As a health care consumer, you have important patient rights to ensure that you receive the health care you deserve.

Rush University Medical Center respects patient rights without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or parental status, disability, veteran’s status, source of payment, or any other category protected by federal or state law or county or city ordinance. These rights also apply to any person who may have the legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on the patient’s behalf.

Patient rights and responsibilities are posted in public areas within the Medical Center and clinic locations.

1. A patient has the right to participate in the development and implementation of his/her plan of care.
2. 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.
3. 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 including pain management, and being able to request or refuse treatment. If he/she is unable, for whatever reason, to act on his/her own behalf, a representative may act for the patient.
4. A patient has the right to formulate advance directives concerning his/her health care with which the Medical Center will comply.
5. A patient has privacy rights established under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These rights are outlined in the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which is provided to each new patient at Rush University Medical Center.
6. A patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting.
7. A patient has the right to be free from all forms of abuse and harassment.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 Patient Rights and/or Quality of Care Issues Resulting in Harm or Physical Injury: If a patient feels that he/she has been denied any of the rights listed above and/or if he/she believes he/she has suffered harm or physical injury as a result of his/her care here at Rush University Medical Center, then the patient should contact the medical Center’s office of patient relations (312) 942-6979. The Office of Patient Relations shall promptly investigate the complaint.

If the patient remains dissatisfied with the resolution of a case involving harm or physical injury, he/she may elect to submit the matter to the Rush Mediation Program.

If the patient is dissatisfied with the resolution of a complaint involving the denial of patient rights, he/she may contact Illinois state agencies 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 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 reconcile any grievance that remains unresolved through the process.

Other Complaints: Some patient complaints may not involve the denial of patient rights, or harm or physical injury, but they are still important to the Medical Center. All complaints will receive attention and consideration. Many questions are best addressed by personnel on nursing units. 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 office of patient relations at (312) 942-6979.

Depending upon the nature of the complaint, a response may be provided to the patient within a few minutes or a few hours. 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. If a patient would like more information about the resolution, he/she may contact the Medical Center’s Office of Patient Relations at (312) 942-6979.

Patient Concerns About Non-Coverage or Premature Discharge: In the eventthat pre-admission screening determines that admission criteria are not met prior to admission, or coverage for services is not approved, the patient will be issued a Notice of Non-Coverage. This notice will be issued before admission or within two (2) days of admission and must state specific reasons why the Medical Center believes the requested services are not covered. the patient may elect to assume personal responsibility for the payment of the services or refuse the services.

In the event that the medical necessity for admission or continued stay coverage does not exist, the patient may be issued a Notice of Non-Coverage. This notice must be given to the patient on the earliest date that it is determined that services will not be covered or prior to the date that care changes from being covered to being non-covered during a continued stay or course of care. if the patient is dissatisfied with the resolution, he/she may contact the Medical Center’s Office of Utilization Management at (312) 942-4343.

Special Note: If a patient, for whatever reason, is unable to understand the rights extended to him/her, it will be expected that health care providers shall provide whatever assistance is reasonably necessary to assist the patient in understanding the above-noted rights. This assistance 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.

Definition of Family and Family Member: The terms “family” or “family member” are understood and interpreted to include biological and/or legal family members (e.g. spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents), as well as extended family members (e.g. grandchildren, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts), as well as any other visitor of the patient’s choosing (e.g. domestic or civil union partners of the same or different-sex, significant others, caretakers, guardians, agents, friends) irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression.