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	Contact Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center

Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center

Your rights and responsibilities as a patient

Your rights

Access to care

In accordance with the provision of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, you have the right to medical care needed within the scope of services provided at the Medical Center without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, handicap or disability, source of payment, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or newborn status. If you have a disability or handicap that requires modifications or accommodations to policies, programs, and practices at the Medical Center in order to receive the same services, privileges, goods, accommodations or advantages as a non-disabled patient, we will make those provisions unless the request would:

• fundamentally alter the Medical Center programs, services, goods, privileges, advantages, or accommodations

• involve issues of medical treatment, or

• compromise patient care

If you should require care that is beyond the Medical Center's scope of services, you will be transferred in accordance with our policies.

Care complaints

We strive to continuously improve the quality of care delivered to our patients. If you should have a question or concern, you have the right, without recrimination, to voice complaints regarding the care received. You may share your concern with any caregiver, including, but not limited to your nurse, the department manager/director, any of the Medical Center's Continuing Care Facilitators, and/or with Medical Center Administration. The complaint will be reviewed and, when possible, immediately resolved. Communication with the person presenting the complaint will be done in person, whenever possible, and in writing. To submit your complaint online, please click here.

In the event you are not satisfied with the Medical Center's resolution of your complaint, you may contact the Wisconsin Bureau of Quality Assurance:

Division of Quality Assurance
P.O. Box 2969
Madison, WI 53701-2969
Phone: (608) 266-8481
Fax: (608) 267-0352

Online reporting is also available through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

All Aurora hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). If you have issues concerning quality or safety of patient care, you may contact the JCAHO directly at 800-994-6610 or at www.jcaho.org.

Respect and dignity

You will be treated with consideration, respect and recognition of your individuality and personal needs, including the need for privacy in treatment. We will recognize your personal dignity, and psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural values.

Privacy and confidentiality

You have the right to:

• personal privacy

• have personal information about you kept private and confidential

• refuse to talk with or see anyone, including visitors or persons from the Medical Center

• wear appropriate personal clothes and religious or symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with procedures or treatment

• have your interview and exam done in areas designed to reasonably shield you from the view or hearing of others. You have the right to have a person of your own gender stay with you during certain parts of a physical exam, treatment or procedure done by a health professional of the opposite sex

• expect that any discussion or consultation about you is discreet, and that people not directly involved in your care will not be present without your permission

• access information in your clinical records within a reasonable amount of time

• allow your medical record to be read only by people directly involved in your treatment or monitoring its quality, and by other persons only with written authority or as authorized by law

• expect all communications and other records pertaining to your care, including how your bill is paid, to be confidential.

Personal safety/use of restraints and seclusion

• You have the right to receive care in a safe setting

• You have the right to be free from restraints and seclusion. Restraints and seclusion are used only when medically necessary and will not be used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation

• You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment

Pain management

You have the right to adequate pain management. The nursing staff will:

• ask you to describe your pain

• believe you when you tell us you have pain

• explain the methods for preventing or relieving your pain

• provide technology and care in pain management techniques

You will be expected to:

• accurately describe your pain

• request pain medication when pain first starts

• discuss any pain that is unrelieved in a timely manner

• work with the staff to determine how to relieve your pain

Identity

You have the right to know the identity and professional status of persons providing services, and to know which physician or other practitioner is in charge of your care. This includes your right to know the existence of any professional relationship among individuals treating you as well as the relationship to any other health care or educational institution involved in your care. Your participation in clinical training programs or gathering information for research is voluntary.

Information

You have the right to obtain complete and current information about your diagnosis, treatment, and expected outcome from your attending physician. This information will be given to you in a way you can understand.

Communication

You have the right to have visitors, send mail, and use telephones. You have the right to have a family member, representative of your choice and/or your physician promptly notified of your admission to the Medical Center. The Medical Center will provide assistance to individuals with impaired visual, hearing or speaking skills. Access to an interpreter will be provided as needed.

Visiting

You, as a patient, may designate persons who are permitted to visit you during your hospital stay. Visiting is permitted 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, except in certain circumstances. Visitors with contagious diseases will either be requested to wear masks, gowns, or gloves or be requested to refrain from visiting.

Valuables

The Medical Center encourages all patients to send valuables home with family members and to keep only small amounts of money in their possession. When this is not possible, valuables may be placed in the Medical Center's safe until requested for return or upon discharge. The Medical Center is not responsible for the loss of personal items.

Care planning

You have the right to participate to the fullest extent possible in the development, planning and implementation of your plan of care and treatment. 

