desk at ext. 6494.

For the Hearing-Impaired
A telecommunications device is available to help hearing-impaired patients or patients who want to communicate with a hearing-impaired relative or friend by calling Guest Relations at ext. 6494. Arrangements can also be made to have a person who uses sign language help a hearing-impaired or deaf patient. TDD phones are located in the Harbor Lobby and Val Mesa Lobby. Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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Food and Nutrition Services

Nourishing and appropriate foods are important to your well being, treatment, and recovery. The Food and Nutritional Services Department will make every effort to provide food that meets your doctor’s prescription, as well as your preferences. At times your meal may be delayed because of tests and/or treatments.

A select menu for the next day will be included on your breakfast tray. Please mark your menu as soon as possible. If you have difficulty making menu selections, or need alternate choices of food, your nutrition representative can assist you.

If your physician has ordered a special diet for you, you will receive a modified menu, and a diet technician will review your selections to ensure that they meet the physician’s specific order.

Guest trays are available for purchase in the cafeteria. A guest may fill out a select menu, pay for the items in the cafeteria, and the food will be delivered to the room along with the patient’s tray.

Cafeteria
The Father Lawrence Smith Dining Room is located near the Val Mesa Lobby on the first floor. The cafeteria is open from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Vending Machines
Vending machines are available 24 hours a day, and are located on the cafeteria patio and outside the Emergency Department waiting room.

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Your Hospital Team

The Medical Staff and Hospitalists
The physician who admits you is responsible for your care while you are in the hospital. Your physician should be consulted if you have questions about your illness. During your hospital stay, your doctor may request a specialist(s) to consult or a specialty group of physicians (Hospitalists) to provide your care. Hospitalists are highly skilled physicians who are experts in managing your care needs throughout your hospital stay. Your physician will remain your primary care provider who may be contacted at any time if questions or concerns arise.

The Nursing Staff
Nursing care is provided by a team of professional registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and patient care technicians (certified nursing assistants trained to draw blood, perform EKGs, etc.) A nurse manager is responsible for your care 24 hours a day and supervises the health care team personally assigned to you during your stay. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your nurse or nurse manager.

Patient Representative
The patient representative serves as a liaison between the patient/family/visitor and the hospital, and interprets the hospital’s philosophy, policies, procedures and services for patients, their families and visitors. Patient representatives can seek solutions for a patient’s problem by acting on the patient’s behalf.

Case Management
Case Managers and/or Utilization Management/Discharge Planners are available to assist you and your family with evaluating and implementing plans for discharge from the hospital to the next level of care your physician recommends. They may also assist you with any insurance questions you have in regard to your covered health plan benefits.

Social Workers
Social workers are trained to help patients and family members deal with emotional problems that relate to illness or hospitalization. Members of the department work with patients and their family to help cope with long-term illness, disability, and issues of loss and grief.

Spiritual Care
St. Jude Medical Center believes that total patient care demands attention to the spiritual, as well as the physical and emotional, needs of each patient. Members of the pastoral care staff are available to assist you, whatever your religious preference.

Our chaplains have received specialized training for hospital ministry. They are assisted by laypersons that have special training through their own churches to assist with visitation of the sick and serve as Eucharist Ministers. Your priest, minister, or rabbi is always welcome to visit you during your stay.

Dietitian - Nutrition Services
A staff of registered dietitians and diet technicians are available to help you with your food and nutritional needs during your stay. You may request a visit by a registered dietitian or diet technician through your nutrition host/hostess or your nurse. If you have questions about your meals or diet, please ask your nurse to contact Nutrition Services.

Patient Financial Services
Patient Financial Services representatives can answer questions about your hospital bill and help you interpret financial policies and billing procedures. Patient Financial Services can be reached at (714) 870-3500 , Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Environmental Services
A member of the Environmental Services Department staff cleans your room daily. If there is a concern with the cleanliness of your room, please contact the Guest Relations desk at ext. 6494 , and it will be taken care of as soon as possible.

Volunteers
Volunteers contribute many service hours and participate in fundraising activities for the medical center. Volunteer opportunities include patient care areas, gift shop and clerical positions. For more information about our volunteer programs, please call Volunteer Services at (714) 992-3000 ext. 2878 or click here .

