The Doctors Clinic, a part of the Franciscan Medical Group and CHI Franciscan, follows the guidelines set forth by CHI Franciscan. Please see the below information for your patient rights and responsibilities.
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
As a patient, it’s a good idea to educate yourself about your rights and responsibilities. As always, our staff is available to answer any questions you may have.
Our Ethical and Religious Directives
CHI Franciscan follows the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Our hospitals, outpatient centers and other care facilities are open to persons of every faith and ethnic background. Thank you for entrusting us with your care.
Living Will and Power of Attorney
In the event that you cannot make medical decisions for yourself, it is important to have these legal documents prepared, so your loved ones can follow your wishes.
Patient discounts and financial assistance
We offer discounts and other financial assistance for medically necessary services. To be eligible for this assistance, please submit the necessary documents showing you meet the established qualifications.
- For more information or to obtain an application, visit our financial assistance page or call the Franciscan Regional Business Office at 1 (253) 396-6700. All inquiries are treated with respect and in confidence.
- Third-party coverage: We also provide help in obtaining payment from third parties such as Medicare and Medicaid. If you are eligible for Medicaid, but you are not currently signed up, we can help you apply.
Patient rights and responsibilities
Whether you come to our facility for medical care or to have a test or other procedures done, your rights as a patient must be respected.
As a patient, you have the right to:
- Be fully informed of all your patient rights and receive a written copy, in advance of furnishing or discontinuing care whenever possible
- Not be discriminated against because of your race, beliefs, age, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or your ability to pay for care
- Be treated with dignity and respect, including cultural and personal beliefs, values and preferences
- Confidentiality, reasonable personal privacy, security, safety, spiritual or religious care accommodations and communication. If communication restrictions are necessary for patient care and safety, the hospital must document and explain the restrictions to the patient and family
- Be protected from neglect, exploitation and verbal, mental, physical or sexual abuse
- Access to protective and advocacy services
- Receive information about your condition, including unanticipated outcomes
- Agree and be involved in all aspects and decisions of your care, including:
- Refusing care, treatment and services to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the consequences of your actions
- Resolving problems with care decisions; the hospital will involve the surrogate decision-maker when you are unable to make decisions about your care
- Receive information in a manner tailored to your age, language needs and ability to understand. An interpreter, translator or other auxiliary aids, tools or services will be provided to you for vital and necessary information free of charge
- Make informed decisions regarding care, including options, alternatives, risks and benefits. The hospital honors your right to give, rescind and withhold consent
- Receive appropriate medical screening examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition within the capabilities of the hospital, regardless of your ability to pay for such services
- Have a family member or representative of your choice and your physician notified
- Know the individual(s) responsible for, as well as those providing, your care, treatment and services
- Family or representatives notification of your admission and input in care decisions; designate any individual to be present for emotional support during the course of your stay
- An appropriate assessment and management of your pain
- Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff
- Have advance directives and for hospitals to respect and follow those directives; the hospital honors advance directives, in accordance with law and regulation and the hospital’s capabilities, religious directives and policies
- End-of-life care: request no resuscitation or life-sustaining treatment
- Donate organs and other tissues, including medical staff input and direction by family or surrogate decision-makers
- Review, request amendment to and obtain information on disclosures of your health information in accordance with law and regulation
- File a grievance (complaint) and to be informed of the process to review and resolve the grievance
File a grievance
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health takes every complaint seriously and want to work with you to address your issues.
If you believe you have experienced discrimination or that your rights have been violated, you may initiate a formal grievance. We ask that you speak with management staff directly about your concern. You may also call and speak with the Hospital Patient Advocate during business hours or you may notify them in writing. The Franciscan Customer Concern Line is (253) 530-2299 / or 1 (877) 426-4701. The Patient Advocate will contact you upon receipt of the grievance, and will refer the complaint to the appropriate manager for investigation.
The manager or designee may contact you within two working days of the receipt your grievance to discuss your concerns. Once the concerns are clarified, our policy allows 10 working days for a thorough investigation and follow up by the manager or designee. A written response detailing the steps taken on your behalf to investigate the grievance, and the results of the process will be mailed no later than 10 days from the receipt of the grievance. The letter will also have the name and number of a contact person for any further correspondence.
You also have a right to file a complaint with the Washington Department of Health, regardless of whether you choose to first use the hospital grievance process. The Washington Department of Health Hospital Complaint Hotline is 1 (800) 633-6828. Any concern about patient safety or care in the hospital, that the hospital has not already addressed, may also be referred to the Joint Commission’s Office of Quality Monitoring at 1 (800) 994-6610.
Service animals
Individuals with disabilities have a right to be accompanied by a trained service animal or dog guide, have reasonable accommodations and be able to access non-sterile and non-medically regulated patient and visitor areas.<
You have a right to file a discrimination complaint with the Washington Human Rights Commission toll free at 1-800-233-3247 or online at www.hum.wa.gov.
Patient visitation rights
Patients of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health enjoy visitation privileges consistent with the patient preference and subject to the hospital’s Justified Clinical Restrictions. Each patient has the right to receive the visitors whom he/ she designates and may designate a support person to exercise the patient’s visitation rights on his/ her behalf. All visitors designated by the patient (or support person where appropriate) shall enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family member would enjoy. The designation of a support person does not extend to the medical decision making.
We may impose clinically necessary or reasonable restrictions or limitations on patient visitation when necessary to respect all other patient rights and to provide safe care to patients. A justified Clinical Restriction may include, but need not be limited to one or more of the following: (i) a court order limiting or restraining contact; (ii) behavior presenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff, or others in the immediate environment; (iii) behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit; (iv) reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time; (v) patient’s risk of infection by the visitor; (vi) visitor’s risk of infection by the patient; (vii) extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak; (viii) substance abuse treatment protocols requiring restricted visitation; (ix) patient’s need for privacy or rest; (x) need for privacy or rest by another individual in the patient’s shared room; or (xi) when the patient is undergoing clinical intervention or procedure and the treating health care professional believes it is in the patient’s best interest to limit visitation during the clinical intervention or procedure.
Patient satisfaction questionnaire
We constantly measure our patients’ satisfaction with the medical care and services they receive. We also seek ways to improve how we meet your expectations.
As a patient or former patient, you may be asked to respond to a questionnaire designed to gauge your level of satisfaction with our hospital and the care it provided you. We hope you will take the few minutes to complete the survey. Your comments are important to us. Customer satisfaction is one of our top priorities.
Patient concerns
Have a complaint? Please let us know.
Call the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Customer Concern Line at 1 (877) 426-4701. Our patient advocates are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. At other times, please leave your name and phone number, and we will return your call.
If you believe your rights are not being respected or you’re displeased with how you’re treated, as a patient you have the right:
- To register a complaint with any staff member and get a prompt response from management
- To speak with management directly about your concerns
- To initiate a formal grievance
View a printable version of our Privacy Notice.
Our Right to Change This Notice
The Doctors Clinic reserves the right to amend or make changes to the terms of this notice and to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post the current notice in the office with its effective date.
You are entitled to a copy of the notice currently in effect. You may go to any facility owned by The Doctors Clinic to receive your current copy of your Notice of Privacy Practices or you may view a copy of the notice on our website at www.thedoctorsclinic.com. Copies of the Privacy Policy are also available at the reception desk at any of our clinics.