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Patient Bill of Rights

Home Patients & visitors Patient Bill of Rights

What are your rights?


Novant Health does not exclude from participation, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against patients, students, or visitors on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, culture, language, physical or mental disability, age, sex, including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions; marital status; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; socioeconomic status; source of payment; or any other protected status in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits of any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by Novant Health directly or through a contractor or other entity with whom Novant Health arranges to carry out its programs and activities.

You have the following rights. If someone is helping you make healthcare decisions, he or she may exercise these rights for you.

Patient Bill of Rights

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For comments, complaints, or grievances or to report safety concerns, you can contact your nearest Novant Health location or call toll-free:

1-888-648-7999

Quality of care – You have the right to:
  • Quality care by skilled healthcare team and staff.
  • Be treated for your pain.
  • Treatment that is as comfortable as possible.
  • Emergency procedures without unnecessary delays.
  • Help decide the details of your plan of care.
  • Ask for a second opinion, at your expense.
Safety – You have the right to:
  • Safe care.
  • Know when something goes wrong with your care.
  • Have a family member or friend, as well as your doctor, notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
  • Be free from all forms of abuse and neglect.
  • Be free from the use of restraints unless needed for safety.
Voice and choice –You have the right to:
  • Get information in a manner you understand.
  • Make informed decisions about your care.
  • Refuse care.
  • Make advance directives and have your medical wishes followed.
  • Contact a person or agency to protect your rights.
  • Have a support person with you for emotional support.
  • Agree or refuse to allow pictures for purposes other than your care.
  • Religious and other spiritual services that you choose.
  • Complain without fear and have your complaints reviewed.
Privacy and access to medical information as described in Novant Health’s Privacy Statement.
Affordability – You have the right to:
  • A detailed bill and an explanation of that bill.
  • Information about resources to help pay for your healthcare.
Authentic personalized relationships – You have the right to:
  • Know the names and jobs of the people who care for you.
  • Be treated with respect and dignity.
  • Treatment without discrimination. 
  • Respect for your culture, values, beliefs and preferences.
  • Visitors of your choice. We will inform you of any restrictions.
  • Personal privacy.
Easy for me – You have the right to:
  • Sleep in the hospital without being awakened unless necessary.
  • Know about rules that apply to your actions.
  • Help in discharge planning from the hospital.
What is your role in your healthcare?
  • Be an active partner in your healthcare.
  • Ask questions.
  • Keep appointments.
  • Be respectful to other people and their property.
  • Follow the facility’s rules.
  • Follow your care instructions.
  • Share as much health information with us as possible.
  • Tell us about changes in your condition.
  • Tell us when you are in pain.
  • Give us a copy of your advance directive(s).
  • Leave your valuables at home.
  • Pay for your care.
You also may lodge a grievance directly with the following:
North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation
Attention: Rita Horton
2711 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2711
800-624-3004 (toll free for NC residents)
919-855-4500 (local and outside NC)
The Joint Commission

Report a patient safety event at www.jointcommission.org
By fax to: 630-792-5636
By mail to:
Office of Quality and Patient Safety, The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

American Association for Ambulatory Health Care

For ambulatory surgery centers accredited by AAAHC, report a patient safety event at www.aaahc.org
By phone to: 847-853-6060
By fax to: 847-853-9028
By mail to:
5250 Old Orchard Road, Suite 200
Skokie, IL 30077

Virginia Department of Health

Office of Licensure and Certification
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 401
Richmond, VA 23233-1463
Toll Free: 1-800-955-1819 or
Metro Richmond area: (804) 367-2106

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 898-3300

ASC Patient Bill of Rights Handbook

Patient rights and responsibilities

You have certain rights as a patient. If a guardian or other legally responsible person is making healthcare decisions for you, that person may exercise these rights for you.

You have the right to ...
  • Be involved and make informed decisions about your care, except in emergencies. If you are not able to make those decisions for yourself, a legally authorized person will make these decisions for you.
  • Be fully informed about a treatment or procedure and the expected outcome before it is performed.
  • Get information about your care in a manner you understand. When it is not possible to give information to you, we will provide it to the person you designate or a legally authorized person.
  • Refuse care.
  • Have your pain managed.
  • Make advance directives and have your medical wishes followed.
  • Quality care in a safe setting.
  • Know the names and the jobs of the people who care for you.
  • Be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity.
  • Be free from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, harassment, discrimination and reprisal.
  • Respect for your culture, values, beliefs and preferences.
  • Personal privacy.
  • Know when something goes wrong with your care.
  • Visitors of your choice. We will tell you about any restrictions.
  • Access language assistance services free of charge, including an interpreter when needed.
  • Complain without fear and have your complaints reviewed.
  • Privacy, confidentiality and access to your medical information. The Notice of Privacy Practices describes your rights and our obligations related to medical information.
  • Change providers, if other qualified providers are available.
  • A detailed bill and an explanation of that bill.
  • Information about resources to help pay for your healthcare.

