Your doctor will discuss your operation with you. Be sure to tell your doctor about any medicines you may be taking and ask whether or not you should take them on the day of surgery. The doctor's office will give you a health survey to complete before you leave the office. The health survey will be sent to the Surgical Center for review prior to your surgery.

You will receive a phone call from a member of the nursing staff at the Center one to two days before your surgery. If your surgery is scheduled for Monday, you will receive a call on Thursday or Friday. If you are not going to be home, you may contact the Center at (717) 338-4500 between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. for your instructions.

It is important for you to receive your preoperative instructions. Your surgery could be cancelled if we are unable to reach you for your instructions.

Should you be unavailable for your instructions, we will attempt to reach you in the evening.

If a change occurs in your physical condition prior to surgery, such as a cold, rash, sore throat, cough, fever, or upset stomach, notify your physician. The doctor may wish to reschedule your surgery.

If you are having anesthesia that requires sedation, you MUST make arrangements for someone to drive you home following your surgery. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND someone stay with you for the first 24 hours following your surgery. Patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A waiting room is available for the comfort of your escort, and there is a small snack shop in the lower level serving breakfast and lunch.

If you are unable to arrange for an escort, please inform us as soon as possible, as it may be necessary to reschedule your surgery. If your escort needs to leave the Center and will not be available at a telephone, the Surgery Center can provide your escort with a pocket pager.

You should bring the following with you:

• Photo ID
• Insurance cards or forms
• Eye glass case (if you wear glasses)
• Contact lens container (if you wear contact lenses)
• A list of all medications you currently are taking.
• You should wear loose, comfortable clothing and low-heeled shoes so it is easier to dress following your surgery.

Once you have registered, a nurse will escort you into the preoperative area, where your pulse, temperature, respiration, and blood pressure will be taken. You will be asked to change into a gown provided by the Center. Your clothes will be placed in a secured locker until you are ready to be discharged. For those patients receiving sedation, an I.V. will be started.

The anesthesiologist and your surgeon will see you prior to your surgery. Just before going into the operating room, you may be asked to remove your contact lenses and any other prosthesis. Dentures and partial plates MUST be removed prior to surgery should you be receiving a general anesthetic. These will be labeled, placed in your locker, and returned to you upon your discharge. You will be in the preoperative area for about one hour prior to surgery.

After your operation, you will be taken into the recovery area and/or the patient lounge, where your escort will be allowed to stay with you. Because space is limited, and for other patients' privacy, we allow only one escort at a time in the patient lounge.

Coffee, juice, soda, and crackers are provided for patients in the patient lounge. We ask that you please do not bring food from home.

You may need to be admitted to the hospital if:

• More extensive surgery was/is necessary
• Complications arose due to the anesthesia
• You experience more pain than expected

You will be given specific written instructions regarding your care upon discharge from the Center. It is important to have your caregiver available during the post-operative discharge instructions, as you may experience difficulty remembering those instructions due to the type of anesthesia you may receive.

For your comfort and safety, we recommend you following guidelines:

• You have someone stay with you for the first 24 hours following surgery.
• Take it easy until your physician says you can return to your normal routine..
• Do not drive, operate machinery or power tools, drink alcoholic beverages, or take any medications not prescribed by your physician for at least 24 hours following surgery.
• It is natural to experience some discomfort in the area of the operation. You may also experience some drowsiness or dizziness for the first 24 hours depending on the type of anesthesia you receive.
• Follow your physician's instructions regarding diet, rest, and medication.
• If you feel you are having problems after discharge, contact your physician. If your doctor is not available, call the WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital Emergency Department at (717) 337-4357.
• It is very important to remember you must have a responsible person to drive you home.
• Taxi transportation is allowed only for patients having local anesthesia or if the patient is accompanied by an escort.
• If you have any questions, you may contact the Center at (717) 338-4500 from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You will be asked to complete a questionnaire on the care you received during your stay. Your comments are very important to us and will help us improve our services and provide the finest care in outpatient surgery in Adams County.

