You have rights as a patient at NMC Health. We need to tell you or someone you choose about these rights before we can start or stop your care.
You have the right to:
- Understand your health: Get clear information about your illness, treatment, and what to expect. This includes different treatment choices, possible problems, and unexpected results.
- Say no to treatment: If the law allows, you can refuse medicines or procedures after understanding what might happen if you do.
- Get a translator: If you need help communicating, we will provide a free translator for you.
- Fair treatment: Get care no matter your race, religion, sex, ethnicity, age, or disability.
- Use your rights: Use these rights while you are getting care at the hospital. If you can’t, someone who represents you (like a parent or legal guardian) can use them for you. No one should pressure, judge, or punish them for doing so.
- Help plan your care: Be part of making decisions about your treatment plan.
- Have a representative: Have someone (as allowed by state law) make smart choices about your care. They can be told about your health, help plan your treatment, and ask for or refuse treatment. They may not ask for treatments that are not needed or are wrong.
- Make your wishes known: Write down your wishes for your medical care ahead of time (these are called advance directives). NMC Health staff will follow these wishes.
- Transfer your care: If your wishes go against NMC Health’s mission or beliefs, we will take steps to move your care to a suitable health facility.
- Notify your family: Have a chosen family member or representative, and your own doctor, told quickly when you’re admitted to NMC Health.
- Private space: Have your personal privacy.
- Safe care: Get care in a safe place.
- Be safe from harm: Be free from any kind of abuse or harassment.
- Private medical records: Keep your medical records private.
- See your records: Look at information in your medical records in a timely manner. NMC Health will try to give you or your chosen representative your records as fast as our systems allow.
- Be free from restraints: Not be held down or tied up unless it’s medically necessary. We will not use restraints to pressure you, punish you, make things easier for staff, or get back at you.
- Say yes or no to research: Fully agree or refuse to be part of any unusual, experimental, or research project without losing access to our services.
- Know your caregivers: Know the job of anyone giving you care and services.
- Get respectful care: Receive care that is respectful and given by skilled people.
- Know about staff changes: Understand why there are any changes in the staff taking care of you.
- Know why you’re moved: Know why you are being moved to another part of NMC Health or another facility.
- Understand hospital connections: Know how NMC Health is connected to other people or groups involved in your care.
- Your wishes for care: Have your healthcare decisions match your wishes. This includes asking to change doctors or move to another health facility for religious or other reasons.
- Know the cost: Find out the cost of your services, with a detailed list if possible, in a reasonable amount of time.
- Know who pays: Know who is paying for your services and if there are any limits on your care.
- Pain treatment: You have the right to have your pain treated as well as possible.
- Organ donation: Have your family or representative agree to donate your organs and tissues if you pass away.
- Visitor rules, including:
- Friends and family can visit when you want them to.
- Visitors under 12 years old must always be with an adult.
- People who are sick should not visit you.
- Sometimes, the hospital might limit visitors because of your health.
- There might be times when the hospital has to limit visitors.
- Visitor rights notice: Get a written paper about visitor rights, or have your chosen representative or support person get one.
Comments and Complaints
Tell us about your care. If you have concerns about your care or the information you are getting, please tell us in one of these ways:
- Talk to your doctor, nurse, or caregiver. They might be able to fix the problem quickly. Sometimes, they might ask a supervisor or manager for help.
- Contact the NMC Health Patient Advocate:
- By phone: 316-804-6035 or toll free at
- 800-811-3183, ext. 1215.
- By fax: 316-804-6080, Attn.: Patient Advocate
- If you prefer, you may call or write either of the following:
- Livanta LLC, BFCC-QIO Program: 10820 Guilford Road, Suite 202 / Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1105 / 1-888-755-5580 / TtY 1-888-985-9295
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, Complaint Hotline: 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 330 / Topeka, KS 66612 / 800-842-0078
Non-Discrimination Procedure
NMC Health complies with applicable Federal civil rights and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender or sexual orientation. NMC Health does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex, including discrimination based on:
- An individual’s sex
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions
- Gender identity
- Sex stereotyping
NMC Health provides free aids to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters
- Information written in other languages or formats
NMC Health provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
If you need these services, contact the Section 1557 Grievance Coordinator.
If you believe that NMC Health has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or sex, you may file a grievance with
Section 1557 Grievance Coordinator
600 Medical Center Drive
PO Box 308
Newton, KS 67114
Phone: (316) 804-6035 or (800) 811-3183, Ext. 1215, Fax: (316) 804-6080
Email: Section1557GrievanceCoordinator@mynmchealth.org
You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Section 1557 Grievance Coordinator is available to you.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through The Office for Civil rights Complaint Portal or by mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue
SW Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201
(800) 368-1019 or (800) 537-7697 (TDD)