What is your role in your healthcare?
  • Share as much information with us as possible about your health, medications (including over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements), and any allergies or sensitivities.
  • Follow your care instructions.
  • Be an active partner in your healthcare. Ask questions.
  • Have a responsible adult transport you home and stay with you for 24 hours, if required by your provider.
  • Treat our team members, patients and visitors with respect.
  • Give us a copy of your advance directive(s).
  • Leave your valuables at home.
  • Pay for your care. For comments, complaints, grievances, or to report safety concerns, contact this Novant Health facility or call 1-888-648-7999. After normal business hours, leave a message and someone will return your call the next business day. You also may lodge a grievance directly with:
    Novant Health patient services
    1-888-648-7999

NC Division of Health Service Regulation

Complaint Intake Unit Certification

2711 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2711

1-800-624-3004 (toll-free for NC residents)
1-855-4500 (local and outside NC)

Medicare beneficiary ombudsman

The role of the Medicare beneficiary ombudsman is to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive the information and help they need to understand their Medicare options and to apply their Medicare rights and protections

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4277)
TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048

Facilities accredited by The Joint Commission

One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

1-800-994-6610

Facilities accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care

5250 Old Orchard Road, Suite 200 Skokie, IL 60077

1-847-853-6060

Valuables and personal items

We encourage you to bring your electronic tablet or mobile phone so that you can stay in touch with family and friends during your stay. Please let us know if you wear hearing aids, glasses, dentures or have any other devices that you will need with you. We recommend that you not bring any other items of value with you as we cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.

The following items are NOT allowed on Novant Health property:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Drugs
  • Weapons (knives, guns, Tasers, pepper spray).
Notice of nondiscrimination

Novant Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

Free aids and services are available to people with disabilities to help us communicate effectively with each other. This help includes:

  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Information written in other languages

If you need these services, please contact Novant Health interpreter services toll-free at 980-302-9591, (TDD/TTY: 1-800-735-8262).

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Acute Patient Bill of Rights Handbook

Patient rights and responsibilities

As a patient, you have the right to ...

You have important rights and responsibilities as a patient. If someone else is making your healthcare decisions, that person will exercise your rights for you. We want you to be an active member of your care team and tell us what is important to you, so we can honor your personal preferences and values. We also need your help to make sure that our surroundings are safe and healing. In order to do this, all the members of the healthcare team — including you and your visitors — must treat others with courtesy, respect and dignity. By working together, we can make your experience remarkable!

Safety and quality
  • Have quality care and professional standards that are maintained and reviewed.
  • Have care in a safe setting.
  • Have treatment that is as comfortable as possible.
  • Be free from medical and nursing procedures that are not needed.
  • Have emergency procedures performed without unnecessary delay.
  • Ask for a second opinion, at your expense.
  • Be transferred to another facility when it is needed. We will explain why you need to be transferred and what the available alternatives are.
  • Sleep in the hospital without being awakened, unless medically necessary.
  • Be free from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation and neglect.
  • Be free from restraints and seclusion, unless needed for safety.
  • Know if something goes wrong with your care.

Authentic personal relationships
  • Be treated with respect and dignity.
  • Have treatment without discrimination.
  • Know the names and jobs of the team members who care for you.
  • Have a support person and visitors of your choice, even if they are not related to you, if it will not interfere with your treatment. We will inform you of any restrictions.
  • Have a family member or friend, as well as your doctor, notified if you are admitted to the hospital.
  • Respect for your culture, values, beliefs and preferences.
  • Know the rules that apply to your behavior.

Affordability
  • Have a detailed bill and an explanation of that bill.
  • Have information about resources to help you pay for your healthcare. If you have questions about your hospital bill, call 1-844-266-8268 or 1-844-2NOVANT, or email us at [email protected].

Voice and choice
  • Help decide the details about your care.
  • Make informed decisions about your care, except in emergencies.
  • Refuse care.
  • Make advance directives and have your medical wishes followed.
  • Contact a person or agency to protect your rights.
  • Get information in a language you understand. If it is not possible to give information to you, we will give it to the person you designate.
  • Have language assistance services free of charge, including an interpreter if needed.
  • Have information about the care you may need when you are discharged and how you can get that care.
  • Have personal privacy.
  • Have privacy, confidentiality and access to medical information as allowed by law. Novant Health’s Notice of Privacy Practices describes your rights and our obligations related to medical information.
  • Know if you are being considered for a research or donor program and give your consent before participating in these programs.
  • Have religious and other spiritual services that you choose.
  • Know about your rights as early as possible during your hospital stay.
  • Agree or refuse to allow pictures for purposes other than your care.
  • Complain without fear and have your complaints reviewed. If you have a concern or complaint, you can directly contact:
    Novant Health patient services
    1-888-648-7999 (toll-free) After normal business hours, leave a message and someone will return your call the next business day.
    NC Division of Health Service Regulation
    2711 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2711 919-855-4500
    The Joint Commission
    One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 1-800-994-6610

As a patient, your responsibilities are to ...
  • Be an active partner in your healthcare and ask questions.
  • Treat others, including our team members, with courtesy and dignity.
  • Respect the property of others.
  • Follow the facility’s rules.
  • Follow your care instructions.
  • Share as much health information with us as possible.
  • Tell us about changes in your condition and let us know when you are in pain.
  • Give us a copy of your advance directive(s).
  • Secure any valuables that you cannot leave at home.
  • Keep your appointments.
  • Pay for your care.

Valuables and personal items

We encourage you to bring your electronic tablet or mobile phone so that you can stay in touch with family and friends during your hospital stay. Please let us know if you wear hearing aids, glasses, dentures or have any other devices that you will need with you in the hospital. We recommend that you not bring any other items of value with you as we cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.

The following items are NOT allowed on Novant Health property:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Drugs
  • Weapons (knives, guns, Tasers, pepper spray). If you have a gun with you, please call our public safety officers immediately and they will safely store it while you are in the hospital.

Notice of nondiscrimination

Novant Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

Free aids and services are available to people with disabilities to help us communicate effectively with each other. This help includes:

  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Written information in other formats such as large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, etc.

Novant Health also provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English. These language services include:

  • Qualified interpreters
  • Information written in other languages

If you need these services, please contact Novant Health interpreter services at 980-302-9591 (TDD/TTY: 1-800-735-8262).

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