A member of the Surgical Center staff will call you the day after your surgery to check on how you are doing. If your surgery is on Friday, you will be called on Monday. If you prefer not to be contacted, please let us know before you are discharged. If we are unable to contact you by telephone, we will send you a survey with questions about your postoperative experience. Please make sure you return this survey if you receive it since it is very important that we complete your medical records.

As a patient of this hospital, or as a family member or guardian of a patient at this hospital, we want you to know the rights you have under federal and Pennsylvania state law as soon as possible in your hospital stay. We are committed to honoring your rights, and want you to know that by taking an active role in your health care, you can help your hospital caregivers meet your needs as a patient or family member. That is why we ask that you and your family share with us certain responsibilities. 

Patient Rights

As a patient you or your legally responsible party, have the right to receive care without discrimination due to age, sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, income, education, national origin, ancestry, marital status, culture, language, disability, gender identity, or who will pay your bill. As our patient, you have the right to safe, respectful, and dignifi ed care at all times. You will receive services and care that are medically suggested and within the hospital's services, its stated mission, and required law and regulation.

Communication

You have the right to:

• Have a family member, another person that you choose, or your doctor notified when you are admitted to the hospital.
• Receive information in a way that you understand. This includes interpretation and translation, free of charge, in the language you prefer for talking about your health care. This also includes providing you with needed help if you have vision, speech, hearing, or cognitive impairments.
• Designate a support person, if needed, to act on your behalf to assert and protect your patient rights.

Informed Decisions

You have the right to:

• Receive information about your current health, care, outcomes, recovery, ongoing health care needs, and future health status in terms that you understand.
• Be informed about proposed care options including the risks and benefi ts, other care options, what could happen without care, and the outcome(s) of any medical care provided, including any outcomes that were not expected. You may need to sign your name before the start of any procedure and/or care. "Informed consent" is not required in the case of an emergency.
• Be involved in all aspects of your care and to take part in decisions about your care.

Hospital Bills

You have the right to:

• Review, obtain, request, and receive a detailed explanation of your hospital charges and bills.
• Receive information and counseling on ways to help pay for the hospital bill.
• Request information about any business or financial arrangements that may impact your care.

Please feel free to ask questions about any of these rights that you do not understand.

If you have questions about these rights, please discuss them with your doctor or nurse or the hospital's Patient Relations Department. You will receive a personal response.

Complaints, Concerns and Questions

You and your family/guardian have the right to:

• Tell hospital staff about your concerns or complaints regarding your care. This will not affect your future care.
• Seek review of quality of care concerns, coverage decisions, and concerns about your discharge.
• Expect a timely response to your complaint or grievance from the hospital. Complaints or grievances may be made in writing, by phone, or in person. The hospital has a duty to respond to these complaints or grievances in a manner that you can understand. To share your concerns with the hospital, please contact the hospital administration at 1-877-232-5807.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is also available to assist you with any questions or concerns about your hospital care. You can reach the Department of Health by calling (800) 254-5164 or writing:

Acute and Ambulatory Care Services
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Room 532, Health and Welfare Building
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120

You may also contact The Joint Commission, a hospital accreditation organization at:

The Joint Commission, Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(800) 994-6610 or complaint@jointcommission.org

Medicare beneficiaries may contact Quality Insights (the State Quality Improvement Organization) of concerns regarding the quality of care received, coverage decisions, or an issue of premature discharge:

Quality Insights of Pennsylvania
2601 Market St., Suite 320
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(800) 322-1914

Patient Rights Responsibilities & © 2011 - The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

Statement of Patient Responsibilities

As a patient, family member, or guardian, you have the right to know all hospital rules and what we expect of you during your hospital stay.

Provide Information

As a patient, family member, or guardian, we ask that you:

• Provide accurate and complete information about current health care problems, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to your health.
• Report any condition that puts you at risk (for example, allergies or hearing problems).
• Report unexpected changes in your condition to the health care professionals taking care of you.

