Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Because our Mission is based on the values of Compassion, Justice, Excellence, Respect, and Stewardship, we want you to clearly understand YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.  We want you to know that we will support and protect your rights.

You have:

1. The right to have safe, considerate and respectful care.       
2. The right to have all your care performed in a private and discreet manner.       
3. The right to have your medical information kept confidential.       
4. The right to visit with your pastor or spiritual advisor.       
5. The right to participate in planning your care and treatment.         
6. The right, if you wish, to have your family promptly notified that you are in the hospital.       
7. The right to ask your doctor to help you understand to your satisfaction: 
   1. The nature of your illness and the state of your health.   
   2. The nature of the proposed treatment or surgery and its benefits.   
   3. The nature of the risks involved in the proposed treatment or surgery.   
   4. The other choices, including other treatments, not being treated and research studies.   
   5. How long you will be ill from treatment or surgery, and how long it will probably take to get well.
8. The right to agree to or refuse any care, treatment or surgery, and to know what will happen to your health without the care, treatment, or surgery.       
9. The right to pain and discomfort management, even if you cannot be pain-free.       
10. The right to understand how, when, where, and by whom, care will be provided when you leave the hospital. The best time to anticipate your continuing health care needs is now, while you are at Providence.       
11. The right to know the names and professional relationships of all physicians who may care for you.       
12. The right to leave Providence, even against your doctor’s advice, or to be moved to another hospital of your choice. (A word of CAUTION: We never recommend that you assume the personal risk of rejecting your physician’s advice by refusing or leaving the hospital.)       
13. The right to tell us about your health care wishes. Completing an Advance Directive or a Durable Power-of-Attorney for health care is the usual way this is done. Completing an Advance Directive is NOT required and you may take back your Advance Directive at any time. If your Advance Directive is not at PMMC when you arrive, you have the right and responsibility to tell a physician or registered nurse your wishes for care and treatment. A blank Advance Directive is available from the Admitting Department.       
14. The right to expect our quick response to any reasonable request you make. This right includes such services as language interpretation, financial counseling and access to your medical records. If you wish you have the right to a copy of the information in your medical record. This copy would be available to you in a responsible time frame (a fee may be charged for this service).       
15. The right to be free of any restraint that is not medically necessary or any restraint used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation.       
16. The right to have your care delivered in a safe-setting free from abuse or harassment, and the right to protective services.
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You have:

The responsibility to be as correct and complete as possible when you are asked for information about your medical history. 

1. The responsibility to let your doctor, nurse or other staff know if you are concerned about a treatment, or if you do not feel you can or will follow a certain treatment plan.       
2. The responsibility to let your doctor, nurse or other staff know at once if you notice any changes in your health or if you think you do.       
3. The responsibility to follow your doctor’s advice and to let him/her determine how much you can do, what you should eat, etc.       
4. The responsibility to ask questions of anyone involved with your care.       
5. The responsibility to ask immediately if you do not understand what is asked of you or why it is being asked.       
6. The responsibility to help us prevent infections by being sure all who care for you wash their hands.       
7. The responsibility to be considerate of other patients. Noise can be particularly irritating to patients nearby. This applies to your visitors as well.       
8. The responsibility to assist us to care for our property and equipment by using them only for their intended purposes.       
9. The responsibility to tell us which family member you wish notified or that you have already notified your family.       
10. The responsibility to help us improve our service(s) by giving us feedback.
    1. You may ask for, or receive a customer feedback form to complete after discharge. We appreciate your frank comments.       
    2. If you have a concern about the care you are receiving and your caregiver cannot help you, PLEASE ASK TO SEE THE AREA’S DIRECTOR. If the area director is unavailable, use the telephone to call the Operator by dialing zero (0) and asking for the Administrative Supervisor.       
    3. You may file a grievance when you have an issue that has not been resolved to your satisfaction by writing or calling either of the following: 

Oregon Medical Peer Review Organization
2020 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 520
Portland, Oregon 97201-4960
(503) 279-0100

Oregon State Health Division
3420 Cherry Avenue, NE
Kaiser, Oregon 97303
(503) 373-7201

When it is not possible for you to do the above, these rights and responsibilities will apply to your legal representative or next-of-kin, according to the law.
IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK A STAFF MEMBER.

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