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The Medical Staff
While you are in the hospital, your own physician is primarily responsible for directing your medical care. If you have questions or concerns about your treatment program, please consult your physician.
The Nursing Staff
At Cooley Dickinson Hospital, nursing care is provided by a team of professional registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse assistants. A nursing director oversees the management of all nursing units. If you have questions or concerns about your nursing care, please feel free to share these with your nurse or the nursing director.
Ethical Issues
A hospital-based Ethics Advisory Group composed of health care professionals and lay persons regularly addresses a variety of ethical situations that may arise in patient care. These include such issues as IV therapy, supplemental feedings, mechanical lung ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, DNR (do not resuscitate) orders, kidney dialysis, end-of-life decisions, living wills, health care proxies, and more. Although members of this group do not make decisions, they attempt to offer advice by clarifying the medical, legal and social issues involved.
If you are encountering a difficult or confusing medical decision, you may wish to arrange a meeting with a member of the Ethics Advisory Group. For information about contacting the Ethics Advisory Group, please ask your caregiver or physician. Complete professional confidentiality is ensured by the group in all its meetings, discussions and records.
Health Care Proxy
We also need to know your wishes (regarding medical decisions) if you are not able to tell us. This is done by signing an advance directive, which is also called a health care proxy or living will. When you sign these documents, we will know your wishes and make sure they are followed even if you cannot tell us what you want. These signed documents must be on file with us. If you are interested, the Patient Access Services Department will give you a copy of the health care proxy form and information that explains it. We hope you will discuss this issue with your doctor and family. If you have any questions about completing an advance directive or contacting a notary public, call Patient Care Services at (413) 582-2134 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
The best people to choose as witnesses to these documents are family or friends. The person identified as your health care agent cannot act as a witness.
Care Plans
Shortly after your arrival, a nurse will speak with you to complete a detailed assessment of your health-related needs. This assessment will be instrumental in developing an approach to your care that includes your educational needs and your home-care needs once you are discharged from the hospital. If you would like to review this care plan, please ask your nurse.
Communications
At Cooley Dickinson, we believe that effective, responsive communication is a significant part of patient care. We hope you will feel free to speak with your nurse about issues that concern you or to ask for assistance at any time. In addition, every hospital unit is led by a nursing director who is available to speak with you or your family about any special concerns you may have.
What Is My Role?
As a patient, you have both rights and responsibilities. The Cooley Dickinson Hospital Patient Rights and Responsibilities are available for you to read. If you feel a problem occurs in your care that is an ethical issue, you have the right to an ethics consultation. In this case, you would contact the Patient Care Services Department at (413) 582-2134, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. At other times, ask your nurse to page the administrative supervisor on site.
(Read more ways that you can Help With Your Care.)
Confidential Medical Record Information
Cooley Dickinson Hospital keeps a medical record on each patient. The medical record includes information from doctors and other staff at the hospital and clinics. Our policies and procedures require that your information remain confidential. Only those who need to know about your care have access to it. However, this may include people whom you have not met, such as your medical insurance company or pharmacies, who also keep records. For this reason, if you have any concerns about confidentiality, please talk with one of your health care providers.
If you need information released, send your request in writing to the Medical Records Department. For more details about release of patient information, please refer to the patient authorization record that you signed in the Admission Department, or call the Medical Records Department at (413) 582-2287, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There may be a fee for processing and photocopying.
(Click Here to view Cooley Dickinson Hospital's Privacy Practices)
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