Rights & Responsibilities

We the physicians, staff and trustees of Emerson Hospital are dedicated to providing outstanding patient care, education and research in a manner that always respects the dignity of our patients. We are committed to ensuring you receive information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a patient at Emerson Hospital.

Patient Rights

You have the right:

• to reasonable care in a safe environment.
• to privacy and confidentiality.
• to participate in decisions regarding your treatment and to refuse treatment.
• to be educated regarding available options for treatment.
• to a staff committed to pain management.
• to refuse to be treated by a healthcare trainee.
• to refuse to remove clothing.
• to a complete explanation of any research project in which you are asked to participate, and to refuse to be a part of that research project.
• to access your medical record.
• to be treated with dignity and respect.
• to receive help addressing any concern or complaint.

Patient Responsibilities

You have the responsibility:

• to provide information on your medical status.
• to ask questions.
• to report any unusual symptoms or changes in your condition immediately.
• to give proper respect to others, including respecting right to privacy.
• to honor your financial obligations.
• to report any hazards to yourself or others that you observe.
• to participate in planning your care, to follow the recommended plan of care and to understand and accept the consequences of your health care decisions, such as refusing treatment.
• to observe hospital policies, including our no smoking policy.
• to respect hospital staff, hospital property and the personal property of others.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints regarding your rights and responsibilities, your care or safety, please share them with the department manager, your nurse, case manager, social workers or physician. You may also contact any of the following:

Hospital Concerns

Complaint Unit
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Division of Health Care Quality
99 Chauncy Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02111

T: 617-753-8000 or 800-462-5540
F: 617-753-8165

Office of Quality Monitoring

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

T: 800-994-6610
F: 630-792-5636

Physician Concerns

Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine
560 Harrison Avenue, Suite G-4
Boston, MA 02118

T: 617-654-9800 or 800-377-0550
F: 617-451-9568

If you have Medicare, please contact:

MassPRO
245 Winter Street
Waltham, MA 02451

T: 800-252-5533

A more detailed listing of your rights can be obtained through Patient Access: 978-287-3060. MGL Chapter 111 Section 70E.

Ethics Committee

Although most ethical concerns are resolved in discussions involving patients, families and caregivers, Emerson Hospital, like many hospitals today, provides an Ethics Committee.

The Ethics Committee offers confidential consultations to patients and their families on matters that may involve ethical concerns such as end of life care, consent for medical interventions when the patient is unable to participate in the discussion or decisions to discontinue treatment. The role of the Committee is to advise and help clarify medical situations with uncertainty or conflict, societal values and moral or legal issues.

The Committee is a group of physicians, nurses, social workers, hospital chaplain, administrators and a community ethicist who meet on a regular basis at Emerson Hospital.

Any patient, family member or caregiver may request a consultation with the Ethics Committee by asking a hospital nurse, physician, chaplain or social worker or by calling the Patient Care Coordinator at 978-369-1400. This service is available at no charge.