Other Personnel
During your stay you may be visited by many other health care professionals, including respiratory, laboratory, and radiology personnel, as well as physical, occupational, or speech therapists. In addition, the St. Jude Medical Center family includes: accountants, engineers, secretaries, food service workers, and others who contribute greatly toward your well-being.

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For Your Safety and Security

Infection Control
To safeguard the health of all patients, health care workers use routine protective measures such as wearing gloves and other protective clothing for many aspects of patient care. Although St. Jude is committed to providing you with the safest possible environment, we know how important human touch is to the healing process. You can be confident that protective measures are a benefit to you and the health care team. If you have any questions, please contact your nurse.

Smoking
It is the policy of St. Jude Medical Center to provide an environment that promotes the health, welfare, and safety of all that enter and work in the facility. In keeping with that philosophy, we maintain a smoke-free campus.

Oxygen
Special regulations are in effect in areas where patients are receiving oxygen. Non-medical electrically operated equipment is not permitted in these areas. Any spark-producing devices or open flames are not permitted.

In Case of Fire/Code Red
St. Jude Medical Center performs frequent fire drills. When the fire bells are activated, please remain calm. Your door will close automatically, and each room is equipped with a smoke detector. Stay in your room—patient rooms are built to resist infiltration of fire for at least one hour. Your nurse will arrive shortly with additional information or assistance. If appropriate, the nurse will remove you from your room.

In Case of Earthquake
In case of earthquake, stay in your bed. Keep calm. If possible, cover your head with your pillow. Your nurse will arrive as soon as possible.

Keep your over-bed table and shelving clear of heavy objects that may fall, such as flowers. Your TV is seismically anchored to prevent it from falling. All windows have been treated with earthquake-resistive film to prevent the glass from shattering and causing injury.

Patient-Owned Electrical Equipment
To ensure your safety and compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 22, all patient-owned electrical equipment such as shavers, radios, etc., must be safety checked by your nurse before use.

Medications
All medications you take while in the hospital are prescribed by your doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacy, and administered by a nurse. Patients are not permitted to administer their own drugs or keep personal medications at their bedside.

Valuable or Lost Items
Patients are asked not to bring items of value to the hospital. If you do bring a valuable item, it should be deposited in the safe in the Admissions Department. You will be given a written receipt for all items, which must be presented when you withdraw them. The hospital does not accept responsibility for items of value unless they are deposited in the safe. If you lose something, please notify your nurse immediately. Every effort will be made to help you find your lost article(s). Unclaimed articles are deposited with Environmental Services (EVS). EVS is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to assist persons in reclaiming lost articles. Persons unable to claim items during the normal operating hours must make special arrangements by calling EVS at (714) 992-3000 ext. 3989.

EVS maintains a record of all items received, and the disposition of the same, for a minimum of three months. After 90 days, all items are subject to disposal.

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Going Home

When your doctor decides you are ready to leave the hospital, a discharge order will be written. On admission to the hospital you should make arrangements with a family member or friend to help you when it is time to go home. Discharge time is 11 a.m. It is important to make arrangements for someone to pick you up the day of discharge by 11 a.m.; this time enables us to prepare for our next scheduled patient. Here are some important things to remember:

Personal Belongings
Collect all of your belongings and double check closets and drawers. If you have anything stored in the hospital safe, call the Admissions Department and they will bring your belongings to you.

Discharge Instructions
Your doctor and your nurse will give you instructions about post-hospital care. If you have questions about your diet, activities, or other matters, please be sure to ask.

Medications
If your doctor gives you a prescription, it can be filled at the hospital pharmacy.

Transitional Care Center (TCC)
The TCC unit is a skilled nursing facility designed for patients who no longer require acute care in a hospital but who need additional short-term care before discharge. Rehabilitation and specialized nursing care are emphasized.

Home Health Care
The St. Joseph Health System Home Health Agency is a full-service home health agency that contracts with Medicare and a multitude of private insurance plans and HMOs. There is a complete range of services available for patients and families. Programs included are: oncology, psychiatric, hospice, and infusion therapy. Private duty nurses, home health aides, and live-ins are also available. For an in-hospital visit have your nurse contact the Home Health Liaison Nurse. For more information please call St. Joseph Health System Home Health Agency at (714) 712-9500.

Home Medical Equipment
Your healthcare team will assess your durable medical equipment needs prior to your discharge.

