As a patient at Halifax Health, you have certain rights and responsibilities which are important to us and to you. Florida law requires that your healthcare provider and healthcare facility recognize your rights while you are receiving medical care and that you respect the healthcare provider’s or healthcare facility’s right to expect certain behavior on the part of patients. You may request a copy of the full text of this law from your healthcare provider or healthcare facility. A summary of your rights and responsibilities follows:
A patient has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect, with appreciation of their individual dignity, and with protection of their need for privacy regardless of their economic status or source of payment for care.
A patient has the right to impartial access to medical treatment or accommodations, regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, disability, ownership of a firearm, ability to pay, or whether or not they have executed advance directives.
A patient has the right to access any mode of treatment that is, in their own judgement and the judgement of their healthcare practitioner, in the best interests of the patient, including complementary or alternative healthcare treatments.
A patient has the right to be treated with respect regarding their legal right to own or possess a firearm. A patient may decline to answer or provide any information regarding ownership of a firearm by the patient or a family member of the patient, or the presence or a firearm in the domicile of the patient or a family member of the patient.
A patient has the right to a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests.
A patient has the right to know what rules and regulations apply to their conduct.
A patient has the right to formulate, review, or revise advanced directives including a living will and/or appointment of a healthcare surrogate. A patient has the right to have all advanced directives in their medical record, and the right to have the terms of such advance directives complied with by Halifax Health and its caregivers to the extent permitted by law.
A patient has the right to know what patient support services are available, including, but not limited to, an interpreter and/or translation services. Halifax Health provides language assistance auxiliary aides and services free of charge. This information can be requested from their responsible nurse or other patient care personnel.
A patient has the right to bring any person of their choosing to the patient-accessible areas of the healthcare facility or provider’s office to accompany the patient while the patient is receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment or is consulting with their health care provider, unless doing so would risk the safety or health of the patient, other patients, staff of the facility or office or cannot be reasonably accommodated by the facility or provider, as well as the right to withdraw or deny this consent to access at any time.
A patient has the right to confidentiality of their medical records and to access, request amendment to, and obtain information on disclosures of their health information contained in their medical records as permitted by law.
A patient has the right to know the name, function, and qualifications of each healthcare provider who is providing their medical services and who is responsible for their care. This information can be requested from their responsible provider or the healthcare facility in which they are receiving medical services.
A patient has the right to reasonable, informed participation in decisions involving their care. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent will include the specific procedure and/or treatment, the medically significant risks, benefits, and alternatives. Where medically significant alternatives for care or treatment exist, or when you request information concerning medical alternatives, you have the right to such information.
A patient has the right to refuse any treatment, including life-prolonging procedures, except as otherwise provided by law.
A patient has the right to treatment for any emergency medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment.
A patient has the right to be given, by their healthcare provider information concerning diagnosis, planned course of treatment, alternatives, risks, and prognosis, unless it is medically inadvisable or impossible.
A patient has the right to know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give consent or refusal to participate in such experimental research.
A patient has the right to pain management.
A patient has the right to be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff and to be subjected to restraint or seclusion only if necessary for the immediate physical safety of the patient, a staff member, or others.
A patient has the right to access protective services which may include guardianship, advocacy services, conservatorship, state survey and certification agencies, state licensure offices, protection and advocacy networks, and Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse offices. To report abuse, neglect, or exploitation, please call toll-free 800.962.2873. Here are phone numbers at which these services may be reached:
Abuse Registry (Child, Adult, Elderly, Disabled Protective Services): 800.962.2873
Medicare Customer Services: 800.663.4227
Medicaid Office: 800.273.5880; 904.798.4200
Agency for Health Care Administration Consumer Hotline: 888.419.3456
Substance Abuse and Mental Health: 877.726.4727
Developmental Disability Services: 386.238.4607
Children and Families Program: 866.762.2237
A patient who is eligible for Medicare has the right to know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the healthcare provider or healthcare facility accepts assignment under Medicare reimbursement as payment in full for medical services and treatment rendered in the healthcare facility.
A patient has the right to be given, upon request, full information, and necessary counseling on the availability of known financial resources for their care.
A patient has the right to receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care.
