Patient Rights, Responsibilities & Complaint Resolution

Statement of Patient Rights in accordance with Public Health Code and as annually approved and updated by the Board of Trustees and Medical Staff, Garden City Hospital affirms that all individuals who receive service have the following rights and accept the following responsibilities:

Patient Rights

Notice of Patient Rights
The hospital will inform each patient, or when appropriate, the patient’s representative (as allowed under state law), of the patient’s rights in advance of furnishing or discontinuing patient care whenever possible.

Patient’s rights provide for:

1. Impartial access to treatment, regardless of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age or handicap;
2. Exercise of his / her rights while receiving care or treatment in the hospital without coercion, discrimination or retaliation;
3. Having a surrogate (parent, legal guardian, a person with medical power of attorney) exercise the patient’s rights when the patient is incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.

Patient Rights

1. The right to participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care;
2. Or his or her representative (as allowed under State law) has the right to make informed decisions regarding his or her care. The patient’s rights include being informed of his or her health status, being involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate;
3. The right to formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives;
4. The right to have a family member or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission to the hospital;
5. The right to personal privacy;
6. The right to receive care in a safe setting;
7. The right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment;
8. The right to the confidentiality of his or her clinical records;
9. The right to access information contained in his or her clinical records within a reasonable time frame. The hospital must not frustrate the legitimate efforts of individuals to gain access to their own medical records and must actively seek to meet these requests as quickly as record-keeping systems permits;
10. The right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff;
11. The right to be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental, or research project without compromising his or her access to service;
12. The right to know the professional status of any person providing his or her care/service;
13. The right to know the reasons for any proposed change in the professional staff responsible for his or her care;
14. The right to know the reasons for his or her transfer either within or outside the hospital;
15. The right to know the relationship(s) of the hospital to other persons or organizations participating in the provision of his or her care;
16. The right to access to the cost, itemized when possible, of serviced rendered within a reasonable period of time;
17. The right to be informed of the source of the hospital’s reimbursement for his or her services and of any limitations which may be placed upon his or her care;
18. Informed of the right to have pain treated as effectively as possible;
19. The right to be informed about visitation rights including clinical restrictions or limitations.
20. The right, subject to his or her consent, to receive visitors whom he or she designates including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner) another family member or a friend and the right with withdrawing or deny such consent at any time.
21. The right not to restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
22. The right to have all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.
23. The patient’s family has the right to informed consent of the donation of organs and tissues.
24. The right to request a discharge planning evaluation.

Patient Responsibilities

1. A patient is responsible to follow Hospital rules and regulations that affect patient care and govern patient conduct.
2. A patient is responsible to provide caregivers with a complete and accurate medical history.
3. A patient is responsible to confirm that he/she clearly understands the recommended course of treatment and understands the patient’s role.
4. A patient is responsible to follow the recommended course of treatment.
5. A patient is responsible to provide information about unexpected complications that may arise in a course of treatment.
6. A patient is responsible to be considerate of the rights of other patients in the Hospital.
7. A patient is responsible to provide the Hospital with accurate and timely information concerning his or her sources of payment and ability to meet financial obligations.

Patient Rights Complaint Resolution Process

We hope your stay at Garden City Hospital is as comfortable and worry-free as possible. As a patient at the Hospital, you have rights, described in the “Statement of Patient Rights,” which govern your stay with us. If you should have any complaints, the Hospital Board of Trustees has instituted an informal and formal process to resolve such issues. If you are receiving services from any area of the Hospital and you have a complaint, please initially deal with your nurse or caregiver. Complaints not resolved to your satisfaction may be voiced to the Director of the Department or the Patient Representative who will attempt to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. Garden City Hospital’s Patient Representative may be reached at 734-458-4420.

Whether these actions resolve your issue or not, you may file a formal complaint with the Patient Representative. The filing of a formal complaint will result in an investigation of your concerns and a review by the Hospital’s Administrative Staff. If necessary, the Hospital Grievance Committee will be convened. You will receive a letter from a member of the Hospital Administration following any investigation. Complaints are generally reviewed and resolved as soon as possible.

You may also file a formal complaint with:
Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services
Bureau of Health Systems
Division of Operations, Complaint Investigation Unit
P.O. Box 30664
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Complaint Hotline: 1-800-882-6006

If you are a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary and your complaint concerns quality of care or premature discharge from the Hospital, you may refer the complaint to:
Beneficiary Complaint Department
Michigan Peer Review Organization
22670 Haggerty Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
248-465-7300

We encourage you to use the hospital’s resolution process first, so we may handle the issue in a timely manner. Please contact our Patient Representative at 734-458-4420.