Patient Rights & Responsibilities

NOTICE OF PATIENTS’ RIGHTS

Signature Healthcare is committed to providing its patients with the highest quality care in accordance with the Massachusetts Patients’ Rights Statute, Chapter 111, Section 70E, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Conditions of Participation for Hospitals, and The Joint Commission Hospital Accreditation Standards. The following rights apply to all patients at Signature Healthcare. Patients have a right to receive written notice of these rights.

Summary of Massachusetts Patients’ Rights Statute and HCFA Regulations

All patients have the right to freedom of choice in their selection of Signature Healthcare, a Signature Healthcare physician or health service at Signature Healthcare, except in the case of emergency medical treatment or as otherwise provided for by contract as long as the physician, Signature Healthcare or health service is able to accommodate your choice.

Each patient shall have the right to receive an itemized bill of laboratory charges, pharmaceutical charges and third-party credits and shall be allowed to examine an explanation of the bill regardless of the source of payment. This information shall also be made available to your attending physician.

In Addition, Every Signature Healthcare Patient Shall Have the Right to:

• Receive medical care without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law;
• Upon request, obtain from the facility in charge of your care the name and specialty, if any, of the physician or other person responsible for your care or the coordination of your care;
• Confidentiality of all records and communications to the extent provided by law;
• Have all reasonable requests responded to promptly and adequately within the capacity of the facility;
• Upon request, obtain an explanation as to the relationship, if any, of the facility to any other health care facility or educational institution insofar as said relationship relates to your care or treatment;
• Obtain from a person designated by the facility a copy of any rules or regulations of the facility which apply to your conduct as a patient or resident;
• Upon request, receive from a person designated by the facility any information which the facility has available relative to financial assistance and free health care;
• Upon request, inspect your medical records and to receive a copy in accordance with Chapter 111 MGL section 70E(g);
• Refuse to be examined, observed, or treated by students or any other facility staff without jeopardizing access to psychiatric, psychological, or other medical care and attention;
• Refuse to serve as a research subject and to refuse any care or examination when the primary purpose is educational or informational rather than therapeutic;
• Privacy during medical treatment or other rendering of care within the capacity of the facility;
• Upon request, receive a copy of an itemized bill or other statement of charges submitted to any third party by the facility for your care and to have a copy of said itemized bill or statement sent to your attending physician;
• Prompt life-saving treatment in an emergency without discrimination on account of economic status or source of payment and without delaying treatment for purposes of prior discussion of the source of payment unless such delay can be imposed without material risk to your health, and this right shall also extend to those persons not already patients or residents of a facility if said facility has a certified emergency care unit;
• If refused treatment because of economic status or the lack of a source of payment, prompt and safe transfer to a facility which agrees to receive and treat such patient. Said facility refusing to treat such patient shall be responsible for: ascertaining that you may be safely transferred; contacting a facility willing to treat such patient; arranging the transportation; accompanying you with necessary and appropriate professional staff to assist in the safety and comfort of the transfer, assure that the receiving facility assumes the necessary care promptly, and provide pertinent medical information about your condition; and maintaining records of the foregoing;
• If you are a female rape victim of childbearing age, receive medically and factually accurate written information prepared by the commissioner of public health about emergency contraception; to be promptly offered emergency contraception; and to be provided with emergency contraception upon request;
• Be treated considerately and have questions or requests for information answered courteously;
• Informed consent to the extent provided by law;
• Participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care;
• Refuse to consent to care, treatment or services to the extent permitted by law and still receive care from your healthcare team;
• Make advance directives;
• Have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician promptly notified of your admission to the hospital;
• Except when emergency services are required, have a clear explanation of the results and outcomes of any treatment or procedure, including unanticipated outcomes;
• Be free from physical or mental abuse and corporal punishment. You have the right to be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff;
• Be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, neglect and exploitation;
• Receive care in a safe environment, free from abuse or harassment;
• Obtain assistance in planning for personal safety and accessing protective services;
• Any patient over the age of 18, admitted to the hospital, has the right to designate a caregiver prior to the patient’s discharge or transfer; have the caregiver notified when the patient is to be discharged; provide the caregiver access to the patient’s health information and discharge plan if authorized by the patient, and provide the caregiver with an explanation and demonstration of the after-care tasks that will be needed when the patient is discharged;
• Be informed by your physician or other clinician of any ongoing needs following your discharge and the availability of resources in your community that can assist you;
• Be given a full explanation of any study or training program before agreeing to participate in it, including the right to refuse.

Every Signature Healthcare Patient Shall Be Provided By Your Signature Healthcare Physician the Right to:

• Informed consent to the extent provided by law;
• Privacy during medical treatment or other rendering of care within the capacity of the facility;
• Refuse to be examined, observed, or treated by students or any other facility staff without jeopardizing access to psychiatric, psychological, or other medical care and attention;
• Refuse to serve as a research subject, and to refuse any care or examination when the primary purpose is educational or informational rather than therapeutic;
• Prompt lifesaving treatment in an emergency without discrimination on account of economic status or source of payment and without delaying treatment for purposes of prior discussion of source of payment unless such delay can be imposed without material risk to your health;
• Upon request, obtain an explanation as to the relationship, if any, of the physician to any other health care facility or educational institutions insofar as said relationship relates to your care or treatment, and such explanation shall include said physician’s ownership or financial interest, if any, in the facility or other health care facilities insofar as said ownership relates to the care or treatment of said patient or resident;
• Upon request, receive an itemized bill including third party reimbursements paid toward said bill, regardless of the sources of payment;
• In the case of a patient suffering from any form of breast cancer, complete information on all alternative treatments which are medically viable.

