Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Each patient has the right to:

Considerate and respectful care. This includes the right to be free from all forms of harassment; neglect; exploitation; and verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse.
Reasonable access to care.
Effective communication in a manner he/she understands.
Know the identity and professional status and the role of those caring for him or her.
Impartial access to treatment regardless of race, religion, sex, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or handicap.
Have support persons* present while hospitalized, subject to certain exceptions to ensure the care of our patients and the safety of patients and staff.
Receive assistance with physical disabilities and limitations, including assistance in communication for patients with vision, speech, hearing or cognitive impairments.
Be fully informed in advance of furnishing or discontinuing care or treatment whenever possible.
Have his or her spiritual and pastoral needs accommodated and his or her cultural and personal values, beliefs and preferences respected.
Know the reason for any transfer within or outside the hospital.
Make informed decisions regarding his or her care and treatment, be informed of his or her
health status, and be involved in care planning and treatment in terms the patient can understand.
Refuse care and receive information on possible consequences of this refusal.
Expect that all communications and records pertaining to his or her care will be treated as
confidential by the hospital, except in cases such as suspected abuse and public health hazards
when reporting is permitted or required by law.
Access information contained in his or her clinical records within a reasonable time frame.
Be informed of hospital policies and practices that relate to patient care, treatment and
responsibilities, and to be informed of the hospital's charges for services and available payment methods.
Be fully informed of and consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising his or her access to the facility services.
Receive care in a safe setting.
Communicate with people outside of the hospital; restrictions are made with the patient's (or family's, if appropriate) participation.
Decline services by students.
Personal privacy.
Access assistance in domestic violence situations.
Know the relationship(s) of the hospital to other persons or organizations participating in the
provision of his or her care.
Be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of
coercion, convenience or retaliation by staff.
Formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital honor these directives.
Be informed of his or her rights in a language the patient understands.
Have a family member(s) or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission to the hospital.
Be informed of the right to have pain treated as effectively as possible.
Choose a post-hospital care provider.
Receive a written text of the "Patient Rights and Responsibilities" upon admission and as an outpatient. These rights shall also be posted in patient areas that are easily accessible for review by the public.
Be informed about outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.
Freely voice complaints without being subject to coercion, discrimination or reprisal.
Access guardianship, patient advocacy, and child and adult protective services.
Ask for and receive prompt review and resolution of a complaint.
Ask for and receive prompt review and resolution of a complaint.
A spouse, family member, same-sex partner, friend or other individual who supports the patient during his or her hospital stay and may exercise the patient's visitation rights on his or her behalf. There is no limit on who may be designated a support person by the patient—there is no restriction based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

Each patient is responsible for:

Providing, to the best of his or her knowledge, accurate and complete information about matters relating to his or her health.
Following the treatment plan.
His or her actions if he or she refuses treatment or fails to follow the care plan.
Being considerate and respectful to other patients, hospital personnel, hospital property and the property of others.
Providing all needed information for insurance processing and for assuring that the financial obligations of his or her care are fulfilled.
Asking questions when he or she does not understand information.
Reporting episodes of pain and the effectiveness or lack of response to pain treatment.
Reporting perceived risks or unexpected change in condition during the course of his or her care.
Following all hospital rules and regulations.
All staff will be educated regarding patients' rights in orientation and annual reeducation. Copies of the policies and procedures related to patients' rights and responsibilities are available to all staff.

CMH is Legally Obligated to Serve

Clinton Memorial Hospital (CMH) is required by law to make its services available to all people in the community. This facility is not allowed to discriminate against a patient because of race, creed, color or national origin, or because a patient is covered by a program such as Medicaid or Medicare. It does not deny those basic medically necessary hospital services to a person who needs them but cannot pay for them. Under the provisions of Chapter 5112.17 of the Ohio Revised Code, CMH shall provide without charge basic, medically necessary hospital-level services to individuals who are residents of this state, are not recipients of the Medicaid program, and whose income is at or below the federal poverty line.