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Patient Rights

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  1. Before starting care or treatment, you have the right to request information:
  2. You have the right to appropriate assessment and management of your pain.
  3. You have the right to know that your physician may or may not have a financial interest in Harmony Surgery Center. If you do not wish to have your procedure done at Harmony Surgery Center please inform the receptionist or nurse that you wish to cancel your appointment.
  4. You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary, including ones that are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
  5. Patients who are being treated for a psychiatric condition have additional rights. For more information, please call Mountain Crest at (970) 207-4800.
  6. You have the right to receive a copy of your bill after you are discharged and to request an explanation of charges, regardless of who is paying the bill.
  7. You have the right to be involved in decisions about withholding resuscitation services or life-sustaining treatment.
  8. We recognize that dying patients have special needs. These include the right to appropriate treatment of primary and secondary symptoms, pain management, and an assessment of your family’s psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs, and coping mechanisms.
  9. If you are unable to participate in your care or treatment decisions, we will seek an authorized representative to exercise your rights. In the case of infants, children and adolescents, we believe the involvement of the family and/or guardian in the decision-making process is critical.
  10. You can expect us to provide care that is consistent with your needs, applicable laws, our capacity, mission and philosophy. If we are unable to meet your requests or need for care, you may be transferred to another facility, when medically permissible. All transfers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
  11. Under Colorado law, you have the right to formulate Advance Directives and to have Harmony Surgery Center staff comply with these directives. Advanced Directives are decisions made before your stay as to what heroic measures you want to happen should you become critically ill. Please ask the receptionist if you wish to have more information.
  12. If ethical issues arise regarding your care, you, or any member of your family or your authorized representative, have the right to seek a medical ethics consultation. For more information, contact the Compliance Officer at (970) 297-6350.
  13.  You have the right to express your complaints and concerns about care and services received without fear of recrimination. You have the right to have those complaints reviewed, and when possible, resolved. A Patient Representative is available to hear your concerns or questions and can be reached by calling (970) 297-6348.
  14. Upon admission, you have the right to be informed of your rights and responsibilities in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
  15. You have the right to know in advance, of any experimental, research or educational activities involved in your treatment. You can refuse to participate in any such activity.
  16. You have the right to see your medical record within the guidelines established by law. Only those who are involved in your care, monitoring the quality of your care, or authorized by law have access to your medical records. Anyone else must get written consent from you or your authorized representative.
  17. You have the right to be informed of Harmony Surgery Center rules and regulations which apply to your conduct as a patient here.
  18. You are admitted to Harmony Surgery Center by a member of the medical staff. You have the right to know who is responsible for your care (physicians and others) and their roles here, including any relationships they may have to other health care providers or educational institutions.
  19. You have the right to a clear, concise explanation of your condition and any proposed treatment. This includes potential benefits, risks, problems associated with recuperation, likelihood of success or alternative treatments that are available.
  20. You have the right to be interviewed, examined and treated in a safe setting that provides personal privacy. You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse, neglect or harassment.
  21. You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of your decision.
  22. You have the right to be involved in planning your health care and to understand what is expected of you.
  23. We will make all reasonable efforts to provide effective communication, regardless of language or other barriers.
  24. You cannot be denied medical treatment because of race, sex, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
  25. You have the right to express your spiritual beliefs and cultural practices, as long as they do not harm or interfere with your medical treatment, or that of another patient.
  26. You have the right to receive quality care that is considerate and respectful of your dignity, personal values, belief system, and life philosophy with the expectation that adequate care will be provided.
    • about the ASC’s general billing procedures.
    • about usual & customary charges or estimated charges

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

When you are a patient at Harmony Surgery Center:

  1. You are responsible for providing accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance directives and other matters related to your care.
  2. You are responsible for letting us know whether you clearly understand what is going to happen with your care.
  3. You are responsible for cooperating with all Harmony Surgery Center personnel and asking questions if directions and procedures are not understood.
  4. You are expected to be considerate of other patients, to assist in controlling noise and limiting the number of visitors.
  5. You are responsible for understanding the extent of your insurance coverage and any requirements, such as pre-authorizations, deductibles and co-payments.
  6. You are responsible for providing information necessary for insurance processing, and ultimately you are responsible for paying all Harmony Surgery Center bills associated with your care.
  7. You are expected to be respectful of the property of others.
  8.  If you were given a verbal or written estimate for your date of service, it is not a final bill. The estimate may not include additional services provided. 9. You are responsible for telling your doctor or nurse when you have pain, and let them know what helps you feel better and what doesn’t.
  9. You are responsible for following instructions for your treatment, and Harmony Surgery Center rules about your conduct.

