Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Your rights as a patient of Hendrick Medical Center

We consider you a partner in your healthcare. When you are well informed, participate in treatment decisions and communicate openly with your healthcare provider and other healthcare professionals, you help make your care as effective as possible. At Hendrick Medical Center, we encourage respect for the personal preferences and values of each individual.

As a natural outgrowth of our organizational values and mission, the board of directors, the medical staff and the employees of Hendrick Medical Center and affiliates jointly affirm and recognize the following rights and responsibilities of patients:

• You have the right to considerate and respectful care regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or ability to pay.
• You have the right to have your cultural beliefs respected during treatment.
• You have the right to be well informed about your illness, possible treatments and likely outcome and to discuss this information with your healthcare provider. You have the right to know the names of people treating you.
• You have the right to be informed of your rights, prior to receiving or discontinuing care, including resuscitative services.
• You have the right to consent or to refuse treatment, as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will be told of alternatives of available care.
• You have the right to have an advance directive, such a s a living will or medical power of attorney. These documents express your choices about your future care or name someone to decide if you cannot speak for yourself. If you have a written advance directive, you should provide a copy to the hospital, your family and your healthcare provider.
• You have the right to privacy. The hospital, your doctor and others caring for you will protect your privacy as much as possible.
• You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary.
• You have the right to the appropriate assessment and management of pain.
• You are not entitled to the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
• You have the right to have a family member or representative of your choice and/or your physician notified promptly upon your admission to Hendrick.
• You have the right to expect that treatment records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law. When the hospital releases records to others such as insurers, it emphasizes the records are confidential.
• You have the right to review your medical records and to have the information explained, except when restricted by law.
• You have the right to expect Hendrick Medical Center will give you necessary health services to the best of our ability. Treatment, referral or transfer may be recommended. If transfer is recommended or requested, you will be informed of risks, benefits and alternatives. You will not be transferred until the other healthcare entity agrees to accept you.
• You have the right to know if any Hendrick entities have relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment of care. These relationships may be with educational institutions, other healthcare providers or insurers.
• You have the right to consent or decline to take part in research affecting your care. Regardless of your choice, you will receive the most effective care Hendrick Medical Center otherwise provides.
• You have the right to be told of alternatives when your current treatment is no longer appropriate.
• You have the right to know about policies at Hendrick Medical Center, which affect you and your treatment and about charges and payment methods as appropriate to the Hendrick entity from which you are receiving treatment. You have the right to know about resources, such as patient representatives or ethics committees that can help you resolve problems and questions about your care when you are an inpatient.
• You have the right to a process for prompt resolution of grievances.

In addition to rights, you have responsibilities as a patient.

• You are responsible for providing information about your health, including past illness, hospital stays and use of medicine. You are responsible for asking questions when you do not understand information or instructions. If you believe you can't follow through with your treatment, you are responsible for telling your doctor.
• This hospital works to provide care efficiently and fairly to all patients and the community. You and your visitors are responsible for being considerate of the needs of other patients, staff and the hospital. You are responsible for providing information for insurance and working with the hospital to arrange payment when needed.
• Your health depends not just on your hospital care, but in the long term, on the decisions you make in daily life. You are responsible for recognizing the effect of lifestyle on your personal health.

Healthcare providers work to improve people's health; treat people with injury and disease; educate doctors, health professionals, patients, and community members; and improve understanding of health and disease. In carrying out these activities, Hendrick Medical Center and affiliates works to respect your values and dignity.

Grievance Process

Grievance Procedure

Hendrick Medical Center will make every effort to promptly address and resolve any patient care concerns that are brought to our attention. If you or your family have a concern, you are encouraged to speak with your primary care giver the nurse manager on your unit or the supervisor of the department where you received a service.

Billing Procedures

Billing procedures are available upon request at any registration desk and at Business Services, 2182 Hickory Street, Abilene, Texas. You also may access the procedures by calling 325.670.2437.

Formal Grievance Process

If you or your representative feel certain issues or concerns cannot be resolved informally, or if such issues or concerns are not resolved to your satisfaction, you or your representative may file a patient grievance.

1. Contact the Patient Relations representative (dial extension 2915) during normal business hours (or)
2. Contact the appropriate nurse manager (on your unit) or the nursing supervisor through the hospital operator (dial 0)

To lodge a complaint with the Texas Department of State Health Services, call 1-888-973-0022. (You may contact the state agency directly, regardless of whether you have first used the Hendrick grievance process.)

To submit a written complaint:
Customer Services Representative
Texas Department of State Health Services
1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756
Email: customer.service@dshs.state.tx.us

To report a patient safety concern to Joint Commission:
Email to: complaint@jointcommission.org
Fax to: Office of Quality Monitoring
630-792-5636

Mail to: Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

Phone: If you have questions about how to file your complaint, you may contact the Joint Commission at this toll-free U.S. telephone number, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, weekdays: 1-800-994-6610.

Raising a concern will not compromise your current or future care from any Hendrick Medical Center service.