Peterson Regional Medical Center - Kerrville, Texas

• To participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care;

• To make informed decisions regarding his or her care;

• To formulate Advance Directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives;

• To have a family member or representative of his or her own choice, and his or her own physician notified promptly of the patient's admission to the hospital;

• To personal privacy;

• To receive care in a safe setting;

• To be free from all forms of abuse or harassment;

• To the confidentiality of his or her clinical records;

• To access information contained in his or her clinical records within a reasonable time frame;

• 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. Should a patient experience a change in emotional, physical or mental status, then the family may be requested to sit with the patient, or arrange for a private sitter.

If a patient feels any of the above rights have been violated, the hospital has a grievance process for the prompt resolution of patient complaints. Patients should contact the PRMC Patient Relations Department, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, at extension 7630. On weekends or evenings, patients should contact their Nurse Manager.

Peterson Regional Medical Center
has adopted the following
PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS

1. Access to Care
Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, age, national origin, ability to pay for care, or the presence or lack of an Advanced Directive.

2. Respect and Dignity
The patient and family have the right to considerate, respectful care at all times and under all circumstances, with recognition of personal dignity and respect for his or her personal values and beliefs.

3. Privacy and Confidentiality
The patient and family has the right, within the law, to personal and informational privacy, as manifested by the following rights:

To refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, or persons officially connected with the hospital but not directly involved in his/her care.

To expect that all communications and records pertaining to his/her care will be treated as confidential.

To expect case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment to be confidential, and conducted discreetly.

To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.

4. Consideration
The patient and family has the right to consideration of the psycho-social, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence the perceptions of illness, recovery, death, and the grieving process.

5. Safety/Security
The patient and family have the right to expect reasonable safety precautions to be taken by the hospital, and reasonable precautions for providing a secure environment.

6. Pain Management
The patient has the right to be informed about pain and pain management. The patient has the right to effective management of pain.

7. Information
The patient has the right to obtain, from the practitioner responsible for coordinating his/her care, complete and current information concerning the patient's diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, and any known prognosis. This information should be communicated in terms the patient and their family can reasonably be expected to understand. The patient has the right of access to the information contained in their medical record, within the limits of the law and hospital policy.

The patient and family have the right to know the identity and professional status of any hospital personnel who provide care to the patient. All hospital personnel shall wear nametags while on duty.

The patient and family shall be provided information of any professional or business relationship to another health care provider or institution that might suggest a conflict of interest.
Information shall be made available regarding the hospital's relationships to education institutions involved in patient care.

8. Communication
The patient has the right of access to people outside the hospital by means of visitors and by verbal and written communication. Any restriction on communication will be determined with patient and/or family input. The hospital will provide for effective communication for each person served, including the hearing or speech impaired.

9. Consent
The patient has the right to informed participation in decisions involving his/her health care. To the degree possible, this should be based on a clear, concise explanation of his/her condition and of all proposed technical procedures. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the specific procedures and/or treatments, the medically significant risks involved, and the probable duration of incapacitation.

Where medically significant alternatives for care or treatment exist, or when the patient requests information concerning medical alternatives, the patient has the right to know such information.
The patient shall not be subjected to any procedure without his or her voluntary, competent, and understanding consent, or the consent of his/her legally authorized representative.
The patient and family have the right to know who is responsible for authorizing and performing the procedures or treatment.

The patient and family shall be informed if the hospital proposes to engage in, or perform, human experimentation or other research or educational projects affecting his/her care or treatment. The patient has the right to refuse to participate in any such activity.

10. Consultation
The patient and family, at their own request and expense, have the right to consult with a specialist of their choice. However, for in-house consultation, the physician or caregiver must have privileges in this facility.

11. Refusal of Treatment
The patient or family may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law, and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action.

When refusal of treatment by the patient or his legally authorized representative prevents the provision of appropriate care, in accordance with professional standards, the relationship with the physician and patient and/or family may be terminated upon reasonable notice.

12. Transfer and Continuity of Care
A patient may not be transferred to another facility or organization unless he/she or the family has received a complete explanation of the need for the transfer and of the alternatives to such a transfer. The transfer must also be acceptable to the other facility or organization.

The patient and family have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care, and to be informed, by the practitioner responsible for the patient's care, or his delegate, of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.

13. Hospital Charges
Regardless of the source of payment for his/her care, the patient has the right to request and receive an itemized bill and details explaining the total bill for services rendered in the hospital.

The patient or family has the right to timely notice prior to termination of eligibility for reimbursement by any third-party payer for the cost of his/her care.

The patient or family have the right, upon request, to receive any information the hospital has regarding financial assistance and health programs sponsored by the state of Texas, or the federal government.

14. Dispute Resolution
The patient and their family, or significant other, has a right to express a concern or complaint concerning the hospital, their care, or a hospital employee without their care being affected.

15. Ethical Concerns
As a non-profit, charitable health care organization, Peterson Regional Medical Center has a responsibility to our patients and the community we serve to conduct our business and patient care operations in a consistent, ethical manner. The Board of Trustees has established a hospital-wide Code of Ethics to guide the quality and integrity of the provision of our services, as defined by our mission, vision, and values.

The patient has the right to participate in ethical questions that arise in the course of his or her care, including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services or life-sustaining treatment, or the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

The patient and family have the right to access the hospital's Bio-Medical Ethics Committee when ethical questions arise. Patients, family members or caregivers may contact the nursing staff for information on how to access the Bio-Medical Ethics Committee.

16. Patient Care Decisions and Advanced Directives
Care sometimes requires that people other than (or in addition to) the patient be involved in decisions about the patient's care. This is especially true when the patient does not have the mental or physical capacity to make care decisions, or when the patient is a child under the age of 18 and emancipated. When the patient cannot make decisions regarding his or her care, a surrogate decision-maker will be identified.

The patient has the right to exclude any or all family members from participating in his or her care.

The patient also has the right to formulate advance directives. The Directive to Physicians or Living Will allows a patient to make his/her wishes known about what kind of treatment he/she wants for an incurable, irreversible condition.

The Medical Power of Attorney allows a patient to name someone else to act as his/her agent to make health care decisions in the event the patient is unable to communicate his/her wishes. (Information and instructions about how to execute Advance Directives and copies of these documents are included in the folder that contains this booklet.)

This facility does not routinely provide mental health services, but it is our policy to inform adult patients upon admission about their right to formulate an additional advance directive, known as a Declaration for Mental Health Services. This type of directive allows you to tell a hospital providing mental health services what kinds of mental health treatment you want, in the event that you become incapacitated.

17. Charity Care
This hospital will provide care that is medically necessary to individuals regardless of their ability to pay for their care. In order to be eligible for charity care, you must:

• have no assets, or other source or payment such as insurance, governmental assistance, or savings; or

• have hospital bills beyond your financial resources

• provide proof about income and resources; and

• complete an application and provide information required by the hospital.