Cooperation

As a patient:

• You are expected to follow the care plans suggested by the health care professionals caring for you while in the hospital. You should work with your health care professionals to develop a plan that you will be able to follow while in the hospital and after you leave the hospital.
• Provide a copy of your Advance Directive, Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney for health care, and any organ/tissue donation permissions to the health care professionals taking care of you.
• Tell us who, if any, visitors you want during your stay.
• Make choices about your care based on your own spiritual and personal values.
• Request care. This right does not mean you can demand care or services that are not medically needed.
• Refuse any care, therapy, drug, or procedure against the medical advice of a doctor. There may be times that care must be provided based on the law.
• Expect the hospital to get your permission before taking photos, recording, or filming you, if the purpose is for something other than patient identifi cation, care, diagnosis, or therapy.
• Decide to take part or not take part in research or clinical trials for your condition, or donor programs, that may be suggested by your doctor. Your participation in such care is voluntary, and written permission must be obtained from you or your legal representative before you participate. A decision to not take part in research or clinical trials will not affect your right to receive care.

Visitation

You have the right to:

• Decide if you want visitors or not while you are here. The hospital may need to limit visitors to better care for you or other patients.
• Designate those persons who can visit you during your stay. These individuals do not need to be legally related to you.
• Designate a support person who may determine who can visit you if you become incapacitated.

Advance Directives

You have the right to:

• Create advance directives, which are legal papers that allow you to decide now what you want to happen if you are no longer healthy enough to make decisions about your care. You have the right to have hospital staff comply with these directives.
• Ask about and discuss the ethics of your care, including resolving any conflicts that might arise such as, deciding against, withholding, or withdrawing life-sustaining care.

Care Planning

You have the right to:

• Receive a medical screening exam to determine treatment.
• Participate in the care that you receive in the hospital.
• Receive instructions on follow-up care and participate in decisions about your plan of care after you are out of the hospital.

• Receive a prompt and safe transfer to the care of others when this hospital is not able to meet your request or need for care or service. You have the right to know why a transfer to another health care facility might be required, as well as learning about other options for care. The hospital cannot transfer you to another hospital unless that hospital has agreed to accept you.

Care Delivery

You have the right to:

• Expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary delay.
• Receive care in a safe setting free from any form of abuse, harassment, and neglect.
• Receive kind, respectful, safe, quality care delivered by skilled staff.
• Know the names of doctors and nurses providing care to you and the names and roles of other health care workers and staff that are caring for you.
• Request a consultation by another health care provider.
• Receive proper assessment and management of pain, including the right to request or reject any or all options to relieve pain.
• Receive care free from restraints or seclusion unless necessary to provide medical, surgical, or behavioral health care.
• Receive efficient and quality care with high professional standards that are continually maintained and reviewed.

Privacy and Confidentiality

You have the right to:

• Limit who knows about your being in the hospital.
• Be interviewed, examined, and discuss your care in places designed to protect your privacy.
• Be advised why certain people are present and to ask others to leave during sensitive talks or procedures.
• Expect all communications and records related to care, including who is paying for your care, to be treated as private.
• Receive written notice that explains how your personal health information will be used and shared with other health care professionals involved in your care.
• Review and request copies of your medical record unless restricted for medical or legal reasons.

Respect and Consideration

As a patient, family member, or guardian, we ask that you:

• Recognize and respect the rights of other patients, families, and staff. Threats, violence, or harassment of other patients and hospital staff will not be tolerated.
• Comply with the hospital's no smoking policy.
• Refrain from conducting any illegal activity on hospital property. If such activity occurs, the hospital will report it to the police.

Safety

As a patient, family member, or guardian, we ask that you:

• Promote your own safety by becoming an active, involved, and informed member of your health care team.
• Ask questions if you are concerned about your health or safety.
• Make sure your doctor knows the site/side of the body that will be operated on before a procedure.
• Remind staff to check your identification before medications are given, blood/blood products are administered, blood samples are taken, or before any procedure.
• Remind caregivers to wash their hands before taking care of you.
• Be informed about which medications you are taking and why you are taking them.
• Ask all hospital staff to identify themselves.

Refusing Care

As a patient:

• You are responsible for your actions if you refuse care or do not follow care instructions.

Charges

As a patient:

• You are responsible for paying for the health care that you received as promptly as possible

Patient Rights Responsibilities & © 2011 - The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania