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Patient Rights & Responsibilities

At ZCH, we seek to provide an exceptional experience for every patient and family. We want to partner with you to ensure that you receive superior quality, personal care.

Patient Rights

As a patient you have the right to:

Caring, Respectful, Personal, Safe, Quality Care

  • Considerate, respectful, dignified and reasonable care free from mental, physical, sexual and verbal abuse, neglect, exploitation and corporal punishment.
  • Sign and language interpreting services, free of charge, if needed.
  • Appropriate healthcare to the best of the hospital’s ability. Treatment, referral or transfer may be recommended. If treatment is recommended or requested, you will be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives, but you will not be transferred until the other facility agrees to accept you.
  • Have your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs and preferences respected. This includes the right to pastoral or other spiritual services.
  • Have a family member and your doctor notified about your admission.

    • Receive Information About Your Treatment and Care Team

  • Be notified of your rights as a patient, to freely exercise those rights and to file a complaint if you feel those rights have been violated.
  • Know the names and roles of doctors, nurses and other people who are treating you.
  • Be well-informed about your illness, possible treatments and likely outcome, and to discuss this information with your doctor. You also have the right to request information relating to treatment, risks involved, recuperation period and alternatives -- except in emergencies when the patient lacks decision-making capacity and urgent treatment is needed.
  • Know about hospital rules that affect you and your treatment, and about charges and payment methods. You have the right to know about hospital resources, such as case managers, social workers and/or the Ethics Committee, that can help you resolve problems and questions about your care.
  • Use protective and advocacy services, if needed.
  • Know if this hospital has relationships with outside parties, such as educational institutions, other healthcare providers or insurers that may influence your care.

    • Make Decisions About Your Care

    • Consent to or refuse a treatment,as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will receive other appropriate care.
    • Be informed of realistic care alternatives when hospitalization is no longer appropriate.
    • Consent or decline to participate in research or experimentation affecting your care. If you choose not to participate, you will receive the most effective care the hospital otherwise provides.
    • Have an Advance Directive (such as a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare). These documents express choices about your future care or name someone to decide for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. If you have a written Advance Directive, you should provide a copy to the hospital, your family and your doctor. Every adult patient on admission to the hospital will be offered information about Advance Directives.

    Comfortable and Safe Care

    • Be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff. Restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of a patient, staff member or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time.
    • Have a concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management. You can expect staff to provide you with information about your pain and pain relief measures. You are also entitled to a timely response by staff to your reports of pain and expect your reports of pain to be believed.
    • Anonymously leave a newborn infant (up to 72 hours old) at a hospital, police station or fire station. (Safe Delivery of Newborn Law SB 1052)
    • Receive care in a setting that maintains your dignity through personal space and clothing suited for your condition.
    • Have a support person(s) of your choice with you for emotional support. You also have the right to deny visitors. ZCH will assume that all visitors are welcome unless the patient informs ZCH of individuals that he/she wishes to deny visitation rights. To protect the health and safety of all patients, ZCH may impose limitations or restrictions on visitors if the visitation would interfere with the care of the patient or other patients.

    Privacy and Confidentiality

    • Privacy concerning medical care; however, the hospital is legally obligated to release certain information for legal or criminal cases. The hospital, your doctor and others caring for you will protect your privacy as much as possible.
    • Expect that your personal medical records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information, or reporting is required or permitted by law. You have the right to access, request amendment to, and receive an accounting of disclosures of your health information as permitted by law. You also can receive, for a fair fee, a copy of your medical record upon reasonable notice and during reasonable hours.
    • To provide written consent for any filming or recording to be used for any purpose other than identification, diagnoses and treatment.

    Patient Responsibilities

    As a patient you partner with us by:

    • Participating in your own care.
    • Following the care plan developed and informing your caregivers if you anticipate problems in following the prescribed treatment.
    • Providing information about your health, past illnesses, hospitalizations and medications.
    • Reporting perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition to your caregivers.
    • Asking questions when you don’t understand information or instructions and requesting clarification.
    • Accepting responsibility for outcomes if the care plan is not followed.
    • Ensuring that the hospital has a copy of your written Advance Directive, if you have one.
    • Being considerate of the needs of other patients, staff and the hospital by following rules and regulations.
    • Providing necessary information for insurance claims and making payment arrangements. You are also responsible for providing prompt payment for services billed that are not covered by insurance or to make proper arrangements regarding any outstanding balance.
    • Contacting hospital staff in a timely manner for any grievances or problems encountered in your care and treatment.
    • Recognizing the effect of your lifestyle on your personal health.
    • Ensuring a safe environment by not bringing firearms or other weapons to the hospital.
    • Ensuring a safe environment by not having or using alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs in the hospital.
    • Ensuring a healthy environment by following our Tobacco-Free Campus Policy.

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