Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Patient Rights

While you are a patient at Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital, your rights include:

• Your right to be treated as an individual. The hospital’s primary commitment is to you, our patient. Here, all staff treats you with the respect and consideration to which all people are –entitled -- regardless of race, creed, color, age, national origin, sex, physical ability or sources of payment for care. Staff will respect and honor your cultural, spiritual and religious values and their impact on your feelings about illness and treatment to the extent possible under current medical practice and state law.
• Your right to feel secure with your health care. You have the right to feel secure about your care and course of treatment, as well as about those who care for you during your stay at a BJC-affiliated facility. You have the right to consult a specialist regarding your doctor’s diagnosis. In regard to your condition, you may obtain complete current information from your physician concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms you can understand. If communication is restricted in any way, you have the right to know why. If you are too ill, your physician will discuss this information with your family and other appropriate people. You and loved ones designated by you also are entitled to review your medical record and have it explained to you except when restricted by law. Any possessions brought to the hospital will be reasonably protected to the best of our ability.
• Your right to be free from abuse, neglect, or harassment. Restraints and seclusion are never used as a form of coercion, discipline, retaliation or convenience. Restraints and seclusion are only used to ensure the immediate physical safety of the patient, staff or others. Restraints and seclusion are discontinued at the earliest possible time.
• Your right to participate in your treatment decisions and be informed of your plan of care. The hospital respects your right to make decisions regarding your health care. You have the right to fully understand what treatment you agree to or decline. Should you decide to decline a specified treatment or procedure, consider your decision carefully so that you understand the full extent of the consequences to your health. Discuss your concerns, fears or objections with your physician and your family. Due to the importance of such a decision, you will be asked to sign a “Refusal of Treatment” form. Any decision to decline further treatment or to leave the hospital is subject to laws applying to illness that endanger the public welfare; for example, if you have a contagious illness, your leaving could seriously endanger the health of others.
• You have the right to prepare an advance directive (such as a living will, health care proxy or durable power of attorney for health care) concerning your treatment or designating a surrogate decision-maker with the expectation that the hospital will honor the intent of that directive to the extent permitted by state law and hospital policy.

  Social workers believe in empowering an individual’s right to make informed decisions about their health care. There is documentation that helps one express these wishes, advance directives. Advanced directives is a term that encompasses health care goals/instructions, living will, and durable power of attorney.

  Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital advocates for individuals’ rights to make informed health care decisions. It is important to discuss your goals of care with your loved ones and to consider contacting an attorney. It is also important to understand that your advanced directive wishes only become effective when you are no longer able to make informed decisions for yourself.

  These decisions can be complex and should not be rushed. If you are not ready to complete advanced directives, please consider speaking with your loved ones and selecting someone to help make decisions with you. Please inform your physician, nurse, or other hospital staff of who you selected.

  If you would like more information on advanced directives, please call your primary care provider.

• Your right to privacy. As a patient, you are entitled to every consideration of your privacy concerning your medical care. Discussion of your condition, as well as any consultation, examination or treatment, is confidential and will be conducted as discretely as possible. You may refuse to talk to or see anyone not directly involved in your care. The medical records of your hospitalization are private and confidential. The hospital needs your written permission before releasing any of this information to persons, such as insurance agents or lawyers, except as otherwise protected by law, third-party contract or your insurance company. You may wear appropriate clothing, and religious or other symbolic items as long as they do not interfere with your medical treatment. You have the right to request a room transfer if you share your room with another whose actions disturb you unreasonably. If necessary for your personal safety, you have the right to be placed in protective privacy.
• Your right to expect that staff will reasonably fulfill your need for hospital services. The hospital will provide services to assist your physician in furnishing evaluation, service or referral as indicated by the urgency of your condition. Prior to your discharge from a BJC HealthCare-affiliated hospital, staff will provide you with information from your physician concerning your continued health requirements, and hospital and community resources available to assist you after discharge. You may not be transferred to another facility unless you have received an explanation of the need for the transfer and alternatives to such a transfer, and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility.
• Your right to ask for information about your hospital charges. You have the right to an explanation of all hospital charges related to your health care program. Because it is your responsibility to make prompt payment for services received, please contact our patient accounts department if financial problems arise. You may have additional rights to appeal payment decisions with your insurance provider.
• Your right to be advised of educational or research activities. As a health care provider that comprises teaching institutions for health professionals, the system’s teaching hospitals affirm your right to obtain information as to any relationship of the hospitals with other health care and educational institutions as far as your care is concerned.
• You have the right to know the identity and professional status of individuals directly involved in your care, and to know which physician is primarily responsible for your care. You should direct concerns about student, intern or resident involvement in this care to your primary physician. The hospital will advise you if, while in the hospital, your participation as a subject in a research activity is desired. You have the right to receive a description of expected risks and benefits. You also have the right to refuse to participate in such activities, and should you choose to participate, you retain the right to withdraw your participation at any time. Your choice not to participate will not compromise your access to service.
• Your right to present complaints. You have a right to express a complaint concerning any aspect of your stay at a Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital. Our hospital can fix most problems when reported to an employee or manager and uses all complaints as opportunities to improve services. If you are unhappy with the way we handle a compliant, you may file a grievance.