SPEAK-UP

The Joint Commission, together with CMS, launched a national campaign to urge patients to take a role in preventing health errors by becoming active, involved and informed participants on the health care team. Education and informational brochures will be provided to all of our patients upon admission. The key components to the “Speak-Up” program include:

  1. Speak up if you have questions or concerns about your care or safety, and if you don’t understand, please ask again. It’s your body and you have the right to know.
  2. Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you’re getting the right treatments and medicines by the right health care professionals. Don’t assume anything.
  3. Educate yourself about your diagnosis, tests, and your treatment plan.
  4. Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
  5. Know what medicine you take and why. Medications errors are the most common health care mistakes.
  6. Use a health system, clinic, surgery center, or other type of health care organization that has a rigorous, on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as that provided by The Joint Commission.
  7. Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of your health care team

PATIENT REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM

Our Patient Representative serves as a liaison between the patient, the care team and Harmony Surgery Center. They provide a specific channel through which you may seek

solutions to or express a grievance about problems, concerns or questions. If, despite our best efforts, you or your family have problems or questions concerning your visit, please call our Director of Clinical Operations at (970) 297-6348.

PATIENT GRIEVANCE MECHANISM

A complaint that cannot be resolved by a Patient Representative shall be referred to the CEO of the Harmony Surgery Center. The CEO (or designee) shall conduct an additional investigation and shall provide the complainant with the results in writing within a reasonable time.

If the patient or family member is dissatisfied with the response from the CEO, the complainant may take the issue in writing to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Health Facilities Division. The complainant may do this directly or with the assistance of the Patient Representative.

Regardless of whether the complainant has first used Harmony Surgery Center’s grievance process, a complaint can be made to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Health Facilities Division by calling (303) 692-2800, or by writing to the state agency at 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246. A complaint may also be reported to the appropriate oversight board of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) – Division of Registrations at (303) 894-7695.

Medicare patients who have questions or issues may contact the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman at www.cms.hhs.gov/center/ombudsman.asp.

The Harmony Surgery Center encourages patients to speak out and to present grievances without fear of retribution.

Our facility is proud to be accredited by The Joint Commission. The Joint Commission encourages anyone who has concerns or complaints about the safety and quality of care to bring those concerns or complaints first to the attention of the health care organization’s leaders, which will often lead to more immediate resolution of the matter. If needed, concerns regarding patient safety and quality of care can be reported to The Joint Commission by calling (800) 994-6610 or emailing complaint@jointcommission.org.

ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS

Your medical records, in the custody of Harmony Surgery Center, shall be available to you (or your representative) at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice. You may make a request to inspect or receive copies of your records between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

The medical records staff shall provide copies or make your records available for inspection within a reasonable time, not to exceed 10 working days. There is no charge for inspection of a medical record. If you request copies, you will be informed of the current copying charges.

ADVANCED DIRECTIVES

Advanced Directives are legal documents that allow your doctors and loved ones to honor your wishes about medical treatment. These instructions are used if you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself.

LIVING WILL

A Living Will tells your doctor to stop all efforts to keep you alive if both conditions stated below apply:

  1. There is no hope of recovery from your illness or condition and
  2. You are not able to make your own decisions.

In Colorado, living wills can also be used to tell your doctors your wishes about continuing to feed you, even when you cannot feed yourself. An example might be feeding you through a tube to keep you alive.

MEDICAL DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY (MDPOA)

This document designates who will make your medical decisions should you be unable to do so. When you are able to make decisions, the responsibility is returned to you.

CARDIO PULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) DIRECTIVE

If signed by you and your doctor, this document directs paramedics, emergency personnel and doctors not to do anything to restore breathing or a heartbeat. This includes not using breathing tubes, electric shock or pressing on your chest.

SUBSTITUTE DECISION MAKERS

In Colorado, family members and close friends can select a substitute decision maker (proxy) for a patient who:

  • has not signed an Advanced Directive
  • does not have Guardian
  • cannot make medical decisions as determined by a doctor or judge

A spouse, parent, adult child, grandchild, brother/sister, or any close friend may be chosen as a proxy.

GUARDIANS

When someone is not able to understand or make personal decisions about themselves, the court names a guardian.

If you are interested in initiating an Advanced Directive, please call UCH’s Concierge’s Services at (970) 495-8582 prior to the day of your surgery / procedure to schedule an appointment.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Harmony Surgery Center provides a broad range of health care services. Treatment shall be provided based on the Center’s ability and capacity to care for the patient’s health care needs. In compliance with all federal, state and local laws, there shall be no discrimination in services based on the patient’s age, sex, race, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Emergency medical treatment shall be provided without regard to the patient’s ability to pay for services.

All persons and organizations having occasion either to refer persons or to recommend this facility are advised to do so without regard to the person’s age, sex, race, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Concerns about discrimination in the provisions of service should be directed to the Director of Clinical Operations at (970) 297-6348 or the CEO at (970) 297-6350, or the Regional Manager of the Office of Civil Rights (303) 844-2024.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS:

CEO / Compliance Officer (970) 297-6350
Director of Clinical Operations / Patient Representative (970) 297-6348

Business Services (970) 297-6429