The KHCC declare its commitment and support to the following patient/family rights:    

1.ACCESS TO CARE
§ To request and receive medically appropriate treatment and service within the organization's capacity and its mission.

§ To access protective services, including guardianship, advocacy services, conservator ship, and child and adult protective services.

§ Right to have pain adequately treated

2.RESPECT AND DIGNITY:
§ To request and receive care which respects patient and family cultural, spiritual, and social values.

§ To receive care that promotes patient’s dignity, privacy, safety, and comfort and which promotes optimal management of pain.

§ To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.

3. PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY:
§ To be assured that medical and personal information will be handled in a confidential manner.

§ To refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, or personnel officially connected with the hospital but not directly involved in his/her care.

§ To be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes the right to have a person of one's own sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.

§ To expect that any discussion or consultation involving patient & family issues will be conducted discreetly and that individuals not directly involved in his/her care will not be present without his/her permission.

§ To have his/her medical record read only by individuals directly involved in his/her treatment or the monitoring of its quality and by other individuals only on his/her, written authorization or that of his/her legally authorized representative.

§ To expect all communications on other records pertaining to his/her care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.

§ To request a transfer to another room if another patient or visitors in that room are unreasonably disturbing.

4.  IDENTITY
§ The patient and family have the right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service to him and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his/her care. This includes the patient's right to know of the existence of any professional relationship among individuals who are treating him/her as well as the relationship to any other health care of educational institutions involved in his/her care.

5. INFORMATION:
§ To be informed of the nature of his/her illness and treatment options, including potential risks, benefits, alternatives, and costs, and to participate fully in his/her health care decisions.

§ To be informed of any proposed research of experimental treatment that may be considered in care and to consent or refuse to participate. Such refusal will not compromise his/her access to services.

§ The patient has the right to review quality improvement projects.

6. COMMUNICATION:
§ This patient & family have the right to verbal and written communication with people outside the hospital.

§ When the patient & family do not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, they should have access to an interpreter/. A current list of interpreters is updated yearly and kept in each department.

7. CONSENT:
§ The patient has the right to be involved in the planning of their care and they have the right to the information needed to make an informed person about available options prior to giving or with holding consent to treatment.

8. ADVANCE DIRECTIVES:
§ To formulate advance directive, such as a living will or appointment of a health care agent (or power of attorney for health care), and to expect that your advance directives will be followed when applicable.

§ To expect that appropriate surrogate decision makers will be sought in case you lack decision-making ability and have no advance directive.

9.CONCERNS:
§ To raise ethical issues concerning your care with your care providers and/or the ethics committee and to participate in the resolution of those issues.

10. TRANSFER AND CONTINUITY OF CARE:
§ A patient may not be transferred to another facility unless he has received a complete explanation of the need for the transfer and the alternatives to such a transfer and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility.

§ The patient has the right to be informed by the practitioner responsible for his/her care or his/her delegate or any continuing health care requirement following discharge from the hospital.

§ To expect that efforts will be made provide you & your family with continuous, co-coordinated, and appropriate care during and after your hospitalization.

11.  HOSPITAL CHARGES:
§ To request and receive information regarding the charges for any treatment and to receive an explanation of your bill upon request. 

12. HOSPITAL RULES AND REGULATIONS:
§ The patient & family should be informed of the hospital rules and regulations applicable to their conduct as a patient and family. Patients and families are entitled to information about the hospital's mechanism for the initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints. Refer to hospital policy on "Institutional Ethics Committee". A committee is available to convene for discussion and/or consideration of ethical issues arising with the care of patients at KHCC. The Associate Director of Medical Affairs has the designed authority to call sessions of this Ethics Committee as he/she deems necessary/ The Ethics Committee has the responsibility for keeping abreast of current medical / legal / ethical issues and keeping staff current educationally.

§ The patient has the right to make a complaint or suggestion without fear of retribution

Patient’s Responsibilities
As a patient, you and/or your representative are expected to:

1.     Provide complete and accurate information about your health, including present condition, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, natural products and vitamins, and any other matter that pertains to your health.

2.     Provide complete and accurate information including your full name, address, home telephone number, date of birth, insurance carrier, and employer when it is necessary.

3.     Ask questions when you do not understand what your doctor or other members of your healthcare team tell you about your diagnosis or treatment.

4.     You should inform your doctor if you anticipate problems in following prescribed treatment arrangements. Inform your doctor if you are considering alternative therapies.

5.     Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain management, and work with them to develop a pain management plan. You should tell your doctor or nurse about any worries you have about taking pain medication.

6.     Keep appointments, be on time for your appointments, and call as soon as possible if you cannot keep your appointments.

7.     Leave valuables at home and bring only those items necessary during your hospital stay.

8.       Abide by all hospital rules and regulations.

·   Comply with the NO SMOKING policy.

·   Comply with the visitors policies to ensure the rights and comfort of all patients. Please be considerate of   noise levels, issues of privacy, and safety. Weapons are prohibited on the premises.

·   Treat hospital staff, other patients, and visitors with courtesy and respect.

8.     Provide complete and accurate information for insurance claims and work with the hospital billing office to make payment arrangements.

10.    Know your health insurance coverage and related policies concerning required pre-approvals, co-pays, covered services, admissions, and the hospitals / doctors covered by your insurance provider.

· Pay your hospital and physician bills in a timely manner.

·   Ask questions of your insurance company or hospital billing department if there is a financial issue that you do not understand