  You may contact the Risk Manager at the address or phone number below. This will in no way compromise the care the patient receives.

  Attn: Risk Manager
  Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital
  751 Sappington Bridge Road
  Sullivan, MO 63080
  573-468-1182

• You may also contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, at the address or phone number below, at any time to register a complaint. This will in no way compromise the care the patient receives.

  Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
  P.O. Box 570
  Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570
  573-751-6303

  If you feel you have been discriminated against due to age, race, color, creed, national origin, sex, physical ability or source of payment for care, you have the right to issue a written complaint, which the organization will thoroughly investigate. The organization reviews and uses all complaints to make improvements in its services.

• Your right to designate your preferred visitors. You have the right to designate your visitors while in the hospital. A support person acting on your behalf or a legal representative (if any) may also exercise your preferences for visitation rights if you are incapacitated or otherwise unable to designate. These visitation rights include:
  1. the right to designate and receive support persons for visitation including, but not limited to, a spouse, other family members, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner) other family members or friends.
  2. the right to withdraw or change such designation for visitation at any time.
  3. the right to designate such visitors, regardless of the relationship type, without restrictions or limitations placed on visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

  In balancing all aspects of care for all patients, the hospital may, however, place clinically appropriate and reasonable restrictions and limitations on visitation. These limitations address generally circumstances when a patient is undergoing care, for infection control, when visitation may interfere with the care of other patients or for safety concerns related to patients, visitors, staff or health care providers. For example, we may place limitations in the following circumstances:

  1. For protection status for patients who are prisoners, victims of a violent crime or transferred from a facility where they have been on protective status.
  2. To establish hours for visitation or for specific patient care units including limits on number of visitors, or the minimum age requirements for child visitors;
  3. For patient/visitor risk of infections/communicable diseases;
  4. For clinically based needs of the patient.
  5. For conduct demonstrated by a visitor that may jeopardize the safety of any patient, visitor, staff member or health care provider.

  In instances where it may be necessary for patient visitation to be limited or restricted, we will strive to explain the reasons for the limitation to the patient. All visitors will enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with your patient preferences.

Patient Responsibilities

Because we strive to foster a spirit of mutual trust, respect and cooperation, it is important that you understand your responsibilities.

• Your responsibility to provide correct information. You have the responsibility to supply your physician and other professional hospital personnel with all of the information they need to give you the best care possible. You should have information available that will help you answer their questions fully and truthfully. Staff may ask you questions concerning your current and past health problems and those of other members of your family, your past hospitalizations, your current medications, and whether you have an advance directive. You also are responsible for providing complete insurance and other financial information that relates to payment for your care.
• Your responsibility to follow instructions. You are responsible for your own actions if you do not follow the instructions given for your care, treatment, and service plan developed.
• You are responsible for asking questions. Tell hospital staff about your concerns. If you do not understand your care, treatment, or services, and for accepting the consequences of not abiding by the recommended care, treatment and service plan.
• Your responsibility to be considerate of others. Because we foster a spirit of mutual trust, cooperation and respect, it is especially important that you are considerate of your fellow patients and of our hospital staff. Maintaining a quiet, orderly atmosphere is an important part of the care our patients need. We ask for your cooperation by playing your television or radio softly and during reasonable time periods.
• Your responsibility to follow the hospital's rules and regulations. It is your duty to treat other patients, visitors and hospital staff with respect. You and your visitors must follow all hospital rules, such as the smoking policy and visiting hours. Respect others property and control noise. Swearing or any threat of harm against others is not allowed.