BILL OF RIGHTS

1. You have the right to considerate and respectful care regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, physical handicap, or national origin; as well as care that meets your spiritual, cultural, and philosophical values.
   
   
2. ouY have the right to have a family member or representative and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
   
   
3. You have the right to obtain, from your physician, complete and current information concerning your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in terms you can be reasonably expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give you such information, the information will be made available to an appropriate person on your behalf. You have the right to know, by name, the physician responsible for coordinating your care.
   
   
4. You have the right to participate in decisions involving your healthcare whenever possible, including ethical, end of life, and resuscitation issues, and other decisions that may arise.
   
   
5. You have the right to receive, from your physician, information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the specific procedure and/or treatment, the medically significant risks involved, and the probable duration of incapacitation. Where medically significant alternatives for care or treatment exist, or when you request information concerning medical alternatives, you have the right to such information. You also have the right to know the name of the person responsible for the procedures and/or treatment.
   
   
6. You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action.
   
   
7. You have the right to every consideration of your privacy concerning your own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. Those not directly involved in your care must have your permission to be present.
   
   
8. You have the right to expect that, within its capacity, Samaritan will make a reasonable response to your request for services. The hospital will provide evaluation, service, and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case. When medically permissible, you may be transferred to another facility only after you have received complete information and explanation concerning the need for and alternatives to such a transfer. The institution to which you are being transferred must first have accepted you for transfer.
   
   
9. You have the right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes the right to have a person of one’s own sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex; and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required to accomplish the medical purpose for which you were asked to disrobe.
   
   
10. You have the right to receive care in a safe setting, to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment, and to be free from any form of restraints that are not medically necessary.
    
    
11. You have the right 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 your care.
    
    
12. You have the right to have your medical record read only by individuals directly involved in your treatment or in the monitoring of its quality and by other individuals only on your written authorization or that of your legally authorized representative. You have the right to view and amend your own medical record.
    
    
13. You have the right to expect that all communications and records, both written and oral, regardless of storage media, pertaining to your care, including the source of payment, will be treated as confidential.
    
    
14. You have the right to obtain information as to any relationship of this hospital to other healthcare and educational institutions insofar as your care is concerned. You have the right to obtain information as to the existence of any professional relationships among individuals, by name, who are treating you.
    
    
15. You have the right to be advised if the hospital 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.
    
    
16. You have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care. You have the right to know, in advance, what appointment times and physicians are available and where. You have the right to expect that the hospital will provide a mechanism whereby your physician or a delegate of the physician informs you of your continuing healthcare requirements following discharge.
    
    
17. You have the right to examine and receive an explanation of your bill, regardless of source of payment.
    
    
18. You have the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient.
    
    
19. You have the right to information about our Patient’s Rights policy.
    
    
20. You have the right to be informed about our mechanism for initiation, review, and resolution of patient complaints and grievances (you may also report your concerns to the Washington State Department of Health at 800-633-6828). Medicare beneficiaries have the right to request information on the grievance process for Medicare beneficiary complaints by contacting Pro-West at 800-445-6941.
    
    
21. You have the right to know that the nature and quality of care will not differ if you have a complaint or grievance against the system or a health care provider.
    
    
22. You have the right to speak with the Customer Service Representative if you think your rights are not respected. Customer Service Representative is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm at 509 -764-5606, ext. 2197.
    
    
23. You have the right to request information on the hospital’s Advance Directive policy and procedure, the right to formulate a healthcare (advance) directive, and to appoint a surrogate to make healthcare decisions to the extent permitted by law.
    
    
24. You have the right to be placed in protective privacy when considered necessary for personal safety.
    
    
25. You have the right to request a transfer to another room if another patient or a visitor in the room is unreasonably disturbing you.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide the hospital with information about past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to your health, to the best of your ability.
   
   
2. To cooperate with all hospital personnel involved in your care and treatment and to actively participate, as much as possible, in decisions regarding your care.
   
   
3. To follow your physician’s advice and instructions and not take any drugs that have not been prescribed by your attending physician and administered by hospital personnel.
   
   
4. To assume full responsibility to pay for all services rendered by the hospital, either through third-party payors (your insurance company) or through your own financial resources.

PROCEDURE

Customer Service Representative also has copies available to give to patients and families during visits to their rooms.