Hospital Policies
Bayshore Community Hospital has several hospital policies meant to protect and serve you.
We encourage you to take the time to explore the various rights and policies you are provided as a patient:
Patient Bill of Rights
Patients receiving services at Bayshore Community Hospital are entitled to the following information:
- Available services and the providers of those services
- Hospital charges and fees
- Diagnosis and treatment options
- Participation in research
- Patient refusal of medication and treatment
- Grievance procedures
Additional patient rights include:
- Freedom from restraints (unless authorized by a physician for limited periods of time)
- Prompt acknowledgment of and response to reports of pain in order to control and/or minimize it
- Courteous treatment, with respect for each patient's civil rights and without discrimination based on age, race, religion, sex, nationality, or ability to pay.
Legal Rights:
- To treatment and medical services without discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, sexual preference, disability, handicap, diagnosis, ability to pay, or source of payment.
- To exercise all your constitutional, civil, and legal rights.
As a recipient of funding through Federal Health Care programs, Meridian Health does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the ground of race, color, or national origin, or on the basis of disability or age in admission to, participation in, or receipt of services and benefits under any of its programs and activities. This statement is in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. (For further information about this policy, contact Guest Relations).
Advance Directives (Living Wills)
Advance directives is a general term that refers to your oral or written instructions about your future medical care, in the event you become unable to speak for yourself. There are two types of advance directives, a living will and the medical power of attorney.
- A living will is a type of advance directive in which you put in writing your wishes about medical treatment should you be unable to communicate at the end of life. There are different names used for this document: for example, it may be called directive to physician, declaration or medical directive. Your right to accept or refuse treatment is protected by constitutional and common law as well as state law.
- A medical power of attorney is a document that lets you appoint someone you trust to make decisions about your medical care if you cannot make those decisions yourself. It also may be called healthcare proxy, appointment of healthcare agent or a durable power of attorney for healthcare. The person you appoint is authorized to speak for you any time you are unable to make your own medical decisions.
Advance directives give you a voice if you are unconscious or too ill to communicate. As long as you are able to make your own decisions, your advance directive will not be used. You can obtain a copy of an advance directive by speaking to your nurse or calling Customer Service or Pastoral Care. You may also obtain more information on advance directives from Partnership for Caring at 800-989-9455 or via its website at www.partnershipforcaring.org.
Organ and Tissue Donation
Today, thousands of people are leading full and productive lives because of organ and tissue donation. However, due to a drastic shortage of organ donors, many of those waiting for a transplant will not have this opportunity. In fact, nearly 90,000 Americans are waiting for life-saving organ transplants, and 4,000 of them reside in New Jersey.
Bayshore Community Hospital is committed to raising awareness about the life-saving gift of organ and tissue donation. The Hospital works closely with NJ Sharing Network, a New Jersey-based, federally certified, state-approved organ recovery organization.
To become an organ donor, simply fill out an organ donor card. In addition, when renewing your driver's license, ask a representative how to indicate donor status on your new license. It is also important to discuss your wishes about organ and tissue donation with your family. For more information about giving the gift of life, please call NJ Sharing Network at 1-800-SHARE-NJ or visit their website, www.sharenj.org.
Ethics Consultation
Ethics consultation is an advisory service designed to assist professionals, patients, family members, and staff in making ethical decisions related to health issues. For further information or to request assistance, please page the Bioethics Consult Committee.