Senior Services
A variety of community-based services, including transportation, subsidized homemaker/home attendant program, and Senior Link program may be helpful for you once you are at home. For more information, call the Guest Relations desk at ext. 6494 , or click here for more information.

Patient Education
Education regarding your illness, diet, treatment, tests, medications, drug/food interactions, and home care are available from your health care team. The education materials you receive will be placed in an envelope for you to take with you. If you require additional information, call the Guest Relations desk at ext. 6494 .

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Hospital Bills and Insurance

If You Have Health Insurance
We will need a copy of your identification card. We also may need the insurance forms that are supplied by your employer or the insurance company. You will be asked to assign benefits from the insurance company directly to the hospital.

If You Are a Member of an HMO or PPO
Your plan may have special requirements or authorizations, such as a second surgical opinion or pre-certification for certain tests or procedures. It is your responsibility to make sure the requirements of your plan have been met. If your plan’s requirements are not followed, you may be financially responsible for all or part of the services rendered in the hospital. Some physician specialists may not participate in your healthcare plan and their services may not be covered.

If You Are Covered by Medicare
We will need a copy of your Medicare card to verify eligibility and process your claim. You should be aware that the Medicare program specifically excludes payment for certain items and services, such as cosmetic surgery, some oral surgery procedures, personal comfort items, hearing evaluations, and others. Deductibles and co-payments are also the responsibility of the patient.

If You Are Covered by Medi-Cal
We will need a copy of your Medi-Cal card. Medi-Cal also has payment limitations on a number of services and items. Medi-Cal does not pay for the cost of a private room unless medically necessary.

If You Are Uninsured
A financial counselor from the Admitting Department will discuss financial arrangements with you. The financial counselor can also assist you in applying for Medicaid or other government assistance programs.

Your Hospital Bill
The hospital is responsible for submitting bills to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim. Please remember that your policy is a contract between you and your insurance company, and you have the final responsibility for payment of your hospital bill. We have several payment options available to assist you in paying your bill.

Your bill reflects all of the services you receive during your stay. Charges fall into two categories: a basic daily rate, which includes your room, meals, nursing care, housekeeping, telephone, and television; and charges for special services which include items your physician orders for you, such as x-rays or laboratory tests. If you have certain tests or treatments in the hospital, you may receive bills from physicians you did not see in person.

Those bills are for professional services rendered by the doctors in diagnosing and interpreting test results while you were a patient. Pathologists, radiologists, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, emergency medicine physicians, and other specialists perform these services and are required to submit separate bills. If you have questions about those bills, please call the number printed on the statement.

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Decisions about Treatment

The following information explains your right to make healthcare decisions and how you can plan now for your medical care if you are unable to speak for yourself in the future. Federal law requires us to give you this information. We hope this information will help increase your control over your medical treatment.

Who decides about my treatment?
Your doctors will give you information and advice about treatment. You have the right to choose. You can say “Yes” to treatments you want. You can say “No” to any treatment that you don’t want— even if the treatment might keep you alive longer.

How do I know what I want?
Your doctor must tell you about your medical condition and about what different treatments and pain management alternatives can do for you. Many treatments have “side effects.” Your doctor must offer you information about problems that medical treatment is likely to cause you. Often, more than one treatment might help you–and people have different ideas about which is best. Your doctor can tell you which treatments are available to you, but your doctor can’t choose for you. That choice is yours to make and depends on what is important to you.

Can other people help with my decisions?
Yes. Patients often turn to their relatives and close friends for help in making medical decisions. These people can help you think about the choices you face. You can ask the doctors and nurses to talk with your relatives and friends. They can ask the doctors and nurses questions for you.

Can I choose a relative or friend to make healthcare decisions for me?
Yes. You may tell your doctor that you want someone else to make healthcare decisions for you. Ask the doctor to list that person as your healthcare “surrogate” in your medical record. The surrogate’s control over your medical decisions is effective only during treatment for your current illness or injury or, if you are in a medical facility, until you leave the facility.

What if I become too sick to make my own healthcare decisions?
If you haven’t named a surrogate, your doctor will ask your closest available relative or friend to help decide what is best for you. Most of the time that works. But sometimes everyone doesn't agree about what to do. That’s why it is helpful if you can say in advance what you want to happen if you can’t speak for yourself.

