YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS A PATIENT
North Country Health System, its Board of Trustees, and medical staff recognize and support the rights of patients. Your rights include all those set forth in Title 18 V.S.A. (Vermont Statutes Annotated) Sec. 1852.
Your Rights as a Patient
- Considerate, respectful, and coordinated care at all times and under all circumstances with recognition of your personal dignity.
- An attending physician who is responsible for coordinating your care. You also have the right to know this physician by name. You also have the right to know the identity and professional status of any other individuals providing services to you.
- To be able to obtain, from this attending physician responsible for coordinating your care, complete, current and understandable information about your diagnosis, treatment, and possible outcome. If you consent, or are incompetent, unable to understand, or it is not medically advisable to give you such information, your spouse or civil union partner, immediate family members, a reciprocal beneficiary or a guardian may also obtain this information.
- Except in an emergency, to have enough information necessary to give informed consent prior to any procedure or treatment or both. Such information should include, but not be limited to the specific procedure, treatment or both, the significant risks involved, and the probable duration of incapacitation. When alternatives for care or treatment exist, or when you request, you have the right to such information. You also have the right to know the name of the person responsible for the procedures, treatment, or both.
- To refuse treatment to the extent allowed by law. If you do refuse treatment, you will be advised of the medical consequences, and the hospital will be relived of any further responsibilities for your refusal.
- Privacy during care or discussion of your care. You have the right to expect all communications and records pertaining to your care shall be treated as confidential, except as permitted or required by law. You have the right to be informed via our Notice of Privacy Practices uses and disclosures of your protected health information we expect to make.
- To expect that within the hospital’s capacity we shall respond reasonably to your requests for services.
- Know of any relationship of the hospital to other healthcare and educational institutions insofar as your care is concerned. You have the right to obtain information as to the existence of any professional relationships among individuals, by name, who are treating you.
- Know if any part of your care is part of a research study. If so, those studies will be fully explained to you before you agree to or refuse the treatment. You also have the right to decline to participate in such research projects.
- To expect reasonable continuity of care and the right to be told by your attending physician your healthcare needs after discharge.
- A statement of charges that is itemized, detailed, and understandable, no matter the source of payment. You have the right to an explanation, if necessary.
- Know the hospital rules and regulations that apply to your behavior as a patient.
- Whenever possible, spouses, civil union partners, guardians, reciprocal beneficiaries, or immediate family members have the right to stay with you 24 hours a day in case of a terminal illness.
- Whenever possible, parents or guardians have the right to stay with their children 24 hours a day. Whenever possible, agents, guardians, reciprocal beneficiaries or immediate family members have the right to stay with terminally ill patients 24 hours a day.
- If you are hearing impaired or you do not speak or understand English, you have the right to an interpreter, if needed.
- The right of self-determination to the fullest extent of the law. You may formulate an advance directive such as a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare or a Living Will which allows you to give directions about your future medical care.
- To an explanation of the need for a transfer to another facility and of alternatives to such a transfer. To stay here at North Country and not be transferred per your wishes unless certain medical care is not available.
- Know who is taking care of you, what their job is, know who your doctor is, and know if anyone taking care of you is a student.
- To consult with the Ethics Committee if there are ethical issues that arise during the course of care.
- To receive professional assessment of pain and professional pain management.
- To be informed in writing of the availability of hospice services and the eligibility criteria for those services.
As a patient, you have the responsibility:
- To keep your appointments or phone the hospital if you cannot keep them.
- To be considerate of other patients by respecting their privacy and limiting visitors
- To observe safety regulations, including the no-smoking policy.
- To supply accurate information to appropriate personnel and report unexpected changes in your condition to your physician.
- To ask questions if medical instructions are not clear.
- To follow the treatment plan recommended by your physician. This includes cooperation with other healthcare personnel who are implementing physician orders.
- To assure that the financial obligations of your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
- Your health depends not just on your hospital care but in the long term
Patient Relations Program
- If during your stay here, you have a problem of any kind that is not dealt with to your satisfaction, after discussion with your attending physician or director of nursing, please feel free to contact our Patient Relations Coordinator at extension 291.
