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Patient Rights
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At New Milford Hospital, we are dedicated to providing our patients with excellence in health care services which meet their individual needs. We consider our patients an important part of the health care team and continually work to create an environment where effective communication is ongoing between patients, families and caregivers. Since we feel communication is so important to your satisfaction and recovery as a patient, we have outlined below some information concerning your patient rights and responsibilities.
As a patient at New Milford Hospital, you have the right to:
- Expect that the hospital will not discriminate in providing you care because of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion, race, national origin or financial status
- Have your cultural, emotional, spiritual and personal values and beliefs respected
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Request care, refuse care, or request a transfer for care services
- Have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician notified promptly of your admission
- Be informed of your planned treatment so that you can make informed decisions
- Participate in all aspects of your care, including discharge planning
- Know the identity and professional status of your caregivers
- Personal privacy and confidentiality during your care and confidentiality of your care information
- Effective pain management
- A safe and secure environment
- Be free from all forms of abuse and harassment
- Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form that are not medically necessary
- Establish an advance directive and have your care wishes followed
- Communication services, if you are deaf or hard-of-hearing or access to a translator
- See your medical record, have it explained to you, request changes to your medical record and obtain a list of anyone who has received any of your health care information
- Full financial information
- Participate voluntarily in research and educational projects
- Full knowledge of your rights and responsibilities in receiving health care
You have the right to know who you should contact if you have any questions or concerns about your hospitalization, your patient rights or the care you are receiving. Patients are encouraged to immediately discuss any concerns with their physician, a hospital staff member, the vice president of patient care services at extension 7209 or the appropriate department manager. After discharge, comments or concerns may be expressed by completing the patient survey form that you will receive in the mail or by writing to: Patient Satisfaction Committee, c/o Marketing & Public Relations Department, 21 Elm Street, New Milford, CT 06776.
You have the right to file a formal complaint regarding the quality of your care in accordance with the hospital's patient complaint policy. This is available on request by contacting the vice president of patient care services at extension 7209.
Any complaints regarding premature discharge issues should be addressed with the director of clinical resource management at extension 4612.
If preferred, concerns regarding care or discharge issues may also be filed with: State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, 410 Capitol Ave., P.O. Box 340308, Hartford, CT 06134, (1-860-509-7400) or with Qualidigm (for Medicare patients), 100 Roscommon Dr., Suite 200, Middletown, CT 06457, 1-860-509-7400. For deaf persons who are teletypewriter users (TTY), please notify your nurse.
Patient Responsibilities
You, the patient, are responsible for:
- providing the hospital with accurate and complete information about your identity, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters related to your health, injury or illness.
- reporting unexpected changes in your condition to the responsible practitioner.
- informing your physician or hospital staff whenever you have further questions or do not understand information about your care.
- reporting any care or safety concerns to your physician or a hospital staff member.
- telling your physician and/or nurse when you are in pain or your pain medication is not effective.
You are responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for your care. This includes following instructions of hospital personnel who are carrying out your planned care.
You are responsible for your actions if you refuse treatment, or do not follow the practitioner's instructions.
You are responsible for providing accurate and complete information about your insurance or other sources of payment and for assuring that the financial obligations of your health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
You are responsible for:
- following hospital rules and regulations as they relate to patient care or patient conduct.
- being considerate of other patients and ensuring that your visitors follow hospital rules and regulations pertaining to good visitation conduct.
- being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.
If you feel that any of your rights have been violated, please contact our Quality Management Department at 350-7276.
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