Patients & Visitors

Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Our mission at Stevens Hospital is to be your best health care service. We honor the dignity of our patients and their families by providing care that meets your physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs.

We believe that all patients have the right and responsibility to be partners with doctors and hospital staff in the planning and delivery of their health care. We believe that this partnership will result in more effective care and greater satisfaction for all involved.

As the patient, or his or her legal representative, you have the right to:

• Make informed decisions regarding your health care.
• Be informed of your current health status and prognosis.
• Be involved in care planning and treatment.
• Request or refuse treatment (though this right does not mean that requested care that is medically unnecessary or inappropriate must be provided).
• Be included in your pain management by:
  1. Being provided with education on pain and treatment options.
  2. Being involved in developing and implementing a plan to control your pain.
  3. Having your pain regularly assessed and needs addressed.
• Formulate advance directives.
• Have your advance directives honored.
• Have a family member or representative of your choice and your personal physician promptly notified of your admission.
• Personal privacy.
• Receive care in a safe setting.
• Freedom from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• Confidentiality of your clinical records.
• Access the information contained in your clinical records in a reasonable timeframe.
• Freedom from any form of restraint that is not medically necessary or is used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
• Have your concerns addressed:
  1. Exercise your right to make a verbal complaint or file a grievance when you believe that your care could be improved or that your rights have been violated, and have that complaint or grievance addressed and resolved in a prompt manner.
  2. Register your concern with your nurse or his or her supervisor or contact the patient advocate directly at 425.640.4043.

Access to the Patient Advocate:

If you have a special concern or problem during your stay in Stevens Hospital, we want to look into it before you leave. Your patient advocate is here to work with management, staff and doctors to investigate and respond quickly to concerns you or your family might have. Please contact the patient advocate at 425.640.4043 (or extension 4043 in the hospital) and we will make every effort to handle your concern as quickly as possible.

For any concerns or complaints you have about the care or services you are receiving at Stevens, please contact our patient advocate.

You also have the right to directly contact:

As a patient at Stevens Hospital it is expected you will:

• Provide information about your past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other health matters that may be pertinent to your care.
• Request additional explanation if you do not understand what you are being requested to sign.
• Provide a copy of your advance directives to Stevens Hospital.
• Communicate your concerns to members of your health care team by telling your doctor and nurses about your concerns with pain or pain management.
• Inform your doctor and other caregivers if you would have difficulty in following their prescribed treatment.
• Be considerate of the needs of other patients and members of the health care team.
• Provide information for insurance claims and work with the hospital to make payment arrangements.
• Recognize the effect of your lifestyle on your personal health.

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