Your Rights:

• Non-discriminatory treatment regardless of race, creed, sex, disability or national origin.
• The right to give or refuse consent for certain medical and/or surgical procedures and treatments for your child within the limits of state law.
• The right to appropriate assessment and management of pain.
• The authority to seek appropriate care for your child, including additional consultations and second opinions.
• Information concerning your child’s condition that is current and easy to understand, and the right to know who each of your child’s caregivers are.
• Respect and dignity from all members of this organization’s staff, as well as confidentiality and privacy concerning your child’s care.
• Access to religious counsel of your choice.
• The right, if medically stable, to be transferred to another facility upon request after you have obtained an accepting physician at the other facility.
• Clear discharge plans and instructions.
• The right to assistance in formulating advance directives relative to your child’s treatment upon request and to have personnel and practitioners who provide care in this organization comply with those directives.
• The right to be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, disciplinary convenience or retaliation by staff.
• The right to receive care in a safe setting.

• To provide a complete and accurate medical history.
• To be available when medical staff needs to talk about your child’s care and make important decisions.
• To ask questions and acknowledge when you don’t understand the treatment course or care decision.
• To follow all organizational rules including:
   - respect the property of the organization
   - respect other patients’ rights and property
   - remain quiet
   - smoke only in designated areas
• To provide your own transportation to and from appointments.
• To pay the hospital bill if insurance or medical coverage is not applicable.
• To accept the consequences arising from your decisions.

The Ethics Committee is an advisory committee which serves as a resource to deal with ethical questions related to health care and/or interprofessional relationships. All members of this organization including the patient and his/her family have access to the committee. To access the committee, call Social Services at (504) 896-9367.

This organization is committed to providing quality health care. If you have a complaint or suggestion, please contact the office manager or the patient representative at Children’s Hospital, 504-896-9444. Presenting a complaint will not adversely affect your child’s care.

If your complaint was not satisfactorily resolved, you may contact the Department of Health and Hospitals at PO Box 3767, Baton Rouge, LA 70821 or 225-342-0138. You may also contact the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations by calling 800-994-6610 or by fax at 630-792-5636.