Patient Advocacy

Patient Bill of Rights
Know your rights as a patient in the Hospital:
In English

Declaración de Derechos de los Pacientes
Conozca sus derechos como un paciente en el Hospital:
En Español

Maria Hale is your Patient Advocate
at Northern Westchester Hospital
914.666.1951
 

In this section:

• Your Rights as a Hospital Patient in New York State
• The Ethics Committee at Northern Westchester Hospital
• Federal Privacy Rule Statement – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
• Advance Directives: Health Care Proxy and Living Will – FAQ

Your Rights as a Hospital Patient in New York State

The state and federal governments require that all hospital patients in New York State be given certain information and materials when admitted to a hospital.

The Patients’ Rights booklet collects that information in one place, explains the rights of each hospital patient and contains advice for the patients on how best to get assistance.

The Patients’ Bill of Rights booklet is available to you at Northern Westchester Hospital. Please ask for it. Or download the booklet here. 

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Ethics Committee at NWH

The Ethics Committee at NWH is always available to patients, family and staff members for assistance or advice when ethical issues relating to patient care arise.

Ethics Consultation
An ethics consult is a process whereby members of the Ethics Committee meet with patients, family members and/or members of the healthcare team to address ethical concerns or conflicts.

To request an Ethics Consult
Any patient, family member or hospital staff member can request an Ethics Consult. To arrange a consult, call the Committee Co-Chairs at 914-666-1951, 914-666-1951 or 914-666-1926.

Problems for which an Ethics Consultation May Be Helpful

• Advance directives or surrogate decision making
• Deciding whether to stop treatment
• Conflicts with caregivers or loved ones
• Decisions about cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

…These are just examples. If you are unsure whether an ethics consultation is appropriate, please call to discuss it with us. We will help you understand how best to proceed. Even if we decide together that an ethics consultation is not appropriate at this time, we can help put you in touch with the appropriate resources to address your concerns.

What an Ethics Consult Does
An Ethics Consult does the following:

• Clarifies the nature of the ethical question
• Promotes discussion of ethical standards and responsibilities related to patient care
• Encourages shared decision making among patients, families and the healthcare team
• Makes impartial recommendations to those involved

Ethics Committee Recommendations
The Committee recommendations are advisory. This means that the patient and the medical team can decide whether to follow the recommendations or not. However, we hope that our recommendations will be helpful in reaching a decision that feels right for everyone.

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Advance Directives

How to Make Your Healthcare Wishes Known

Click to view Frequently Asked Questions as well as additional resources

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