Patient Rights

Providing the highest quality of personalized health care is our goal at Day Kimball Health. We work hard to respect patients’ needs, values and dignity and believe that patients should be partners with us in their medical care. Day Kimball Health allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence infringes others' rights, safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate decision maker or legally authorized representative. These Patients Rights and Responsibilities help us work with patients to provide the best possible care.

Your rights include, but are not limited to the following:

Personal Rights
Rights of Decision Making
Patient Responsibilities
Medical Rights

Personal Rights

To be provided appropriate medical treatment, regardless of your age, race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, veteran status, socioeconomic status, or source of payment;
The hospital will not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability;
To receive care that takes into consideration the psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural values that influence the way the patient views their illness;
To be treated with respect and consideration under all circumstances with recognition of his/her personal dignity;
To receive information about financial assistance;
To receive a full explanation of all charges, including an itemized and detailed explanation of your bill, if desired;
To receive care in a safe setting, free from all forms of abuse, neglect, or harassment;
To have visitors, mail, and telephone calls, unless these things are not medically advisable;
To have an interpreter if English is not your primary language (ask your nurse if an interpreter is needed);
To have access to special equipment and/or an interpreter if you are hard-of-hearing or deaf (ask your nurse or have him/her call 4525);
To be assured of the confidentiality of all personal and medical information, including your medical record;
To have your cultural heritage respected and your religious and/or spiritual needs and values met;
To practice and seek advice about your cultural, spiritual, and ethical beliefs, as long as this does not interfere with the wellbeing of others;
To be examined in a place that is private;
To have a person of the same gender (if requested) present when you are being treated by a person of the opposite gender;
To have discussions about your situation and care take place privately;
To refuse to see or talk with people not directly involved in your care;
To understand all hospital rules and regulations that affect your care and conduct as a patient;
To ask for a different room if you’re having a problem;
To have all reasonable requests responded to promptly and politely;
To be accompanied by a service animal, if one is required. Staff, will be expected to follow the guidelines required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Day Kimball Healthcare policy regarding the use of service animals.

Rights of Decision Making

To be informed about all aspects of your care;
To be fully informed about your diagnosis;
To know your treatment options and alternatives;
To participate in decisions regarding your care;
To refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law;
To give informed consent to decisions regarding your care;
To refuse to participate in research or experimental projects;
To choose the hospital where you are cared for;
To designate a support person (or persons) of your choosing to be involved in your care when appropriate;
To make an Advance Directive (Living Will) and appoint a person to make health care decisions for you, in case you become unable to speak for yourself;
To receive explanations about withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment;
The right to be informed of video surveillance;

Patient Responsibilities

As a patient, your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

To follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor, including following the instructions of your nurses and other health care providers in the hospital;
To provide accurate and complete information to your doctor, nurse, or other health care provider, including any changes in your condition; all medications you are taking (including herbal medications and over-the-counter medications), and known food or medication allergies;
To ask questions if you do not understand any aspect of your care;
To inform your doctor or nurse and provide a copy of an Advance Directive (Living Will), if you have one;
To ask your doctor or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain management.
To discuss pain relief options.
To help the doctor or nurse assess your pain and to tell them if your pain is not relieved
To be responsible for your actions and condition if you refuse treatment or do not follow your doctors’ or nurses’ instructions
To see that the bill for your health care services is paid as promptly as possible or appropriate arrangements are made with a patient account representative.
To respect the property, privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of patients and others in the hospital;
To be considerate of hospital staff and property, and know that any threats, threatening behavior, or acts of violence by patients, their family members, or visitors is not acceptable and will be dealt with appropriately using Day Kimball Healthcare policies on these acts.

Medical Rights

To know the names, specialties and credentials of the people treating you;
To be free from restraints not medically necessary, and be treated in the least restrictive manner possible;
To have your diagnosis, proposed course of treatment, procedures, and prospects for recovery explained to you in a way you are able to understand;
To have your pain appropriately controlled and managed;
To know the relationship between your doctor and the hospital;
To review your medical record with your doctor or nurse;
To receive a complete explanation of why you or your loved one needs to be transferred to another hospital, if a transfer is medically necessary;
To seek an alternate doctor, consult with a specialist, or ask for a second opinion;
To be informed of your continuing health needs when you are discharged from the hospital;
To be notified in writing of the need for you to be discharged and that your insurance company will decline to pay should you choose to stay in the Hospital;
To file an appeal regarding your discharge from an inpatient (not observation status) stay, and to know that you will be not be personally responsible for bill during the appeal process;
To participate fully in all discharge plans and to know when the discharge is to happen;
To receive compassionate care at the end of life;
To request an autopsy be performed on your family member or loved one following their death. You have the right to request that a doctor not affiliated with Day Kimball Healthcare perform the autopsy at another hospital. Payment for the autopsy is the responsibility of the next of kin of the person who died;
To safe and effective treatment;
To be free of being placed in a restrictive device unless it is deemed medically necessary for your treatment or the safety of yourself and those around you.

A restrictive device may be a physical device restricting movement or medications that will make the patient sedate.

These devices MUST be ordered by a physician and used only when it is deemed necessary for safe and effective treatment.

When a physician orders the restrictive device, it can be used only for a limited period of time and requires patient monitoring the entire time.

The use of restrictive devices will be incorporated into the plan of care.

All staff who are involved in using restrictive devices will be trained and utilize them only when other alternatives have been tried.

If You Have a Concern About Your Care

We encourage you to share any concerns you may have about your care. We have a comprehensive plan for hearing and responding to concerns and other issues. All attempts will be made to resolve the concern or issue in a timely manner. Our plan offers you several options for filing a concern.

You may speak to your doctor, nurse, unit nurse director, or a patient representative
Other resources you may speak to include the hospital’s Quality/Risk Management Department, Medical Staff Leaders, Board of Directors, or you may fill out a patient satisfaction survey, which you may receive in the mail after your discharge.
You may also contact the Quality/Risk Management in writing to share your concerns.
You may call the dedicated Patient Relations line at 1-800-398-3383.

If these individuals cannot address your concern or issue to your satisfaction, you may contact the Office of the Hospital’s President by telephone or mail. The telephone number is (860) 928-6541, extension 2218. The mailing address is:

Executive Assistant to the President
Administration
Day Kimball Healthcare
320 Pomfret Street
Putnam, CT 06260

A patient “grievance” is defined as a formal or informal written or verbal complaint that is made to the Hospital by a patient or the patient’s legal representative when a patient issue cannot be resolved promptly by the staff present.
The Quality/Risk Management Department reviews all grievances or issues regarding patient care. You will receive a letter regarding the resolution of your grievance or a timetable for its resolution within seven business days of the receipt of your grievance.
If appropriate, your concern may be forwarded to Nursing Administration, Medical staff members, or a Department Director/Manager for investigation and follow-up. You may be contacted by one of these persons if additional information is needed.
The CEO of the Hospital may delegate the final authority for the resolution of all patient grievances.
If, after this administrative review, you wish to pursue your concern, you may contact the following agencies:

Connecticut Department of Public Health
Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section
410 Capitol Ave., MS#12 APP
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308

Phone: (860) 509-7603
Fax: (860) 707-1984

email: oplc.dph@ct.gov (preferred)

(Please attention all correspondence to the profession to which you are interested.)

Or:

Office of Quality and Patient Safety
Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Telephone: (800)-994-6610

online: https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/contact-us

Under no circumstances does the presentation of a complaint affect your future care or any family member’s future care at the Hospital.