HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center

As a patient in an ambulatory surgery center in New Jersey, you have the right, consistent with law, to:

1. Receive services without regard to age, race, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or sponsor.
2. Be treated with consideration, respect and dignity including privacy in treatment.
3. Be informed of the services available at the center.
4. Be informed of the provisions of off-hour emergency coverage.
5. Be informed of the charges for services, eligibility for third-party reimbursements and, when applicable, the availability of free or reduced care costs.
6. Receive an itemized copy of his or her account statement, upon request.
7. Obtain from his or her health care practitioner, or the health care practitioner’s delegate, complete and current information concerning his or her diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand.
8. Receive from his or her physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any nonemergency procedure or treatment or both. An informed consent shall include, as a minimum, the provision of information concerning the specific procedure or treatment or both, the reasonably foreseeable risks involved, and alternatives for care or treatment, if any, as a reasonable medical practitioner under similar circumstances would disclose in a manner permitting the patient to make a knowledgeable decision.
9. Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be fully informed of the medical consequences of his or her action.
10. Refuse to participate in experimental research.
11. Voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services to the center’s staff, the operator and the New Jersey Department of Health without fear of reprisal.
12. Express complaints about the care and services provided and to have the center investigate such complaints. The center is responsible for providing the patient or his/her designee with a written response within 30 days if requested by the patient indicating the findings of the investigation. The center is also responsible for notifying the patient or his or her designee that if the patient is not satisfied by the center response, the patient may complain to the New Jersey State Department of Health’s Office of Health Systems Management.
13. Privacy and confidentiality of all information and records pertaining to the patient’s treatment.
14. Approve or refuse the release or disclosure of the contents of his or her medical record to any healthcare practitioner and/or healthcare facility except as required by law or third-party payment contract.
15. Access his or her medical record pursuant to the provision of section 18 of the Public Health Law, and Subpart 50-3 of Title 10 of the Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New Jersey.
16. Authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors.
17. Make known your wishes in regard to anatomical gifts. You may document your wishes in your health care proxy or on a donor card available from the center.

The HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center is committed to providing high quality care and skilled and compassionate service to our community. Consistent with this commitment, the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center  complies with applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, culture, language, age, disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, partnership or marital status, veteran or military status, or any other prohibited basis.

The Northern NJ Surgery Center :

• Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
  • Qualified sign language interpreters; and
  • Written information in other formats, such as large print, audio, and accessible electronic formats.
• Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
  • Qualified interpreters; and
  • Information written in other languages.

If you need these services, contact languageservices@hss.edu, Tel.: 1.212.606.1760.

If you believe that the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center  has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way, you can file a grievance with Geoff Canlas, Site Director, HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center, 400 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah NJ 07430, TTY: 1.800.676.3777, Fax: 212.548.2510, CanlasG@HSS.edu.

You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email.  If you need help filing a grievance, you may contact the office of Geoff Canlas for assistance. 

You also have the right to file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, 1.800.368.1019, 800.537.7697 (TDD).  Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.

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Be an active partner in your care

Together with The American Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), we urge patients to become involved in their care through a program called “Speak Up.” “Speak Up” offers simple advice on how you can make your care a positive experience. Research shows that patients who take part in decisions about their healthcare are more likely to have better outcomes.

“Speak Up” means:

• Ask questions if you have concerns or do not understand something about your care.
• Let us know if English is not your primary language – we will gladly get you an interpreter.
• Say something if you think you are about to receive the wrong medication or if you think the healthcare professional has confused you with another patient.
• Ask members of your healthcare team if they have washed their hands prior to delivering care.
• Share your complete medical history with your healthcare team.
• Tell us if you have any allergies.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.

Seeking education about your medical issues and your treatment allows you to be a better partner in your care. Good communication with your healthcare team benefits everyone. Letting us know your issues and concerns

helps us in your care and also keeps you involved as an active partner. Feel free to ask your nurse and other members of the healthcare team to address your concerns.

Know what medications you take and why and when you take them

• Have your list of all the medications you are currently taking, as advised, prior to admission. This includes prescriptions and over- the- counter items like vitamins, herbal supplements, pain relievers, antacids and allergy medications.
• Also have your contact information for your primary care doctor, or the doctor who will be following your care once you leave the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center, including their name, telephone number and fax number.
• Always ask about any medication that is given to you and know why you are taking it.
• Carefully review the medications you are to take once you leave the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center, and be sure you have the prescriptions and that you understand the discharge and follow-up instructions.
• Please throw away any old medication lists and update your records with any retail pharmacies or providers.
• Should you be discharged on medications such as Xeralto or Lovenox, which are anticoagulants (medications to prevent blood clots), our nurses will provide careful teaching to you and your family or caregivers as to dose, time, diet and follow-up instructions that are all very important for your safety.

Check and double check identification

• Patient identification: You are given an HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center identification (ID) band when you arrive at the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center. This ID band has your name, date of birth (DOB) and medical record number which helps us to identify you and ensures that we are giving you the proper care and treatment. You will find that your healthcare team will check your ID band and ask for your name and DOB throughout your stay. Please know that this is for your safety. If your ID band falls off or is not easy to read, please ask us for another one.
• Surgical site identification: You will be asked to identify the correct surgical site by pointing to the area where you are due to have surgery, at which time your surgeon will initial the correct surgical site using a special marker. Another safety measure that happens right before your procedure is a “Time Out,” in which the healthcare team will confirm patient identity, surgical site, correct procedure and surgery consent form.

Preventing infections

Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection. HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center staff members are aware of this and will clean their hands with either soap and water or a sanitizing solution (Purell) before and after they provide care for you. If you have not seen someone on your healthcare team wash their hands, we suggest that you ask them to do so.

Avoid falls

• Always press the call bell for help before getting out of bed or while in the bathroom. Your room has many things like foot stools and tray tables that may need to be moved for you to walk safely.
• Always check to see what tubing is connected to you before getting out of bed—for example, IV, pain pump, catheter, or airflow foot pumps.
• Use your cane, crutches or walker as directed.
• Use the handrails in the bathroom as needed.
• Wear your eyeglasses or contact lenses to clearly see your surroundings and to help you with balance.
• Wear non-slip footwear.
• Do not self-medicate while you are in the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center – your doctor or nurse will give you your medications at the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center.
• Be aware, if you have been given a nerve block, that it can take a long time to wear off and may have an effect on your ability to stand or walk safely.
• Be sure to tell us if you feel dizzy or drowsy for any reason.

Remembering these things and making sure to press the call bell when you want to move about will help you to stay safe and have a good recovery.

Your Partners in Care and Safety

Now that you have reviewed this information, you have learned many ways to keep yourself safe throughout your time at the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center. Of course, you are not alone in this effort. Your healthcare team and the entire staff at the HSS Northern NJ Surgery Center are committed to excellence in all that we do. As such, it is our goal to ensure the highest level of safety for our patients. Remember, “Speak Up”, ask questions, share concerns and be mindful of your surroundings. We welcome you as partners in your care and we look forward to getting you up and moving, safely, to a better quality of life.