Schuylkill Rehabilitation Center - Patient Bill of Rights

The facility has many functions to perform in its care and treatment of patients. All these activities shall be conducted with an overriding concern for the patients, and above all, the recognition of his/her dignity as a human being. In recognition of this, these patient rights are affirmed.

The patient has the right to be informed of his/her rights at the earliest possible moment in the course of receiving services.
The patient has the right to considerate and respectful care given by competent personnel.
The patient has the right, upon request, to be given the name of his/her referring physician, the names of all other physicians directly participating in his/her care, and the names and functions of other health care persons having direct contact with the patient.
The facility will provide the patient or patient designee, upon request, access to all information contained in his/her medical records unless its access is specifically restricted by the referring physician or Medical Director for medical reasons.
The patient has the right to receive from the physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any treatment. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent should include but not necessarily be limited to the procedure and/or treatment, the medically significant risks involved and the probable duration of incapacitation. When the patient requests information concerning medical alternatives, the patient has the right to such information.
The patient has the right to expect emergency procedures to be implemented without any unnecessary delay. The patient has the right to refuse any drugs, treatment, or procedure offered by the facility to extent permitted by law and the physician shall inform the patient of the medical consequences of the patient's refusal of any drugs, treatment, or procedure.
The patient has the right to quality care and high professional standards that are continually maintained and reviewed.
The patient has the right of every consideration of his privacy concerning his own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly.
The patient has the right to assistance in obtaining consultation from another physician at the patient's request and own expense.
The patient has the right to facility services without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference, national origin, or handicap.
Those persons receiving service how are unable to represent their own interests will be released in the care/custody of authorized individuals only.
The patient who does not speak English should have access, where possible, to an interpreter.
The patient has the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to his/her care should be treated as confidential.
The patient has the right to expect good management techniques and the right to expect that within its capacity the facility must make reasonable response to the request of a patient for services. The facility must provide evaluation, service, and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case.
The patient has the right to obtain information as to any relationship of the facility to other health care and educational institutions in so far as his/her care is concerned. The patient has the right to obtain information as to the existence of any professional relationships among individuals, by name, who are treating him/her.
The patient, or in the event the patient is unable to give informed consent, a legally responsible party has the right to be advised when a physician is considering the patient as a part of a medical care research program, and the patient or legally responsible party must give informed consent prior to actual participation to such program. A patient or legally responsible party may at any time refuse to continue in any such program to which he/she has previously given informed consent.
The patient has the right to expect reasonable continuity of care. The patient has the right to expect that the facility will provide a mechanism whereby he/she is informed by his/her physician or a delegate of the physician of the patient's continuing health care requirements following discharge.
The patient has the right to full information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources of his health care.
The patient has the right to examine and receive any explanation of his/her bill regardless of source of payment.
The patient has the right to know what facility rules, regulations and responsibilities apply to his/her conduct as a patient.
A patient cannot be denied the right of access to any individual or agency who is authorized to act on his/her behalf to assert and protect the rights set out in this section.