- The Patient Relations Program exists to resolve such problems and welcomes any thoughts, suggestions or criticisms concerning the total operation of this hospital. If you are unable to reach the Patient Relations Coordinator, your nurse will see that she is made aware of your concerns. If the situation requires immediate attention, a member of the hospital administration will come to your bedside. The administration will begin investigating your problem within five working days and will work to resolve it as soon as possible. All communications and correspondence will receive prompt and personal attention
If you wish to discuss your problem someone outside the hospital, you may contact the Department of Aging and Disabilities, Division of Licensing and Protection, 103 South Main Street, Ladd Hall, Waterbury, VT 05671-2306, Tel. 802.241.2345, Toll Free 1.800.564.1612, FAX 802.241.2358 or the Board of Health and Board of Medical Practice, VT Dept. of Health, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05402.0070, Tel. 802.657.4220, Toll Free 800.745.737
Information for Inpatients and Visitors
When you are admitted
Your admission to the hospital is ordered by a physician, who is a member of our medical staff. Upon your arrival, Patient Registration personnel will ask you many questions for our records, including your legal name, the name of your legal next of kin, and your current address and telephone number. You will be asked to sign forms allowing us to treat you and to release information to your insurance company. You will also be given an identification bracelet that must be worn throughout your stay.
Patient Privacy
New regulations provide hospitals and patients with additional means to help guarantee that patient privacy is a top priority of all providers, hospitals, physicians and pharmacies throughout the United States.
Patients, if able to respond, will be asked their preference regarding the release of their personal information. Patients may choose whether or not they are listed in the patient directory, and to whom such information as location, room number, and telephone extension may be released.
No information on minors may be released without express parental permission. If a patient’s condition prevents him or her of expressing a preference, no information will be released unless in the hospital’s professional judgment, a release of information will be in the patient’s best interests. Please refer to our notice of information practices.
Confidentiality
All information in your medical record is strictly confidential and may not be released without your written permission, except for treatment, payment, and health care operations or as required by law.
Neighbors Caring For Neighbors
At North Country Hospital, many people form your health care team. Your personal physician is responsible for the management of your care and has access to the total resources of the hospital. Other medical staff members may serve as your doctor’s consultants in providing medical and surgical care. A dedicated team of physicians, skilled professionals, well-trained support staff, trustees and volunteers stand ready to assist you during your hospital stay.
The hospital has a further commitment to community partnerships and to encourage, educate, and assist members of the community in the maintenance and improvement of their own health. North Country Hospital blends medical expertise and technology with a genuine concern for people. There are many behind-the-scene members of your health care team. Housekeeping, laundry, engineering and maintenance staff work to provide a pleasant, clean and well-maintained facility for you.
Clergy
Clergy of all faiths are invited to visit patients at any time. A volunteer chaplaincy program exists at NCH. The chaplains fulfill an inter-faith role and are available 24 hours a day. If you desire a chaplain, please dial 0 and ask the operator to call a chaplain or ask the nurse to call the chaplain on duty or the clergyman of your choice. You may also indicate a religious preference upon admission.
Volunteer Services
Volunteers bring an added dimension of caring to NCH. They donate thousands of hours each year to the Board of Trustees, the hospital Auxiliary and assisting departments and patients. The Window Box Gift and Coffee Shop, located in the hospital lobby, is managed and staffed totally by volunteers. Funds raised by the Auxiliary provide much-needed equipment and services. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 334-3286.
Insurance
If you are covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, be sure to bring your identification cards and any necessary forms with you to facilitate reimbursement from your insurance company. Have your Social Security number and your spouse’s social security number with you.
Advance Directive/Living Will
Advance directives are formal documents written in advance of serious illness. These documents state choices for health care or name someone to make these choices for you, should you become unable to make decisions for yourself. Any time you are admitted to the hospital you will be asked if you have an Advance Directive. Through Advance Directives, which include Living Wills, Durable Power-of-Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Surrogates, you can make legally valid decisions about your medical treatment. If you have completed an Advance Directive or Living Will, a copy of these forms can be placed in your medical record here at the hospital.
You should talk to those closest to you about an Advance Directive and your feelings about the health care you would like to receive. A lawyer can answer questions about the law and advise you on how to obtain and complete these documents.
Notary Public
The services of a Notary Public are available to patients free of charge. Contact your nurse for this service or call Customer Relations at extension 291.
Smoking
North Country Hospital and Health Center is a smoke-free environment. We offer support to patients adjusting to this smoking policy, including services such as educational materials, individual counseling, relaxation techniques and pharmaceutical aids to ease nicotine withdrawal. If you anticipate or are experiencing difficulty, contact your nurse or physician for help.
