Patient Rights

Rush University Medical Center wants you to know that you have certain rights as a patient which we respect and honor. Our promise to you is to protect and promote your patient rights. We have listed below your rights as a patient at Rush. In the event that you believe your rights or our obligation to meet your Patient Rights are not being met, you may file a grievance (a type of complaint). For additional information about your rights, you can contact our Office of Patient Rights at (312) 942-6603.

The following are your rights as a patient at Rush University Medical Center:

• A patient has the right to participate in the development and implementation of his/her plan of care.
• A patient has the right to have a family member or representative of his/her choice and his/her personal physician notified upon his/her admission to Rush University Medical Center.
• A patient has the right to make informed decisions regarding his/her care. This includes being informed of his/her health status, being involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment. If he/she is unable, for whatever reason, to act on his/her behalf, a representative may act for the patient.
• A patient has the right to formulate advance directives concerning his/her health care with which the Medical Center will comply.
• A patient has the right to personal privacy.
• A patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting.
• A patient has the right to be free from all forms of abuse and harassment.
• A patient has the right to confidentiality of his/her medical records.
• A patient has the right to obtain information contained in his/her medical records within a reasonable period of time.
• A patient has the right to be free from any form of restraints that are not medically necessary. A restraint can be used only when needed to improve a patient's well-being and when less restrictive alternatives have been determined to be ineffective.
• A patient has the right to be free from seclusion and restraints which are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation. Seclusion or a restraint can be used only when needed to ensure a patient's physical safety and when less restrictive alternatives have been determined to be ineffective.
• A patient has the right to file a grievance with Rush  University Medical Center. This may be done orally or in writing. Listed below are the categories of complaints and the procedures for resolving them.

  • Complaints concerning denial of patients rights: If a patient feels that he/she has been denied any of the rights listed above the patient should contact the Medical Center's Office of Patient Rights at (312) 942-6603. The Office of Patient Rights shall promptly investigate the complaint. Depending upon the nature of the complaint and the need to further investigate the facts, a written response to the patient's complaint may be provided. In the resolution of the grievance, the Office of Patient Rights will provide the patient with written notice of the decision that will contain the name of the hospital contact person, the steps taken on behalf of the patient to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process and the date of completion. If your complaint concerns quality-of-care issues resulting in harm or physical injury, contact the Office of Risk Management at (312) 942-7828. The Grievance Committee, as authorized by the Board of Trustees, shall, on a quarterly basis or as soon as is practical, review and provide final resolution of all grievances. If the patient remains dissatisfied with the resolution of a case involving a denial of patient rights or harm or physical injury, he/she may elect to submit the matter to the Rush Mediation Program. If the patient is dissatisfied with resolution of a complaint involving denial of patient rights, he/she may contact Illinois Department of Public Health at (800) 252-4343 directly. Information concerning the Rush Mediation Program and/or the phone numbers and addresses of the appropriate state agencies are also available through the Office of Patient Rights.

  • Other complaints: Some patient complaints may not involve the denial of patients rights or harm or physical injury, but they are still important to the Medical Center. All complaints will receive attention and consideration. Many complaints are best addressed by unit personnel. Patients should contact their nurse if they have a question about their care, the communication with their health care providers, the manner in which their room is cleaned, their preferences concerning food and beverages, or anything else that bothers them about their stay here. Or, if they prefer, they can contact the Medical Center's Patient Relations Department at (312) 942-6979. In the event that a patient is discharged before he/she is informed of a resolution, he/she may request that the Medical Center contact him/her by telephone about the resolution.

  • Patient concerns about noncoverage or premature discharge: Patients may contact a Rush financial counselor at (312) 942-5967 regarding questions about noncoverage for Rush services. When payer noncoverage is identified before or after admission, patients will be notified. The patient may choose to assume responsibility for the payment of the services or may refuse the services. Rush offers limited income assistance or charity care for patients who have a household income of 250% or less of the federal poverty guidelines, and a 50 percent discount on care for all patients without insurance. The Utilization Management department can be reached at (312) 942-4343 to assist with questions related to discharge planning.

Special note: If a patient, for whatever reason, is unable to understand the rights extended to him/her, health care providers shall provide whatever assistance is reasonably necessary to assist the patient in understanding the above-noted rights. This may include, but not be limited to, the use of assistive devices for the hearing and seeing impaired or the use of interpreters for patients not proficient in English.

Nota especial: Si un paciente por alguna razón no puede comprender sus derechos, los proveedores de servicios de salud deberán prestarle la asistencia razonablemente necesaria para contribuir a que entienda cabalmente los derechos antes mencionados. Esto puede incluir, en forma no taxativa, el uso de dispositivos de asistencia para las personas con disminuciones auditivas o visuales y el uso de intérpretes para pacientes que no dominan el inglés.