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Patient Rights

A Commitment to Patient Rights

Thank you for choosing UM Health-West Hospital for your health care. This guide outlines your rights and responsibilities as a patient. For a more detailed list in policy form, please contact the UM Health-West Compliance Department at 616.252.7466, or by mail at 5900 Byron Center Avenue SW, Wyoming, Michigan 49519.

Ask your nurse or other staff member for this information in a different language as needed. Remember that these rights are yours, regardless of race, religion, sex, age, ethnic background or handicap. You don’t have to worry about discrimination or retaliation if you use them. They also apply to your representative.

Your Rights as a Patient

Your Rights as a Patient

Information and decisions about your medical condition and plan of care.

You have the right to:

  • Receive information about your condition in terms you can understand. This includes information about your diagnosis, health status and prospect for recovery (prognosis). We want you to participate in decisions about your care.
  • Request or refuse treatment. This means that you can make decisions about your care. It doesn’t mean that you can demand treatment or services that are not appropriate or necessary.
  • Be informed of and consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project. Your consent or refusal will not affect your access to care.
  • Know the professional status of any person providing care or service.
  • Know the reason for any planned change in the Professional Staff providing care.
  • Make an advance medical directive about your care and expect hospital staff and your doctor(s) to follow that directive. This may be a Living Will, or a choice of someone to make medical decisions for you.
  • Make decisions about organ and tissue donation. 
  • Have a family member or other person of your choice and your doctor informed of your admission to the hospital.
  • Be given the reason for being moved to another room in the hospital or to another facility.
  • Be informed of any business relationship between UM Health-West Hospital and other health care providers caring for you.

Pain Management

You have the right to:

  • Have your pain treated as effectively as possible.

Privacy, Respect & Safety

You have the right to:

  • Personal privacy.
  • Confidentiality of your medical records. Your patient information will only be released with your permission, as necessary for continuing care, or when required by law. For further information please refer to the Notice of Privacy Practices offered to you during registration. You can also ask for a copy to be printed or view/print a copy at uofmhealthwest.org/patientprivacy. If you wish to discuss your privacy matters further please contact the Privacy Officer at 1-888-222-0625 or email [email protected].
  • Receive care in a safe setting.
  • Be free from all forms of abuse and harassment from staff, other patients and visitors.
  • Be free from physical or chemical restraint or seclusion, unless needed for your own safety.

Patient Visitation Rights

  • You have the right to choose who may and may not visit you while in the hospital including, but not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner, another family member or a friend (support person). 
  • You have the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
  • You or your support person will be provided with the written notice of visitation rights.
  • UM Health-West Hospital reserves the right to limit or restrict visitation for reasonable or clinical reasons, such as but not limited to:
    – Any court order limiting or restraining contact
    – Behavior presenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff, or others in the immediate environment
    – Behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit
    – Reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one timeww
    – Patient’s risk of infection by the visitor
    – Visitor’s risk of infection by the patient
    – Extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak
    – Patient’s need for privacy or rest
  • UM Health-West Hospital shall not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
  • UM Health-West Hospital shall ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.

Access to Your Medical Records

You have the right to:

  • Read your medical record while you are a patient. A doctor or other health care professional must be with you if you want to do this. Tell your nurse so arrangements can be made.
  • Have a copy of your completed medical record, within a reasonable period of time. There is a fee for this service. Call the hospital Health Information Department at 616-252-7010 with your request.

Billing Information

You have the right to:

  • Know the cost of services given, itemized when possible, within a reasonable period of time.
  • Know how the hospital will be paid, and any limitations that have been placed on care by your insurance company. 

Complaint Resolution

Please tell us if you have questions or concerns about your care, or if you think your rights have been violated. Talk to the manager of the department. For more assistance, call the hospital operator at (616) 252-7200. He or she will help you find the best person to handle your concerns. You may also submit a written complaint at uofmhealthwest.org.

You may file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Community Health in any of three ways:

1) Go online to www.michigan.gov/bhs to complete a complaint form.

2) Mail a detailed written complaint to:
Michigan Dept. of Community Health Bureau of Health Systems,
Division of Operations Complaint and Investigation Unit,
PO Box 30664, Lansing, MI 48909

3) Call the toll-free complaint hotline at 1-800-882-6006.

Your Responsibilities as a Patient

  • Follow hospital rules and regulations.
  • Give complete information about your past and present health when asked. Include information about past hospital stays and medications that you take.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We want you to understand your care.
  • Tell your doctor if you are not able to follow the treatment plan.
  • Give correct information about insurance or other sources of payment. It is up to you to arrange how you will pay your part of the bill.
  • Respect other patients and hospital staff and property.
  • Report changes in your condition to the doctor and nurse.
  • Ask your nurse for an “Important Message from Medicare” if you have Medicare coverage and haven’t received this letter.

For More Information

We want you to play an active role in your health care. If you have any questions or concerns about your Rights or Responsibilities as a patient, please contact us at 616.252.7466.

Para más información

Queremos que usted tome parte activa en el cuidado de su salud. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta o preocupación acerca de sus derechos y responsabilidades como paciente, por favor comuníquese con nosotros al 616.252.7466.

Za dodatne informacije 

Želimo da ste aktivno uključeni u Vaše liječenje. Ako imate ikakvih pitanja ili dvojbi oko Vaših prava ili dužnosti kao pacijenta, molimo Vas kontaktirajte nas na 616.252.7466.

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