Personal Belongings
Leave jewelry and money at home. You may be more comfortable wearing your own robe and using your own toiletries. What to bring to the hospital: Personal toiletries, dressing gown, slippers, nightgown or pajamas (optional) and housecoat. Note: Radios, electric razors, etc. must be approved by the Maintenance Department before they are connected to a hospital outlet.
For Your Safety
Controlling the Spread of Infection
North Country Hospital has an Infection Control Program for preventing the spread of infection. Each patient, visitor, and health care staff member plays an important role. Standard Precautions are a central part of the program. Standard Precautions are designed to prevent the transmission of germs that may be present in blood and other body fluids. Standard Precautions apply to all patients, regardless of known or unknown infectious status. Standard Precautions involve the wearing of gloves whenever contact with blood and other body fluids or substances is possible, and the additional use of masks, goggles and other protective gear as necessary.
Hand washing and/or the use of an alcohol gel for hand hygiene is required for all health care workers. The CDC states that hand washing is the best way to reduce the spread of infection.
In addition, the Infection Control Program includes specific transmission-based precautions, which apply to patients known or suspected to have certain highly contagious diseases. Measures for patient isolation are included in transmission-based precautions. Isolation involves placing a patient suspected of having certain contagious illnesses in a private room, and instructions for staff and visitors concerning hand hygiene and protective attire, including gloves, gowns and masks as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. A sign is placed on the patient’s door to alert staff and others of the Standard Precautions and specific steps that must be taken to prevent the spread of the disease to others.
Visitors are normally welcome guests at NCH. However, to protect our patients we ask that visitors who are themselves ill refrain from coming to see friends or loved ones.
Your physician, nurse and the Infection Control Coordinator are available to answer any questions about Infection Control at North Country Hospital.
Medicine
Your physician needs to know about any medications you are currently taking, including herbals, vitamins and over the counter medication. Do not take any medicine unless it has been prescribed by your physician and given to you by a nurse. Please advise your nurse of any allergies you may have. An allergy band will be placed on your wrist to prevent the possibility of your receiving that medication.
Pain Management
All patients have a right to pain relief. As a North Country Hospital patient you can expect:
• Information about pain and pain relief measures
• A concerned staff committed to pain prevention
and management
• Health professionals who respond quickly to reports of pain
• Effective pain management
As a patient at this facility, we expect that you will:
• Ask your caregiver what to expect regarding pain and
pain management
• Discuss pain relief options with your caregiver
• Work with your caregiver to develop a pain
management plan
• Ask for pain relief when pain first begins
• Help your caregiver assess your pain
• Tell your caregiver if your pain is not relieved
• Tell your caregiver about any worries you may have about taking pain medication
Moving Around
Please call your nurse if you feel you might be unsteady or might need a little help. Ask for assistance when you get into or out of a wheelchair.
Leaving the Patient Area
There are times (such as for tests, etc.) when it is necessary for you to leave your nursing unit. Always check at the nursing station prior to leaving the unit unless accompanied by hospital staff.
Drills
Regulations require that we stage periodic fire and disaster drills. If you hear alarm bells and your door is closed abruptly, please do not be alarmed. In the case of a real situation, you will be notified and assisted in evacuation if necessary.
For Your Convenience
Visiting Hours:
Maternity/Pediatrics: Fathers – anytime
Grandparents & Siblings – 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Friends & Other Family – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
No children under 12 except siblings.
Intensive Care Unit: Check with the nurses.
Medical/Surgical: 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Meals/Cafeteria
Visitors are welcome to eat in the Hospital Cafeteria, which is located on the lower level. All food is prepared and served under the supervision of trained personnel. Patients are visited on a regular basis by the Dietary Supervisor during their stay. Cafeteria services are available to visitors between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. for breakfast; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for lunch; and 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. for dinner, seven days a week. Beverages and snacks are available 24 hours a day from the vending machines located in the emergency department waiting room.
Flowers and Mail
Any mail or flowers addressed to you will be delivered to your room. Highly perfumed flowers are undesirable due to allergy concerns. Items received after your discharge will be forwarded to your home. You may send out stamped personal mail by giving it to your nurse or leaving it with the unit clerk. Stamps are available for purchase in the gift shop. Latex balloons are not allowed because of latex allergies.
