Patient Rights 

Patient Code of Conduct

Everyone should expect a safe, caring, and inclusive environment in all our spaces. Our Patient Code of Conduct helps us to meet this goal. Words or actions that are disrespectful, racist, discriminatory, hostile, or harassing are not welcome.

Read the full Patient Code of Conduct

Patient Experience Department

As a patient at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, you have rights to a variety of services that help lead to fair and optimal care. If you would like to speak to someone in our Patient Experience department, please call 617 243 6205 or email nwhexperience@partners.org

Interpreter Services

We aim to provide you and your loved ones with effective communication and meaningful access to all of the services we offer at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, even for those who are non-English speakers, deaf, or hard of hearing. Interpreters are available to assist patients. In the event of an emergency or unusual circumstances, Newton-Wellesley Hospital may use telephonic interpreter services. Learn more about our interpreter services.

Patient Bill of Rights 

We respect your rights as a patient at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, recognizing you as an individual with unique health care needs and respecting your personal dignity. Newton-Wellesley Hospital strives to provide considerate, respectful care that focuses on your individual needs. We affirms your right to make decisions regarding your medical care, including the decision to discontinue treatment, to the extent permitted by law. Newton-Wellesley Hospital will assist you in exercising your rights. In order to serve all of its patients, Newton-Wellesley Hospital asks that each patient respects the rights of other patients.
 
The rights and responsibilities listed below include those rights you have under Massachusetts law and standards of The Joint Commission. You may discuss these rights and responsibilities with a Patient Advocate at extension 6205.

Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Billing

Rights and protection against surprise medical bills 

Access to Care

Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of age, race, national origin, culture, ethnicity, religion, language, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, socio-economic status, or payment source.
 
The hospital does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship, alienage, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability.

Your Rights for Care

Regarding your care, you have the right to:

• Receive lifesaving treatment without delay regardless of your economic status or source of payment. Should it not be an emergency, you have the right of safe transfer to a facility that agrees to receive and treat you.
• Decide your choice of facility, physician, or health service mode, provided that the doctor, facility, or health service mode is able to accommodate your choice and insofar as your exercise of this right is not contrary to law.
• Receive an adequate explanation of your health problems and of the proposed treatment, as well as the risks and benefits of the treatment, so that you may give voluntary, intelligent, and informed consent.
• Choose who may visit you during your hospital stay (subject to certain clinical restrictions and limitations). You may also deny or withdraw such consent at any time. If you are unable to choose, a family member, friend, or staff member may help you make the decision.
• Receive, if your health concern is breast cancer, information on all medically viable treatments.
• Receive, as a maternity patient, complete information at the time of preadmission on Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s annual rate of cesarean sections and related statistics.
• Receive, if you are a female rape victim of childbearing age, medically and factually written information prepared by the Commissioner of Public Health about emergency contraception. You also have the right to be offered emergency contraception promptly and to be provided emergency contraception upon request.
• Receive, upon request, if you are a female 18 years of age or older, a Papanicolaou’s stain or Pap test, for which you may be billed.
• Refuse to be examined, observed, or treated by students or facility staff members without jeopardizing access to medical, psychiatric, psychological, or other care and attention.
• Refuse to serve as a research or educational subject.
• Privacy during your hospitalization, including confidentiality of your medical record to the extent provided by the law. You have the right to inspect your medical records or to receive a copy of them for a nominal fee.
• Receive considerate and respectful care.
• Receive consideration of psychological, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence perceptions of illness.
• Receive, if a dying patient, care which optimizes comfort and dignity through treating of primary and secondary symptoms that respond to treatment as desired by you, the patient, or your surrogate decision maker, and by acknowledging your psychological and spiritual concerns and those of your family regarding dying and the expression of grief by you and your family.
• Receive effective management of pain.
• Be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary.
• Formulate advance directives and appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on your behalf, to the extent permitted by law, and to have the medical and hospital staff members comply with those directives.
• Participate, or have your designated representative participate, in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in your care.
• Expect your guardian, next of kin, or legally responsible person to exercise, to the extent permitted by law, the rights delineated on your behalf if you have been adjudicated incompetent in accordance with the law, have been found to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure, are unable to communicate your wishes regarding treatment, or are a minor.
• Receive a prompt and adequate response to all reasonable requests you have that are within the capacity of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, its stated mission, and applicable law and regulation.
• Receive information on the process by which patient complaints are reviewed, and when possible, resolved concerning the quality of care.
• Receive, upon request, the names and specialties of anyone responsible for your care or the coordination of that care, as well as an explanation of the relationship between Newton-Wellesley Hospital and the medical staff of any other institution if it relates to your care.
• Receive, upon request, a copy of an itemized bill or other statement of charges submitted to any third party by Newton-Wellesley Hospital and to have a copy of the itemized bill or statement sent to your attending doctor.
• Receive, upon request, from a Financial Services Representative from the Department of Fiscal Services, any available information about financial assistance and free health care.
• Receive a copy of any Newton-Wellesley Hospital policies that apply to your conduct as a patient.

 If you have a concern or a complaint, we encourage you to speak directly with your care team. You may also contact the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Patient Experience team at 617-243-6205, or nwhexperience@partners.org for assistance in helping address your concerns, or to file a formal complaint.

If you would like to raise a concern outside of the hospital:

Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and Certification
Complaint Intake Unit
67 Forest Street
Marlborough, MA 01752
617-753-8150 or 800-462-5540 (24 hours a day)

The Joint Commission
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
800-994-6610
Fax: 630-792-5636

Board of Registration in Medicine
200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 330
Wakefield, MA 01880
800-377-0550

Civil Rights Complaints:

Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights Division
Civil Rights: 617-963-2917
Disability Rights: 617-963-2939
TTY: 617-727-4765

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights
1-800-368-1019
TDD: 1-800-537-7697