Patient Information

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

We consider you a partner in your health care. When you're well informed, participate in treatment decisions, and communicate openly with your doctor and other healthcare professionals, you help make your care as effective as possible. We encourage respect for the personal preferences and values of each individual. Your rights and responsibilities as a patient

Our Pain Management Philosophy

Pain management is an important part of your care, extending beyond pain relief and encompassing your quality of life and ability to function optimally. We're committed to an interdisciplinary team approach to pain management and assuring that your rights to pain management are upheld. This includes identifying your pain needs during ongoing, periodic assessments, and providing information to you and your family about pain management and any potential limitations of treatments for pain.

Restraint Use Policy

We're committed to creating a physical, social, and cultural environment that limits the use of restraints to situations in which they're adequately justified and clinically appropriate. Use of restraints will be eliminated whenever possible.

Patient Confidentiality

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governs how we use a patient's private health information. When you first register anywhere within the Health First system you receive our Health First Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF) and sign a statement indicating that you've received it. If you didn't have the opportunity to sign this notice, please inform your registrar and you'll be given a privacy notice and statement to sign for our records. En espanol

Someone to Help You

Questions often arise during a hospital stay, and we're here to help both patients and their families in whatever way we can. We're committed to quality care and service. If you need assistance please call:

Patient and Family Education Channel

Patient education about a variety of medical conditions is offered on our Patient and Family Education Channel. You can tune in on channel 98. Ask your nurse for a program schedule.

Smoking Policy

For the health and safety of our patients, visitors, staff, physicians, and volunteers, absolutely no smoking is permitted inside the hospital. In the interest of better health for all, we support smoking cessation through our Freedom from Smoking classes.

Organ and Tissue Donations

On admission to the hospital, patients will be asked if they have a donor card or would be interested in becoming a donor. This information will become part of the patient's medical record. If you have any questions about organ and tissue donation, please speak with your physician or nurse, or you may call TransLife Organ, Tissue & Transplant Services at 1-800-443-6667. In compliance with Florida Statute 732.922 and the federal law on routine inquiry for organ donations, we'll provide the next-of-kin of any patients who die at the hospital with the opportunity to consider donation of organs or tissues.

Patient Safety

Providing a safe environment for our patients, visitors, and staff is our number one priority, but there are things you can to help too. More information

Patient Satisfaction Surveys

Following your hospital visit, you may receive a patient satisfaction survey in the mail. Please complete this survey, as your feedback and total satisfaction are very important to us! We use the information to improve our processes and also to reward employees who are mentioned for their exemplary care and work.

Make Well Informed Health Care Decisions

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration now provides a website to help you make well informed health care decisions.
Visit: FloridaHealthFinder.gov and find information on:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Prescription drugs
• Health plans and more

What We Believe, How We Behave

We're committed to providing quality medical care in a friendly, ethical manner. We believe that balancing the serious nature of high-tech medicine with tender loving care can be equally important to the recovery process, and are committed to:

• Accountability
• Attitude
• Communication
• Confidentiality/privacy
• Elevator etiquette
• Environment
• People care
• Telephone etiquette
• Teamwork