Patient Rights & Safety

As a patient or patient representative at CMH, you have the right:

To have someone tell you your rights and responsibilities
To be told about your illness and your plan of care
To be told the name of your caregivers, their job title and what they will be doing for you
To have your questions answered
To be treated with respect. It does not matter what your religion, lifestyle, cultural beliefs or financial status is, you will not be denied care you need.
To have your property protected.
To feel safe and secure.
To have your pain or discomfort evaluated and managed.
To complain about a person, your care or your surroundings without fear of being treated differently or having an interruption in your plan of care.
To file a formal complaint or suggestions with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals by calling (515) 281-7107 or the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care at (800) 752-7014.
To expect good communication with your healthcare team even if you have trouble seeing, hearing, or understanding what is said or what is given to you in writing.
To look at your medical records according to the hospital policies.
To have your hospital charges and insurance coverage explained to you.
To consent to or to refuse a test or treatment and have the results of your decision explained to you.
To be an active part in the decisions made about your plan of care.
To have the right to choose your care options if you should need health care after you go home.
To not feel forced to do anything you do not want to do.
To be informed of the dangers and advantages of any treatments or service.
To have spiritual care and pastoral services.
To have your wishes honored and respected.
To legally choose someone to speak for you if you are not able to speak for yourself. This is called an Advanced Directive.
To accept or refuse any research related to your care or condition.
To know that CMH respects your privacy. We will treat you and your health care information with security and privacy.
To get quality care even if you don't have insurance or enough money.
To participate and be an active part of your discharge plan.

As a patient at CMH, you or your patient representative is responsible:

To give us your health information so we can develop your plan of care, treatment, and services. Examples would be a listing of all your pills and medicine that you take, past surgeries or illnesses, doctor(s) you go to, etc.
To tell your doctors and nurses if you think you cannot follow through with your plan of care and why.
To accept the outcomes if you decide not to follow through with your plan of care.
To openly report your pain or discomfort.
To tell us your ideas for improving your care.
To tell us your insurance information or your need arrange a payment plan for your hospital bill.
To respect other patients and their families. They have a right to safety, comfort, privacy, and quiet surroundings just as you do.
To be honest.
To follow the hospital rules, including no smoking and noise control.
To make every effort to understand your problems by asking questions.
To try to follow the directions and advice offered by the staff.
To speak up and tell your nurse if you feel your rights are being violated.