Patient Bill of Rights

Lake Charles Memorial Health System will endeavor to assure the following rights are preserved for our patients, including minors and their parents/guardians.

The Board of Trustees, Medical Staff and each employee at Lake Charles Memorial Health System is committed to assure you excellent care. Because it is our policy to respect your individuality and your dignity, it has long been our sincere intention to provide you with the considerations listed below. We believe they are rightful expectations on your part.

1. You or your representative have the right to express concerns regarding your hospital stay and have them addressed quickly and respectfully. If the staff is unable to resolve your concerns, you are encouraged to contact our Patient Representative at 337-494-3030 or the Administrator on Call at 337-494-3000 so that an investigation can be conducted. If you wish to contact an outside agency, you may do so by contacting the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LDH), Health Standards Section, PO Box 3767, Baton Rouge, LA 70821 or call 225-342-0138, or The Hospital Complaint Hotline 225-342-6429. The Det Norske Veritas (DNV) accredits Lake Charles Memorial Health System Patient Safety. If you are not able to resolve or diffuse the issue with the LCMHS and want to take further action, concerns can be reported to The DNV by visiting their website at https://www.dnvhealthcareportal.com/patient-complaint-report. You can also call 866-496-9647. Additionally, Medicare Beneficiaries may contact your Quality Improvement Organization (QIO): KEPRO, at Rock Run Center, Suite 100, 5700 Lombardo Center Dr., Seven Hills, OH 44131 or call 844-430-9504, fax 844-878-7921. You can also file a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, electronically through the Office of Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at: US Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD). Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.
2. You or your designated representative shall whenever possible, be informed of your rights and responsibilities in advance of receiving or discontinuing patient care.
3. You have the right to have a family member, chosen representative and/or your own physician notified promptly of admission to the hospital.
4. You have the right to receive treatment and medical services without discrimination based on race, age, religion, national origin, sex, sexual preferences, gender identity, or expression, disability, diagnosis, ability to pay or source of payment.
5. You have the right to be treated with consideration, respect and recognition of your individuality, including the need for privacy in treatment.
6. You have the right to be informed of names and functions of all physicians and other health care professionals who are providing direct care to you. These people shall identify themselves by introduction and/or by wearing a identification badge.
7. You have the right to receive, as soon as possible, the services of a translator or interpreter to facilitate communication between you and the hospital’s health care personnel.
8. You have the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care.
9. You or your representative, (as allowed by state law), have the right to make informed decisions regarding your care.
10. Your rights include being informed of your health status, being involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
11. You have the right to be included in experimental research only when you give informed, written consent to such participation, or when a guardian provided such consent for an incompetent patient in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations. You may refuse to participate in experimental research, including the investigation of new drugs and medical devices.
12. You have the right to be informed if the hospital has authorized other health care and /or educational institutions to participate in your treatment. You shall also have a right to know the identity and function of these institutions, and may refuse to allow their participation in your treatment.
13. You have the right to formulate advance directives and have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.
14. You have the right to be informed by the attending physician and other providers of health care services about any continuing health care requirements after your discharge from the hospital. You also have the right to receive assistance from the physician and appropriate hospital staff in arranging for required follow-up care after discharge.
15. You have the right to have your medical records, including all computerized medical information, kept confidential.
16. You have the right to access information contained in your medical records within a reasonable time frame.
17. You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
18. You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse and harassment.
19. You have the right to receive care in a safe setting.
20. You have the right to examine and receive an explanation of your hospital bill regardless of source of payment, and may receive upon request, information relating to financial assistance available through the hospital.
21. You have the right to be informed in writing about hospital policies and procedures for initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints, including the address and telephone number of where complaints may be filed with the department.
22. You have the right to be informed of your responsibility to comply with hospital rules, participate in your own treatment, provide a complete and accurate medical history, be respectful of other patients, staff and property, and provide required information regarding payment of charges.
23. Except for emergencies, you may be transferred to another facility only with a full explanation of the reason for transfer, provisions for continuing care and acceptance by the receiving institution.

Patient Responsibilities

While you are a patient at Lake Charles Memorial Health System, in order to facilitate your care, you have responsibilities to do the following:

1. Provide staff with available documents relating to your health, such as advance directives, care decisions and living wills.
2. Provide, to the best of your knowledge, an accurate and complete description of your present condition and past medical history.
3. Make an effort to understand your health care needs, and to ask your physician or other members of the health care team for information relating to your treatment. Ask questions if information is not clearly understood.
4. Ask your doctor or nurse what you can expect regarding pain and pain management.
5. Help your doctor or nurse assess your pain and develop a plan for pain relief.
6. Report any changes in your condition to your physician and to indicate whether you understand a suggested course of action.
7. Inform those who treat you whether you want to permit or decline a specific treatment.
8. You are expected to be considerate of other patients and hospital personnel and to assist in the control of noise and the number of visitors in your room at any one time. You are also expected to be respectful of the property of other persons and the property of the hospital. You are responsible for following hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care, comfort, smoking and weapons.
9. You will not take drugs which have not been prescribed by your attending physician and administered by hospital staff; and that you will not complicate or endanger the healing process by consuming alcoholic beverages or toxic substances during your hospital stay.
10. Abide by local, state and federal laws.
11. Pose no threat of violence or mistreatment toward hospital staff, visitors or any other persons. LCMHS has a ZERO Tolerance policy.

Lake Charles Memorial Health System is interested in your well being. If you have any questions, ethical concerns, suggestions, or unmet needs, you have the right to discuss this with your doctor, nurse, administrative supervisor, or the administrator on-call. You may contact any of these individuals by calling the hospital operator 337-494-3000. You may also write a letter to the President, Lake Charles Memorial Health System, 1701 Oak Park Boulevard, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 70601. All correspondence will receive prompt and personal attention.

June 11, 2002
Reviewed October 21, 2005, February 2021, June 2023
Revised: May 2008, Nov. 2008, April 2009, Jan 2012, May 2012, May 2013, March 2016, July 2016, July 2017, February 2018, August 2018; November 2019, February 2024, April 2024

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