Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Patient rights
As a patient at Mary Lanning Healthcare, you have the following rights:
You have the right to respectful and safe care given by competent personnel and to care and treatment which meets your physical, mental, and emotional needs.
You have the right to be informed of your rights during the admission process.
You have the right to participate in your care and the planning of your care to the extent you are able, including:
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Being informed about your health status, treatment options, and the risks and benefits of care in terms that make sense to you in advance wherever possible.
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Accessing information contained in your clinical record within a reasonable time frame when requested, subject to limited circumstances where your attending physician determines it would be harmful to disclose information to you for therapeutic reasons.
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Receiving treatment that includes prevention, or adequate relief, of pain.
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Receiving continuity of care and information on options for post-hospital care.
You have the right to receive information to assist you in participating in your care including:
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Sufficient information to understand the consequences of your decisions and information on the medical consequences of refusing treatment, if applicable.
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The names and professional roles of all people, including students, providing your care.
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The financial implications of your treatment choices and to have your bill and available payment methods explained.
You have the right to effective communication with your care team.
You have the right to make informed decisions regarding care and to have your decisions respected by Mary Lanning Healthcare staff and practitioners in accordance with state and federal law, including:
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Requesting treatment that is medically appropriate.
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Refusing medical treatment to the extent permitted by law.
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Participating in experiments or research, or declining to participate, without negative effects on your hospitalization.
You have the right to formulate advance directives—such as a living will, health care power of attorney, or durable power of attorney —and to have Mary Lanning Healthcare comply with your directives unless we have notified you of our inability to do so.
You have the right to have Mary Lanning Healthcare notify a family member or representative and your physician notified as soon as possible after you are admitted as an inpatient, unless you request that this not be done.
You have the right to personal privacy, including physical privacy to the extent consistent with your care needs; protection of your personal information; confidentiality of your clinical records; and freedom to visit and communicate with visitors of your choice and send and receive personal mail.
You have the right to receive care in a safe setting.
Patient Rights & Responsibilities / Notice of Privacy Practices
Responsabilidades & Derechos del Paciente / Notificación Acerca de la Privacidad en las Prácticas
HIPAA Privacy Policy
Advance Directives
You have the right to be free from harassment, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, which includes:
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Receiving care in a safe environment.
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Being free from restraints and seclusion which are not medically necessary.
You have the right to receive hospital services in a respectful manner without discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, language, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, or payer.
You have the right to voice complaints and file grievances without discrimination or reprisal and have those complaints and grievances addressed (see the “Patient grievance process” section below for more information).
Patient responsibilities
You have the responsibility to:
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Read this patient guide or request that it be read to you and ask questions about those parts you do not understand.
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Provide information about past/current illnesses, hospitalizations, medication, and other matters related to your health status.
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Ensure that Mary Lanning Healthcare has a copy of your Advance Directives or ask a staff member if you would like more information about Advance Directives.
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Follow the treatment plan that you and your caregivers have agreed upon, or accept responsibility if you do not follow the plan.
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Inform your physician and other caregivers if you anticipate problems following prescribed treatment.
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Report unexpected changes in your condition to your physician or other caregiver.
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Follow Mary Lanning Healthcare rules and regulations and respect property, materials, and equipment belonging to other people and to Mary Lanning.
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Ensure that you have provided all information needed to file insurance claims and work with Mary Lanning Healthcare to make payment arrangements when necessary.
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Leave valuables and personal property at home, or entrust valuables to a family member or representative. Mary Lanning Healthcare is not responsible for loss or damage to your personal items except for items you deposit in the Hospital’s safe.
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Observe smoking regulations, maintain a quiet atmosphere, respect others’ privacy, and use your lights, telephones, and television in a manner which is not disturbing to others.
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Respect staff and practitioners by using civil language and appropriate conduct in interactions.
Patient visitation rights
During your hospital stay, you have the following visitation rights:
- The right to receive visitors whom you designate, including, but not limited to, a spouse or domestic partner (including a same-sex partner), or other family members, and friends.
- The right to withdraw or deny consent to receive any visitor at any time.
- The right to be informed of justified clinical restrictions that may be imposed on your visitation rights. This means any clinically necessary restriction or limitation imposed by the Hospital to provide safe care to the patient(s).
Mary Lanning Healthcare has an open visitation policy. Patient visitation is permitted 24 hours a day at the request of the patient.
Selection of visitors: You may designate visitors and consent to receive visitors orally or in writing. You may also withdraw or deny consent to receive specific visitors orally or in writing. Mary Lanning Healthcare may record this information in your record for future reference. If the patient is a minor, the patient’s parent or legal guardian may designate the individuals permitted to visit the patient orally or in writing.
Selection of support person: You may designate a support person to exercise your visitation rights if you are unable to do so. The legal status between you and the support person is irrelevant. This designation does not extend to medical decision-making. If you are unable to exercise your visitation rights, Mary Lanning Healthcare will recognize your support person’s verbal or written instructions on who should be admitted as visitors and/or who should be denied visitation rights.
Pastoral care: Upon admission, patients are asked to provide their religious preference or church affilitation. Patients who want a visit by their pastor, priest, minister or other church leader should provide this information upon check-in unless they want their visit to be confidential. We also have a chaplain on staff to assist should you wish to receive a visit. We highly encourage patients to contact their church directly if they wish to have their admission known.
Patient grievance process
Mary Lanning Healthcare’s Mission Statement emphasizes our dedication to excellence, offering hope, health and healing. This includes respecting your rights as a patient in our hospital.
You have received a list of patient rights and our Notice of Privacy Practices. If you feel that any of your rights have been violated, you may initiate a formal grievance. You can file a written or verbal grievance by contacting any of the following.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding patient safety or quality of care, please call 402-461-5213.
You may also contact any of the following with concerns about patient safety or quality of care:
Patient Advocate: 402-461-5319
Administrative Offices: (M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.): 402-461-5108
Mary Lanning Healthcare
715 N. St. Joseph Avenue
Hastings, NE 68901
Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Division of Public Health
Licensure Unit—Acute Care Facilities
P.O. Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68509
Complaint intake line: 402-471-0316
The Joint Commission
Submit complaints online at www.jointcommission.org or mail it to:
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
Quality Improvement Organization
Livanta - BFCC QIO
10820 Guilford Rd, Suite 202
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1262
(888) 755-5580
Note: You may file a grievance with any of the agencies directly, regardless whether you first use Mary Lannning Healthcare’s grievance process. You have the right to prompt resolution of any submitted grievance.