Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System aims to provide quality care to sustain a healthy community. As a patient you can help us provide better quality care, by knowing your rights and what you are responsible for!

Patient Rights:

• Be free from discrimination based on age, race, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status. 
• Receive information that explains the importance of the patient’s own role in their care.
• Participate in healthcare decisions, care, treatment, and services including the right to have the family and physician promptly notified upon admission.
• Refuse care, treatment and services; the hospital respects the patient’s right to refuse care, treatment, and services in accordance with law and regulation.
• Effective communication with care providers, participate in healthcare decisions and know the names of the healthcare providers.
• Communication in a manner that meets the needs of the patient to include patients with vision, hearing, speech or cognitive impairments.
• Receive information as well as be provided interpreter or translation services in ways that meets the patient’s age, language, and ability to understand.
• Involve the patient’s family in healthcare treatment, services and decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision maker in accordance with law and regulation.
• Privacy when receiving healthcare.
• Be free from unnecessary restraint or seclusion, neglect, exploitation and verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse, as well as access protective and advocacy services.
• Participate in end of life healthcare decisions.
• Have their Advance Directives honored, have a surrogate decisionmaker if unable to make decisions, and have their wishes about organ donation honored in accordance with law and the hospital’s capabilities.
• Receive information related to pain management.
• Participate in and understand the nature of research, investigations, and clinical trials.
• Receive or deny visitors of their choosing, including a spouse, domestic partner, family members or friends, and to designate a support person to help choose which visitors to receive or deny. This right may be restricted for safety or infection prevention concerns identified by the hospital, legal restrictions and court orders, and when healthcare professionals believe it’s in the patient’s best interest to limit visitation during clinical interventions, procedures or therapies
• Have their personal healthcare record information protected from prohibited disclosure.
• Access, request amendment to, and obtain information on disclosures of health information in accordance with the law and regulation.
• Give or withhold informed consent.
• Give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films, or other images of the patient for purposes other than his or her care.
• An environment that preserves dignity and contributes to positive self-image.
• Keep and use personal clothing and possessions as long as doing so does not interfere with medical care or others’ rights; have available mail and phone services as appropriate.
• Voice complaints about their healthcare. If you have concerns, please speak to your care provider or Supervisor. If the concern is not resolved, you have the right to have your complaints reviewed by the hospital. 

Right to a Good Faith Estimate:

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any healthcare items or services upon request or when scheduling such items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
•  If you schedule a healthcare item or services at least 3 business days in advance, make sure your healthcare provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule an item or service at least 10 business days in advance, make sure your healthcare provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after scheduling. You can also ask any healthcare provider or facility for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you do, make sure the healthcare provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after you ask.
• If you receive a bill from any provider or facility that is $400 or more than your good faith estimate from that provider of facility, you can dispute the bill. 

Patient Responsibilities:

• Provide information that facilitates their care, treatment and services.
• Ask questions and acknowledge when you do not understand the treatment course or care decision.
• Follow instructions, policies, rules and regulations in place to support quality care in a safe environment.
• Maintain civil language and conduct in interactions with staff.
• Provide accurate financial and insurance information

To file a complaint, contact the Patient Advocate or the Quality Management Director at 402-745-3950.

You may also contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Regional Administrator, Region 7 – Kansas City, 601 E. 12th Street, Suite 355, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, phone 1-800-633-4227 or 1-816-426- 3294. (TTY) 1-877-486-2048

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your discharge from our care, you may contact the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Livanta 888-755-5580 (toll-free).

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