Do I have to wait until I am sick to express my wishes about healthcare?
No. In fact, it is better to choose before you get very sick or have to go into a hospital, nursing home, or other healthcare facility. You can use an Advance Healthcare Directive to say who you want to speak for you and what kind of treatments you want. These documents are called “advance” because you prepare one before healthcare decisions need to be made. They are called “directives” because they state who will speak on your behalf and what should be done.

In California, the part of an advance directive you can use to appoint an agent to make healthcare decisions is called an Advance Healthcare Directive. The part where you can express what you want done is called an Individual Healthcare Instruction.

Who can make an advance directive?
You can if you are 18 years or older and are capable of making your own medical decisions. You do not need a lawyer.

Who can I name as my agent?
You can choose an adult relative or any other person you trust to speak for you when medical decisions must be made.

When does my agent begin making my medical decisions?
Usually, a healthcare agent will make decisions only after you lose the ability to make them yourself. But, if you wish, you can state in the Advanced Healthcare Directive that you want the agent to begin making decisions immediately.

How does my agent know what I would want?
After you choose your agent, talk to that person about what you want. Sometimes treatment decisions are hard to make, and it truly helps if your agent knows what you want. You can also write your wishes down in your advance directive.

What if I don’t want to name an agent?
You can still write out your wishes in your advance directive, without naming an agent. You can say that you want to have your life continued as long as possible. Or you can say that you would not want treatment to continue your life. Also, you can express your wishes about the use of pain relief or any other type of medical treatment.

Even if you have not filled out a written Individual Healthcare Instruction , you can discuss your wishes with your doctor, and ask your doctor to list those wishes in your medical record. Or you can discuss your wishes with your family members or friends. But it will probably be easier to follow your wishes if you write them down.

What if I change my mind?
You can change or cancel your advance directive at any time as long as you can communicate your wishes. To change the person you want to make your healthcare decisions, you must sign a statement or tell the doctor in charge of your care.

What happens when someone else makes decisions about my treatment?
The same rules apply to anyone who makes healthcare decisions on your behalf – a healthcare agent, a surrogate whose name you gave to your doctor, or a person appointed by a court to make decisions for you. All are required to follow your Healthcare Instructions or, if none, your general wishes about treatment, including stopping treatment. If your treatment wishes are not known, the surrogate must try to determine what is in your best interest.
The people providing your healthcare must follow the decisions of your agent or surrogate unless a requested treatment would be bad medical practice or ineffective in helping you. If this causes disagreement that cannot be worked out, the provider must make a reasonable effort to find another healthcare provider to take over your treatment.

Will I still be treated if I don’t make an advance directive?
Absolutely. You will still get medical treatment. We just want you to know that if you become too sick to make decisions, someone else will have to make them for you. Remember that:

• An Advance Healthcare Directive lets you name an agent to make decisions for you. Your agent can make most medical decisions— not just those about life-sustaining treatment—when you can’t speak for yourself. You can also let your agent make decisions earlier, if you wish.
• You can create an Individual Healthcare Instruction by writing down your wishes about healthcare or by talking with your doctor and asking the doctor to record your wishes in your medical file. If you know when you would or would not want certain types of treatment, an Instruction provides a good way to make your wishes clear to your doctor and to anyone else who may be involved in deciding about treatment on your behalf.
• These two types of Advance Healthcare Directives may be used together or separately.

How can I get more information about making an advance directive?
Ask your doctor, nurse, social worker, or healthcare provider to get more information for you. You can have a lawyer write an advance directive for you, or you can complete an advance directive by filling in the blanks on a form.

To implement Public Law 101-508, the California Consortium on Patient Self-Determination prepared this document in 1991; it was revised in 2000 by the California Department of Health Services, with input from members of the Consortium and other interested parties to reflect changes in state law.

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Ethics Resource Services

St. Jude Medical Center (SJMC) is committed to responsible care that treats the whole person – the spirit, the intellect, and the body. The Ethics Resource Services Committee serves as a resource for patients, their loved ones and staff.

What is Healthcare Ethics?
Healthcare Ethics is the reasoned examination of moral issues relating to health, life and death. The concern of health care ethics is the worth and dignity of each patient, health care decision-making and the responsibilities of care providers, the patient, the patient’s family and significant others. New technology and advances, professional experience, and legal and cultural changes often raise ethics issues.

The Ethics Resource Services Committee (ERSC)
The committee is directly responsible to the Medical Executive Committee and the SJMC Board of Trustees. The committee’s goal is to help patients, families, physicians, nurses, hospital staff and community members work through health care ethical issues.

