Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Your Rights as a patient at Caro Community Hospital

Access to care provided with respect...

  1. You have the right to receive necessary care regardless of your race, gender, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, beliefs, values, language, functional status, age, disability, or source of payment.
  2. You have the right to receive considerate and respectful care in a smoke-free environment.
  3. You have the right to privacy.
  4. You have the right to speak alone to anyone you wish while you are a patient at Caro Community Hospital, unless your healthcare provider determines it is not in your best medical interest.
  5. You have the right to receive information about rules involving your care or conduct.
  6. You have the right to proper assessment and management of pain.
  7. You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary.
  8. You have the right to be free from mental or physical abuse or harrassment.

Your involvement in decisions about your care...

  1. You have the right to information about your condition, treatment and prognosis, including unanticipated outcomes of care.
  2. You have the right to know who is taking care of you, as well as their professional titles.
  3. You have the right to education about safe use of medications, medical equipment, potential food-drug interactions, and counseling on nutrition and modified diets.
  4. You have the right to be involved in the planning, completion, and review of your plan of care, including your plan of care after you leave the hospital.
  5. You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law; it is our responsibliity to discuss with you the possible outcomes of your refusal.
  6. You have the right to participate in healthcare decisions, including advanced directives.
  7. You have the right to approve any experimental procedure that may be part of your care.
  8. Your right to make decisions about your healthcare does not mean that you can demand treatment or services that are medically inappropriate or unnecessary.

Access to your own medical records...

  1. You have the right to see your medical records at a time suitable for both you and our staff. Once you are discharged, you may request and obtain a copy of your records for a reasonable fee.
  2. You have the right to request changes to your protected health information. You also have the right to contact our Medical Information Services Departmant to ask that your information not be given out.
  3. You have the right to request a list of the disclosures we have made of medical information about you.

Confidentiality of Care...

  1. Your medical records will be treated as confidential by our hospital staff. No one outside of Caro Community Hospital, except your referring physician, may be given a copy of your records without your written permission. Exceptions are as required by law, transfer of care, or third party payor (insurance).
  2. You have the right to have a family member and your own physician notified of your admission to the hospital.

Concerns about your care and billing...

  1. You have the right to healthcare information provided in a manner that you can understand.
  2. You have the right to details about all items on your bill. You will receive notice of non-coverage. Upon request, information concering financial help will be given to you.
  3. You have the right to express any concerns you may have about your care. We encourage you to communicate concerns or compliments to the individual or department involved. Call (989) 673-3141, and ask for Administration or Compliance Office.
  4. You have the right to file a formal written or verbal grievance with the Compliance Office if we cannot promptly resolve your care issues.
  5. You also have the right to lodge a grievance with the State of Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services at (517) 373-9196. The address is: Bureau of Health Services, P.O. Box 30670, Lansing, MI 48909-8170.