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Patient Rights, Responsibilities, & Privacy

At South County Hospital, your care is guided by the values of caring, respect, integrity, collaboration, excellence. Our policy is to treat all patients with dignity, respect and courtesy.

Patients or their designated representatives are involved in decisions regarding the care that we deliver to the extent that this is practical and possible. We also seek to inform you about options to care and the risks associated with the care you seek. We always seek to understand and respect your objectives for care.

We hope the mutual understanding of these rights and responsibilities will contribute to the best possible patient care and satisfaction. By state law, the following information is posted in all public areas of the hospital.

As a patient of South County Hospital, you have the right to:

  • Have care that is considerate and respectful of your dignity, values and beliefs.
  • Have reasonable access to care and treatment without regard to race, creed, sex, national origin, sexual preference or source of payment.
  • Be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.
  • Put an advance directive (a power of medical attorney and/or living will) into your medical record, giving your choice(s) about care and the name of someone to make decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself.
  • Be informed about and share in decisions about your care, including ethical issues such as life-sustaining treatment and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials.
  • Trust in the security, personal privacy and confidentiality of your medical information.
  • Be provided with a written statement of your rights and responsibilities on admission to the hospital. This statement is available to you throughout your stay and is also posted in all public areas of the hospital.
  • Have access to adult/child protective services such as guardianship and advocacy services and conservatorship.
  • Know the identity of all individuals providing care and treatment to you at the hospital.
  • Expect reasonable safety practices and a safe environment in the hospital.
  • Access to visitors and to verbal and written communication.
  • Have appropriate assessment and management of pain.
  • Be told of your right to participate in organ and tissue donation programs. The hospital will provide counselors for families of potential organ donors and help in communicating with organ-donor agencies.
  • Be given complete and current information about your condition, treatment and a timely and reasonable notice before termination of your coverage by an insurance company, if that is known by the hospital.
  • Refuse transfer to another facility after your doctor has explained the need for the alternatives and to know the alternatives to and the effect(s) of refusing the transfer.
  • Request a discharge planning evaluation by the Hospital's Continuing Care Department.
  • Have the assurance that the hospital uses all reasonable means to make employees and doctors aware of patient rights and responsibilities and their role in them.
  • Name a person(s) (not legally related by blood or marriage) whom you want considered as immediate family for visiting purposes. You may do this at any time verbally or in writing with any member of the health care team. You may change this list at any time in the same manner.

As a patient at South County Hospital, it is your responsibility to:

  • Give all information, to the best of your knowledge, about your condition, including symptoms, medications, previous health, etc.
  • Ask questions if you do not clearly understand information or instructions a your care and treatment.
  • Follow the treatment plan coordinated by your physician.
  • Be responsible for your own actions if you refuse treatment or refuse to follow your treatment instructions and directions.
  • Ensure that payment for your care is made promptly and in full. This means understanding your insurance coverage and its limits and any added responsibilities you may have.
  • Follow hospital rules and regulations.
  • Be considerate of and respectful to your caregivers, other patients and visitors to the hospital.
  • Not bring personal electrical appliances into the hospital from home.
  • Not use cellular telephones in patient rooms.
  • Not have or use alcoholic beverages or recreational drugs in the hospital.
  • Not have firearms or other weapons in the hospital.