The committee meets monthly for self-education on healthcare topics and to continue work on broader educational and policy issues.

Who serves on the ERSC?
The committee consists of multidisciplinary membership: one-third physicians including the chairman, one-third nursing staff and one-third others to include administration, Board of Trustees representative, social worker, chaplain, patient representative and non-hospital specialists such as attorneys, ethicists and lay representatives.

ERSC Members are available to:

• Support physicians, families and healthcare professionals;
• Provide a forum for discussion among patients, families, physicians, nurses and staff when ethical issues arise;
• Provide educational programs on healthcare ethical issues both within and outside SJMC; and
• Develop policies and assist in hospital policy review and performance improvement.

How to request a consultation
Consultation with the Ethics Resource Services Committee is available when those involved in a patient care issue agree that a wider discussion would be helpful, either because conflicts persist or because the subject presents ethical, spiritual, legal and/or social issues.

Anyone may request a consultation by contacting the patient care manager. Recommendations resulting from an ERSC consultation are advisory only. The consultation is intended to enhance and in no way replace the patient-family-physician relationship.

Confidentiality
All deliberations and records of the Ethics Resource Services Committee pertaining to confidential patient information shall be confidential consistent with relevant law.

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Patient Rights

You have the right to:

1. Considerate and respectful care, and to be made comfortable. You have the right to respect for your personal values and beliefs.

2. Have a family member (or other representative of your choosing) and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.

3. Know the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care and the names and professional relationships of other physicians and non-physicians who will see you.

4. Receive information about your health status, course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms you can understand. You have the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care. You have the right to participate in ethical questions that arise in the course of your care, including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, and forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.

5. Make decisions regarding medical care, and receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as you may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse a course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved, alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each, and the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.

6. Request or refuse treatment, to the extent permitted by law. However, you do not have the right to demand inappropriate or medically unnecessary treatment or services. You have the right to leave the hospital even against the advice of physicians, to the extent permitted by law.

7. Be advised if the hospital/personal physician proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.

8. Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.

9. Request or reject the use of any or all modalities to relieve pain, including opiate medication, if you suffer from severe chronic intractable pain. The doctor may refuse to prescribe the opiate medication, but if so, must inform you that there are physicians who specialize in the treatment of severe chronic intractable pain with methods that include the use of opiates.

10. Formulate advance directives. This includes designating a decision-maker if you become incapable of understanding a proposed treatment or become unable to communicate your wishes regarding care. Hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital shall comply with these directives. All patients’ rights apply to the person who has legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on your behalf.

11. Have personal privacy respected. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. You have the right to be told the reason for the presence of any individual. You have the right to have visitors leave prior to an examination and when treatment issues are being discussed. Privacy curtains will be used in semi-private rooms. Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to your care and stay in the hospital. Basic information released to the public, unless specifically prohibited in writing by you. Written permission shall be obtained before medical records are made available to anyone not directly concerned with your care, except as otherwise may be required or permitted by law.

12. Access information contained in your records within a reasonable time frame, except in certain circumstances specified by law.

13. Receive care in a safe setting, free from verbal or physical abuse or harassment. You have the right to access protective services, including notifying government agencies of neglect or abuse.

14. Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.

15. Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of appointments as well as the identity of the persons providing the care.

16. Be informed by the physician, or a delegate of the physician, of continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.

17. Know which hospital rules and policies apply to your conduct while a patient.

18. Designate visitors of your choosing, if you have decision-making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood or marriage, unless: 1) No visitors are allowed; 2) The facility reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the health facility staff, or other visitor to the health facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the facility; 3) You have told the health facility staff that you no longer want a particular person to visit.

19. However, a health facility may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors.

20. Have your wishes considered, if you lack decision-making capacity, for the purposes of determining who may visit. The method of that consideration will be disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At a minimum, the hospital shall include any persons living in your household.

21. Examine and receive an explanation of the hospital’s bill regardless of the source of payment.

22. Exercise these rights without regard to sex, economic status, educational background, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or marital status, or the source of payment for care.

23. File a grievance and/or file a complaint with the state Department of Health Services and/or the hospital and be informed of the action taken.

These Patient Rights incorporate the requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; Title 22, California Code of Regulations, Section 70707; and Medicare Conditions of Participation.

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