St-Mary

Patient Rights 

As a St. Mary’s patient, you serve as a full partner in your own healthcare plan and are entitled to certain rights and must meet certain responsibilities. Your rights will be respected, and we will provide all the resources possible to help you convey your wishes as clearly as possible.

This section provides a full explanation of your rights on the following:

Patient Rights

  • Be treated with courtesy and respect, with appreciation of your individual dignity and with protection of your need for privacy
  • Prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests
  • Know the identity and professional status of the individuals providing your medical services and care
  • Know what patient support services are available, including whether an interpreter is available if you do not speak English or experience hearing difficulties
  • Know what rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient
  • Care that includes consideration of the psychosocial, spiritual and cultural variable that may influence your illness
  • Be provided with information about advance directives, living wills, or durable powers of attorney for healthcare decision making as well as other healthcare decision-making options
  • Be given information by your health care provider about diagnosis, planned course of treatment, alternatives, risks, benefits and prognosis to enable you to make treatment decisions
  • Accept or refuse medical care or treatment, except as otherwise provided by law to be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal; if you refuse, the hospital may end its relationship with you after reasonable notice
  • Be given, upon request, full information and necessary counseling on the availability of known financial resources for your care
  • Know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether or not your healthcare provider or healthcare facility accepts Medicare assignment and the Medicare rate if you are eligible for Medicare
  • Receive, upon request and prior to treatment, an estimate of charges of medical care. Such estimates shall not preclude the health care provider or healthcare facility from exceeding the estimate or assessing additional charges based upon changes in your condition or additional services that may be necessary
  • Receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable itemized bill and, upon request, to have charges explained
  • Impartial access to medical treatment or accommodations regardless of race, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental impairment or source of payment
  • Treatment for any emergency medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment
  • Know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give your consent or refusal to participate in such experimental research
  • Express grievances regarding any violation of your rights, as stated in Florida law, through the grievance procedure of your healthcare provider or healthcare facility which served you and to the appropriate state licensing agency
  • Contact Guest Management if you wish to express a concern/ grievance or should you have any questions about how to file a complaint to management
  • Your right to register a complaint will not result in any type of retribution now or in the future
  • Appropriate assessment and management of pain
  • Expect reasonable safety with regard to Tenet Healthcare practices and its environment
  • Report any suspected abuse or neglect to administration and expect to receive a quick and reasonable response
  • An organizational system for the consideration of ethical issues concerning your care and to be included in the ethical decisions regarding your care

Children and adolescents may not be at a developmental stage to make appropriate decisions regarding their medical care. Therefore, in addition to the rights set forth above, the child has the right to:

  • Set aside time each day to play based on their medical condition and developmental stage
  • A room and playroom as their “safe, non-threatening” environment
  • Take a favorite toy with them to any treatment or procedure
  • Visits by brothers, sisters and friends during certain times of the day and have a parent or guardian with them at all times
  • An age-appropriate level of explanation for procedures and treatments done by staff
  • Have procedures and treatments explained to their parents /guardians prior to provision of those procedures and treatments
  • Access to educational services when treatment necessitates a significant absence from school

Patient Responsibilities

  • Providing your healthcare provider, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health
  • Reporting unexpected changes in your health conditions to your healthcare provider
  • Reporting to your healthcare provider whether or not you understand a possible planned course of action and what is expected of you
  • Gaining an understanding of your illness, recommended treatments and cooperating with your treatment plan as recommended by your healthcare provider
  • Keeping appointments and, when you are unable to do so for any reason, notifying your healthcare provider or healthcare facility
  • Your actions and the resultant consequences if you refuse treatment or do not follow your healthcare provider’s instructions
  • Assuring that your financial obligations of your health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible
  • Helping to facilitate the safe delivery of care by reporting any perceived risks in your care
  • Following healthcare facility rules and regulations pertaining to patient care and conduct designed for your safety and the consideration of others

Patient Visitation Rights

  • Each patient (or his/her Support Person) will be informed in writing of their visitation rights including:
  • Patient’s right to receive the visitors whom he/she designates, including, but not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner (including same sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend
  • Patient’s right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time
  • Justified Clinical Restrictions which may be imposed on a patient’s visitation rights
  • All visitors designated by the patient (or Support Person when appropriate) shall enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences. St. Mary’s Medical Center does not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.