Patient Rights

South Boston Community Health Center is affiliated with the Boston Medical Center, which recognizes, supports, and protects the following patient rights:

1. to a prompt and adequate response to reasonable requests and needs for treatment or service within South Boston Community Health Center.s (SBCHC) capacity.

2. to prompt life saving treatment in an emergency without discrimination on account of economic status or source of payment.

3. to considerate and respectful care.

4. to accept or refuse to be examined, observed, or treated by students or any other SBCHC staff without jeopardizing access to psychiatric, psychological, other medical care or attention.

5. to provide or receive assistance to execute a Health Care Proxy pursuant to law.

6. to informed consent to the extent provided by law.

7. upon request, to obtain from SBCHC the name and specialty, if any, of the physician or other person responsible for the patients care or the coordination of such care.

8. to information about the SBCHC's policy regarding patient rights and responsibilities.

9. upon request, to receive any information which SBCHC has available relative to financial assistance and free health care.

10. upon request, to obtain an explanation as to the relationship, if any, to any other health care facility or educational institution, insofar as said relationship relates to the patient.s care or treatment.

11. to refuse to serve as a research subject or to refuse to accept any care or examination when the primary purpose is educational or informational rather than therapeutic.

12. to privacy during medical treatment or other rendering care of care within SBCHC.s capacity.

13. to confidentiality of records and communications, as prescribed by law.

14. upon request, to inspect his/her medical record and to receive a copy thereof, as prescribed by law.

15. upon request, to receive a copy of any itemized SBCHC bill or other statement of charges submitted to a third party for the patient.s care.

16. to complete information on all medically viable alternative treatments in the case of patients suffering from breast cancer.

17. except in cases of emergency surgery, at least 10 days prior to an operation for breast implant, to receive information regarding the risks and disadvantages associated with breast implantations.

18. at the time of pre-admission, each maternity patient shall receive complete statistics on BMC.s deliveries by cesarean section, nurse-midwife deliveries, deliveries in birthing and delivery rooms, pre-natal monitoring, induction, various delivery procedures. anesthesia, and the percentage of patients who breast-feed.

19. to appropriate assessment and management of pain.

Patient Responsibilities

South Boston Community Health Center designates the following responsibilities to the patient for his/her medical care:

1. to keep appointments, or telephone SBCHC when you cannot keep a scheduled appointment.

2. to provide to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance directives, and other matters relevant to health or care.

3. to inform SBCHC promptly if you do not understand any matter relating to your care and treatment or instructions with which you cannot comply.

4. to be considerate of other patients particularly with reference to noise.

5. to observe SBCHC.s smoke free policy.

6. to abide by SBCHC.s rules and regulations.

7. to provide SBCHC with necessary information regarding coverage for your care.

8. patients are responsible for their actions if they refuse treatment or do not follow their practitioner's instructions.

If you have a complaint regarding your care, or if you have a question concerning your rights and responsibilities as a patient, please call our Administrative Offices at 617-269-7500 ext. 7502