Breast Implants

Except in cases of emergency surgery, at least ten days before a physician operates on a patient to insert a breast implant, the physician shall inform you of the disadvantages and risks associated with breast implantation. The information shall include, but not be limited to, the standardized written summary provided by the department. You shall sign a statement provided by the department acknowledging the receipt of said standardized written summary. Nothing herein shall be construed as causing any liability of the department due to any action or omission by said department relative to the information provided pursuant to this paragraph.

Maternity Patients

Every maternity patient, at the time of pre-admission, shall receive complete information from an admitting hospital on its annual rate of primary caesarean sections, annual rate of repeat caesarean sections, annual rate of total caesarean sections, annual percentage of women who have had a caesarean section who have had a subsequent successful vaginal birth, annual percentage of deliveries in birthing rooms and labor-delivery-recovery or labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum rooms, annual percentage of deliveries by certified nurse-midwives, annual percentage which were continuously externally monitored only, annual percentage which were continuously internally monitored only, annual percentage which were monitored both internally and externally, annual percentages utilizing intravenous, inductions, augmentation, forceps, episiotomies, spinals, epidurals and general anesthesia, and its annual percentage of women breast-feeding upon discharge from said hospital.

Sexual Assault Patients

Every female rape victim of childbearing age who presents at a facility after a rape shall promptly be provided with medically and factually accurate written information prepared by the commissioner about emergency contraception. Facilities that provide emergency care shall promptly offer emergency contraception at the facility to each female rape victim of childbearing age, and shall initiate emergency contraception upon her request. For each facility initiating emergency contraception, the administrator, manager or other person in charge thereof shall annually report to the department of public health the number of times emergency contraception is administered to victims of rape under this section. Reports made pursuant to this section shall not identify any individual patient, shall be confidential and shall not be public record.

Signature Healthcare Staff Identification

All persons, including students, who examine, observe or treat a patient or resident of a Signature Healthcare facility are required to wear an identification badge which readily discloses the first name, licensure status, if any, and staff position of the person so examining, observing or treating a patient or resident.

With Respect to Privacy and Confidentiality, Every Signature Healthcare Patient Shall Have the Right to:

• Have confidentiality of all records and communications in accordance with Massachusetts and federal law;
• Access information contained in your clinical records within a reasonable time frame and to receive a copy of your clinical records in accordance with Massachusetts law;
• Receive a copy of Signature Healthcare’s privacy practices at the time of your registration;
• Request that no information contained in the patient directory be disclosed to anyone not directly involved with your care;
• Request that Signature Healthcare personnel communicate your confidential health information only in accordance with applicable law and privacy practices;
• Not have your confidential information discussed in public areas;
• Find out how your confidential health information may be used and what disclosures have been made as required by state and federal law;
• Request certain restrictions of the use or disclosure of your health information unless it interferes with patient care, treatment, or operations;
• Deny visitors to the extent permitted by law. This right does not apply to people who are directly involved in your care;
• Request an amendment or correction to your confidential health information, if you believe the information is incomplete or incorrect as permitted by applicable law;
• Refuse any contacts for fundraising or marketing activities; and
• File a complaint about any of Signature Healthcare’s health information practices by contacting the Privacy Officer at 508-941-0931 or privacyofficer@signature-healthcare.org. Or if you believe your rights have been violated, you may contact:

The Office of Civil Rights

United States Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue SW

Every Signature Healthcare Patient Shall Be Responsible For:

• Respecting the rights of other patients, families and hospital personnel and observing any rules or regulations adopted by Signature Healthcare related to patient care and conduct;
• Sharing accurate and complete information regarding your health, such as a complete health history, symptoms, treatments, medicines you take, and any other information that could affect your health or care;
• Establishing identity in order to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their records as well as those of other Hospital patients;
• Following any treatment plan or instructions provided to you by your physicians, nurses or other health care providers and asking questions or voicing concerns if you do not understand your care or treatment or do not believe you can follow such plan;

Any person whose rights under Massachusetts law are violated may bring any action allowed by law or regulation.

No provision of this section relating to confidentiality of records shall be construed to prevent any third party reimburser from inspecting and copying, in the ordinary course of determining eligibility for or entitlement to benefits, any and all records relating to diagnosis, treatment, or other services provided to any person, including a minor or incompetent, for which coverage, benefit or reimbursement is claimed, so long as the policy or certificate under which the claim is made provides that such access to such records is permitted. No provision of this section relating to confidentiality of records shall be construed to prevent access to any such records in connection with any peer review or utilization review procedures applied and implemented in good faith.

If You Have a Complaint:

If you have a complaint regarding your experience with Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital you may bring your complaint to the Patient Advocate who can be reached at 508-941-7356. Additionally, you may submit your complaint in writing to: Patient Advocate, Quality Resources Department, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, 680 Centre Street, Brockton, MA 02302. All complaints will be reviewed and communication will be made with the individual communicating the complaint within 7 days of receipt.

If you are a Medicare beneficiary you have the right to contact the Quality Improvement Organization Keppro. Their Hotline number is

1-888-319-8452. Their TTY number is 1-855-843-4776

In addition, you have the right to discuss your concerns or complaints with external agencies such as those listed below:

The Division of Health Care Quality

Department of Public Health 99 Chauncy Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02111

617-753-8000

The Office of Quality Monitoring

The Joint Commission

One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181

1-800-994-6610 or  PatientSafetyReport@JointCommission.org

The Board of Registration in Medicine

200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 330

Wakefield, MA 01880

781-876-8200