Consent

You have the right to reasonable informed participation in decisions about your health care. This should be based on a clear and concise explanation of your condition, all proposed treatment, including the possibilities of any risk of serious side effects or death, problems related to recuperation and probable success of treatment. If medically significant alternatives to your proposed treatment exist, you will be informed of those alternatives. Except in an emergency, you should not be subject to any treatment without your voluntary consent or the consent of your legally-authorized representative.

You have the right to know who is responsible for authorizing and performing procedures or medical treatment. You also have the right to know if the Medical Center or your physician proposes to participate in research, investigational studies or clinical trials which may affect the care or treatment you receive. You have the right to refuse to participate in any such activity.

Research studies involving medical investigation

If you are asked to participate in a research study involving a medical investigation or are requested to consent on behalf of another, you have the right to:

• be informed of the nature and purpose of the investigation

• be given an explanation of the procedure to be followed in the medical investigation, and the  name of any drug or device to be used

• be given a description of any accompanying discomforts and risks to be reasonably expected from the investigation, if applicable

• be given a disclosure of any appropriate alternative procedure, drugs, or devices that might be advantageous, along with the risks and benefits

• be informed of medical treatment available after the investigation (if any) should complications arise

• be given an opportunity to ask questions concerning the investigation or the procedure involved

• be instructed that consent to participate in the medical investigation may be withdrawn at any time and your participation in the medical investigation may discontinue without prejudice to your care

• be given a copy of a signed and dated written consent form when one is required

• be given the choice to consent or not to consent to a medical investigation without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, coercion, or undue influence on your decision

Consultation

You have the right to consult with another physician or health care professional. You have the right to discuss your medications with a pharmacist. Instructions may be provided at a time other than discharge.

Exercise of rights

The Medical Center recognizes the right of your guardian, next of kin, or legally-authorized responsible person to exercise, to the extent permitted by law, rights on your behalf.

Refusal of treatment

You may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law after being informed of the medical consequences for refusal of treatment. When you prevent us from providing care in accordance with our professional standards, we have the right to give you reasonable notice and end our patient-provider relationship.

Advance directives

You have the right to create Advance Directives (written decisions about health care made in advance of need). You have the right to expect that Medical Center staff and practitioners who provide you care at the Medical Center will honor your advanced directives in accordance with applicable law.

Ethical issues

You have the right to participate in the discussion of ethical issues that may arise during the provision of your care. In some circumstances, when decision-making is very difficult, consultation with the Medical Ethics Committee may be helpful. Ask your doctor or nurse to contact the Medical Ethics Committee for assistance.

Transfer

In accordance with Wisconsin law, except in emergencies, you may not be transferred to another facility:

1. without being given a full explanation for the transfer

2. without provision being made for continuing care

3. without acceptance by the receiving institution

Continuity of care

You have the right to be informed by your doctor of any continuing health care needs following discharge from the Medical Center and to participate in planning the continuing care.

Medical Center charges

Regardless of the source for payment of your care, you have the right to request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of the total bill for services received while a patient at the Medical Center. Upon your request, the Medical Center will provide you information relating to financial assistance available through the Medical Center.

Your responsibilities

Providing information

You have the responsibility to provide accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to your health. You must ask questions if you do not completely understand your care, treatment and services or what you are expected to do. You must report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition to your nurse.

Complying with instructions

You are responsible for following your plan of care. This includes following the instructions of nurses and all health personnel who carry out your physician's orders, coordinate your plan of care and enforce applicable Medical Center rules and regulations. You are responsible for keeping appointments and, if unable to keep an appointment, to notify the responsible practitioner of the Medical Center.

Refusal of treatment

You are responsible for the outcome if you refuse treatment or do not follow instructions.

Medical Center charges

You must provide all required information regarding payment of charges. You are responsible for making sure that your Medical Center bill is paid as promptly as possible.

Medical Center rules and regulations

You must follow the rules and regulations of the Medical Center.

Respect and consideration

You and your family members and invitees must be considerate of Medical Center Staff and property, as well as other patients and their property, including but not limited to, controlling noise, smoking and the number of visitors.

Advance care planning

You have the right to say “yes” to treatments you want and “no” to treatments you do not want. Most people have thought about what treatment they would want in the event of serious illness or expected death. Many times those wishes have not been shared with family members or doctors. One way to make your treatment choices known is to use Advance Directives that allow you to communicate your wishes in writing. Ask your nurse if you would like more information on Advance Directives.

Decisions you or your agent may be asked to make

• Code Decisions: You will be resuscitated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if your heart or breathing stops, unless a “no code” order has been obtained. Your nurse can provide you with more information.

• Organ/Tissue Donation: We encourage you to consider organ/tissue donation. Ask your nurse for more information.