Your Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Your Legal Rights & Responsibilities

Patients are afforded impartial access to available and medically necessary treatment, and accommodations regardless of sex, race, color, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military status, ethnicity, ability to pay, or handicap.

The Exercise of Patient’s Rights Provides For:

  • Exercising of his/her rights by a patient while receiving care or treatment in the facility without coercion, discrimination or retaliation;
  • Having a surrogate (parent, legal guardian, person with medical power of attorney) exercise the patient’s rights when the patient is incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination or retaliation;
  • The process to inform each patient or, when appropriate, the patient’s representative (as allowed under State law) of the patient’s rights in advance of furnishing or discontinuing patient care whenever possible;
  • The right to be fully informed in advance of care or treatment and to participate in the development and implementation of his/her plan of care;
  • The right to make informed decisions regarding his or her care, be informed of his/her health status, and be involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment (this right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provisions of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate);
  • The right to consent to or refuse treatment after being adequately informed of the benefits and risks of and alternatives to treatment;
  • The right to formulate and exercise Advance Directives in accordance with Federal and State Patient Self-Determination Act(s) and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these Directives;
  • The right to have a family member or representative of his/her choice and his/her own physician notified promptly of his/her admission to the hospital;
  • The right to personal privacy;
  • The right to receive care in a safe setting;
  • The right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment;
  • The right to confidentiality of his/her clinical records;
  • The right to access information contained in his/her clinical records within a reasonable time frame (the hospital must not frustrate the legitimate efforts of individuals to gain access to their own medical records and must actively seek to meet these requests as quickly as its record-keeping system permits);
  • The right to be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising his/her access to services;
  • The right to know the professional status of any person providing his/her care/services;
  • The right to know the reasons for any proposed change in the Professional Staff responsible for his/her care;
  • The right to know the reasons for his/her transfers either within or outside the facility;
  • The right to know the relationship(s) of the facility to persons
  • The right to access to the cost, itemized when possible, of or organizations participating in the provision of his/her care; services rendered within a reasonable period of time;
  • The right to be informed of the source of the facility’s reimbursement for his/her services and of any limitations which may be placed upon his/her care;
  • The right to be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff (restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of the patient, a staff member or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time);
  • The right to be free from physical or mental abuse and corporal punishment;
  • The right to have pain treated as effectively as possible;
  • The right of patient’s legal representative to informed consent regarding organ and/or tissue donation;
  • The right to communicate complaints or grievances regarding his or her care to his or her physician, nurse, patient care team member, consumer advocate, or hospital administration.

The Patient Has the Responsibility To:

  • Take an active role in his/her medical treatment
  • Give information on past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and any other information relating to his/her health;
  • Inform staff of his/her wishes regarding end of life decisions (i.e., Advance Directives);
  • Ask questions if instructions and information are not understood;
  • Follow instructions and advice offered by staff;
  • Report changes in his/her condition to those responsible for his/her care;
  • Be considerate and respectful of the rights of other patients and staff;
  • Honor the confidentiality and privacy of other patients;
  • Follow rules outlined by the department in which being treated;
  • Cooperate in planning his/her discharge;
  • Pay his/her bill for services received as soon as possible;
  • Speak with the Financial Counselor or other Weiss Memorial Hospital representative about financial counseling and assistance if unable to pay his/her bill; and
  • Apply for financial assistance offered through Weiss Memorial Hospital.

We hope you will give us an opportunity to resolve any issues you may have. The hospital has an Administrative Executive Assistant who may be reached by telephone at (773) 564-6000.   A written complaint may be made to the Administrative Executive Assistant at Weiss Memorial Hospital, 4646 N. Marine Drive, Chicago, IL 60640.

Complaints May Also Be Communicated Directly To:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Central Complaint Registry
525 W. Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761
Phone: (800) 252-4343
TTY: (800) 256-4372
Email: [email protected]

The Joint Commission Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Phone: (800) 994-6610
Fax: (630) 792-5636
www.jointcommission.org