Sinai Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality care to every patient. As a patient, you are entitled to certain rights to ensure that the quality of your care is to your satisfaction.
You have the right:
To receive care in a safe and respectful setting:
You can expect that your dignity and privacy will be recognized and respected. You can expect to receive the same treatment and consideration regardless of your race, creed, color, national origin, age, language, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status or ability to pay. You can also expect to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment within the hospital. This
includes the use of restraint or confinement as a means of discipline or coercion or as a convenience to hospital staff. Although the hospital may have to use restraints to keep you safe, this will only be done after all other options have been exhausted.
To participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care:
This includes being informed of the names and roles of those who are treating you. You also have the right to be informed about your illness, possible treatments and likely outcomes of these treatments. You will be kept advised of your treatments and therapies and any potential side effects you may experience, including medications administered within the hospital. If you are unable to make decisions for yourself, your designated representative, as defined by state law,will have the right to make these decisions for you. You have the right to have your own physician notified of your admission to the hospital.
To have your pain addressed and treated accordingly:
This includes working cooperatively with hospital staff to identify pain management needs and proactively developing a plan to address those needs.
To consent to or refuse treatment, as permitted by law:
This includes forgoing life-sustaining measures. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will be fully informed of any potential outcomes, receive other needed and available care, and be referred to alternative care options, as necessary.
To have an advance directive, such as a living will or a durable medical power of attorney:
In these documents, you may name a surrogate decision maker who may speak for you should you be unable to speak for yourself. Your wishes, as expressed in your advance directive, may include, but are not limited to forgoing, withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. Your wishes will be abided by in accordance with accepted principles of medical practice, ethics and law.
To have emotional support:
Patients have the right to have a family member, friend or other individual of their choice present for emotional support during the course of their hospital stay, unless the individual’s presence infringes on others’ rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient’s surrogate decision maker or legally authorized representative.
To personal privacy:
The hospital will make every effort to protect your privacy. This may include asking visitors to excuse themselves while care is being administered. You also have the right to ask that medical staff not directly involved in your care not be present without your permission.
To receive assistance in planning for your discharge from the hospital:
Should referral or transfer to another institution be recommended or requested, the hospital will inform you of the risks, benefits and alternatives. You will not be transferred until the other institution agrees to accept you.
To have medical information kept confidential:
Your medical records will only be used for the purposes described in the LifeBridge Health Notice of Privacy Practices. You should have been provided with a copy of that document upon admission. If for some reason you did not receive a copy, or if you would like another copy, please contact your nurse.
To know if Sinai Hospital has relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment and care:
These relationships may be with educational institutions, other health care providers or insurers.
To voice a concern without the fear of retribution or reprisal:
Any concerns expressed will be addressed within a reasonable time frame by the hospital. Please notify your nurse of any issues or concerns. Should you wish to speak to someone other than your nurse, you may ask to speak with the manager of the unit or department. If you wish to speak to someone outside of the unit or department, you may contact the Guest Relations department at Sinai Hospital.
To access Guest Relations, you may call extension 28778, (410) 601-8778 or write to Guest Relations, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 2401 West Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215. If no one is immediately available by phone, instructions will be left on how to access assistance immediately.
Although speaking with someone at the hospital will allow us to provide you with the most immediate feedback and assistance, should you wish to discuss your concerns with someone outside the hospital, you have the right to contact the Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Healthcare Quality. They can be reached by phone at (410) 402-8016 or correspondence may be directed to the Office of Healthcare Quality, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228. If you wish you may also contact The Joint Commission at (800) 994-6610.
Patient Responsibilities
As a partner in your care, Sinai Hospital asks that you maintain an active role in your care and treatment. To do this, we ask that you assume several responsibilities as a patient.
These responsibilities include:
- To provide information about your health, including past illnesses; hospital stays; and use of any medications, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbal, nutrient additive or any other nutritional information that may impact your care.
- To ensure that every medication you take within the hospital has an intended purpose. If we do not explain what a medication is for to your satisfaction, please let your nurse know so that we may provide you with additional information.
- To ask questions if you do not understand information or instructions we have provided you. If we ask you to follow through with treatment, and you feel you will be unable to do so, we ask that you notify your doctor of this.
- To ensure that you and your visitors are considerate of the needs of other patients, staff and the hospital. We expect that anyone within the hospital treat others with respect and dignity.
- To provide information about your insurance coverage and for working with the hospital to arrange payment, when needed.
PATIENT FORMS
For your convenience, we provide our registration and office forms on our website. We ask that you print and fill these forms out at home to save time in the office. We ask that you bring these completed forms and your insurance card with you on the day of your appointment. If you have any questions when filling out these forms, please do you best and our staff will assist you further on the day of your visit.
Feedback
If you have a concern or problem with any aspect of your care, please inform your nurse. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may contact the Guest Relations department at extension 24488. If you have a question or concern during evening or weekend hours, please contact the hospital operations coordinator at extension 21652.