Foreign Language
Si vous ne comprenez pas l’anglais, n’hesitez pas a nous demander de l’aide. Should you require foreign language or other communication assistance, we will make all possible efforts to accommodate your needs. We have staff members who can interpret various languages. We also subscribe to AT&T Language Line.
Telephones
All rooms, except ICU rooms, have a telephone so that patients may keep in touch with friends and family. A portable phone is available for the ICU rooms. The phone number to your room is 334 plus your extension. Note: in-room phones show only 3 digit extension. A 3 must be added before it for a true number such as 334-3513 (the 513 is the extension). To make a local call from your room, dial 9 to get an outside line, then the number you wish to call. All long distance calls must be made with a valid telephone credit card or by calling collect. To make a long distance call, dial 9 for an outside line, then 0 for help from the operator or use your credit card number.
TTY
A TTY for the hearing impaired is located in the Emergency Room. Persons with a TTY Unit in their home may communicate with North Country Hospital by calling 334-7900.
Gift Shop
North Country Hospital Auxiliary operates the Window Box Gift and Coffee Shop on the main floor near the entrance. The shop offers a variety of unusual and moderately priced gift items, as well as coffee, soft drinks, snacks, sundries and a newsstand. All proceeds go toward Auxiliary sponsored projects to benefit the hospital.
Television
Your room is furnished with cable television. The television is operated using the remote attached to your bed. Please keep the volume low so other patients are not disturbed. Talk with your nurse if you have any questions about the use of the television.
Patient Relations
Your comfort and peace of mind is our primary concern. While you are here, we encourage you to share your comments—both compliments and concerns. After you return home, we will send you a survey asking you about your stay. Please spend a few minutes to complete our questionnaire—your input is valuable in our efforts to continuously improve our services.
If you have any kind of a problem during your stay, you should discuss it with your attending physician or the nursing manager. If it is not dealt with to your satisfaction, please feel free to contact our Patient Relations coordinator at 334-3100 (ext. 100). If you are unable to reach Patient Relations, your nurse will see that she is made aware of your concerns. If the situation requires immediate attention, another member of the hospital administration will come to your bedside. You may find it necessary to call the President’s office, that number is 334-3201 (ext. 201).
About Financial Matters
The charge for your room includes daily nursing services, linens, meals, and special diets. Additional charges are made for special services, dressings, laboratory, x-rays, physical therapy, medications, and other tests and treatments ordered by your physician. More than two thirds of your hospital bill is for human services: people. There is no substitute for human skills and care in the hospital!
Your physician’s bill for professional services is separate from the hospital billing. In addition, if you require the services of other physicians including an anesthesiologist, radiologist, and/or pathologist, you may expect to receive bills from each of these specialists. It sometimes requires 24 hours for a charge to be posted on your bill. A bill for any delayed charges not posted at the time of your discharge will be mailed to you at home.
No patient in genuine need of care is ever turned away for lack of ability to pay. If you don’t have insurance, we will arrange a payment plan with you before you leave. Should you wish to discuss finances with us during your stay, call Ext. 274 and ask to have a Credit Counselor visit you.
Going Home
Leaving the hospital is a happy time, but you may also be worried about getting along without the support of your health care team. This same team of people also works together to prepare you for going home. They will help you in planning your daily activity, diet, rehabilitation program and medical care. If necessary, the social worker will help provide for the orderly transfer of your care to another health care resource or facility.
After you return home, you may have questions about your medical care and your recovery in general. Please feel free to call your physician. Once your physician has authorized your discharge from the hospital and financial arrangements are completed, a nurse will assist you in leaving the hospital.
Before leaving you might wish to review the following checklist:
Do I have all my personal belongings?
Is there anyone with whom I want to speak before I leave?
Do I understand my follow-up treatment or discharge plan?
Have I been referred to any community services, for follow-up with my own doctor, or to any follow-up service at NCH?
Do I know whom I’ll see, where they are located, the phone number, or any scheduled appointment times?
Do I understand the billing process and are there any questions which I would like to have answered before leaving?
North Country Health System
Phone: (802) 334-7331
Toll Free in Vermont (800) 750-7331
24-Hour Physician Staffed Emergency Room (802) 334-7900
TTY (For Hearing Impaired) (802) 334-7900
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