A patient has the right to receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable, itemized bill and, upon request, to have the charges explained.
A patient has the right to express grievances regarding any alleged violation of their rights, as stated in Florida law, through the grievance procedure of the healthcare provider or healthcare facility which served them and to the appropriate state licensing agency. Presentation of a complaint/grievance will not compromise their future access to care. A patient can freely voice complaints and recommend changes without being subject to coercion, discrimination, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption of care, treatment, and services.
You may contact:
a) Any employee of Halifax Health
b) Unit/departmental manager by dialing zero (0) or by calling 386.425.4000
c) Patient Relations at 386.425.4874
d) Nursing Administration at 386.425.4006
e) Administration at 386.425.4771
An attempt will be made to resolve your complaints, concerns, and grievances immediately. If that cannot be accomplished, appropriate personnel will conduct a thorough investigation. It is our intent to complete a full review of the grievance and provide a written response within seven days of receipt of the grievance. If the grievance will not be resolved or if the investigation is not or will not be completed within seven days, you will be notified.
To report a complaint regarding the services you receive, you or your representative may contact the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) at 888.419.3456 and/or The Joint Commission (TJC) at 800.994.6610 directly with or without going through the grievance process offered by Halifax Health.
Each patient of a healthcare provider or healthcare facility shall respect the healthcare provider’s and healthcare facility’s right to expect behavior on the part of patients which, considering the nature of their illness, is reasonable and responsible. Each patient shall observe the responsibilities described below:
A patient is responsible for providing to the healthcare provider, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to their health.
A patient is responsible for reporting unexpected changes in their condition to the healthcare provider.
A patient is responsible for reporting to the healthcare provider whether they comprehend a contemplated course of action and what is expected of them.
A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the healthcare provider.
A patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when unable to do so for any reason, notifying the healthcare provider or healthcare facility.
A patient is responsible for their actions if they refuse treatment or does not follow the healthcare provider’s instructions.
A patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of their health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible and for working with Halifax Health representatives in the provision or reliable information on which financial support or insurance filings may be based.
A patient is responsible for following Halifax Health facility rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct, and for being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
To see our full policies regarding disclosure of patient information, see our Notice of Privacy Practices.
To learn about our available language services, see our Notice of Availability of Language Services.
To learn about how Halifax Health complies with discrimination laws, see our Non-Discrimination Statement.
The following are the general scenarios under which Halifax Health must collect and use social security numbers: insurance and health benefit eligibility; classification of accounts; customer identification and verification; credit worthiness; customer billing and payments; payroll and human resource functions; benefit processing, tax reporting, and any other lawful purpose necessary to conduct medical business.
Social Security numbers are NOT public records, but may be released to other governmental or commercial entities as required by law in Section 119.071(6), Florida Statutes.
We welcome your input and participation. Please note, however, Halifax Health is unable to respond to any specific patient care comments on social media and reserves the right to remove any comments which may represent a breach of HIPAA or applicable laws/regulations. In pursuant to the regulatory guidelines any patient care related concerns for which you request a response must be processed through the Formal Grievance process.
As a healthcare facility, we strive to provide high quality, compassionate care to the community we serve. When we learn that a patient or family member has not had a completely positive experience, we welcome the opportunity to improve ourselves. In pursuant to the regulatory guidelines any patient care related concerns for which you request a response must be processed through the Formal Grievance process, we must obtain personal, private patient information and statement from the patient to properly review the patient care concerns.
Please contact Patient Relations 386.425.4874 or email patientrelations@halifax.org directly so that we may discuss your experience.
To contact the Corporate Compliance Department please call 386.425.4278 or email Compliance@halifax.org
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Halifax Health will ensure that those we serve are treated with courtesy and respect in a safe, compassionate, and professional environment.
Halifax Health will provide exemplary medical, emotional, and spiritual care for each of our patients and their families.
To be the community healthcare leader through exceptional talent and superior patient-centered service delivered in a financially sustainable manner.
To develop talented teams dedicated to providing competent, accountable patient-centered healthcare in a financially sustainable manner.
At Halifax Health, we cultivate a positive workplace where each team member is valued, respected, and has an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
