Patient Rights

At Gracie Square Hospital, we respect the rights of all patients, which are guaranteed by state and federal laws.

Gracie Square Hospital does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, culture, disability, age, sex, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, source of payment, or any other characteristic protected by law, in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services, and activities. This includes that the Hospital will use the name, pronouns, and title with which a person self-identifies, regardless of any prior gender identification.

For additional information about your rights as a patient, please refer to the following resources or in Gracie Square Hospital’s Patient and Visitor Guides:

Your Rights as a Hospital Patient in New York State
https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1449/

Rights of Inpatients - New York State Office of Mental Health
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/patientrights/inrtsweb.pdf

HIPAA Privacy Rules for the Protection of Health and Mental Health Information
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/hipaa/phi_protection.html

Informed Consent

Competent adults have the right to accept or refuse care, treatment, and services. Any person who is 18 years of age or older, is the parent of a child, or is married is considered an adult. All other persons are considered minors.

Certain procedures require written informed consent. Such procedures include, but are not limited to do-not-resuscitate orders (DNR), participation in research, and major medical treatment (procedures for which a general anesthetic is used or which involve any significant invasion of bodily integrity requiring an incision or producing substantial pain, discomfort, or debilitation, or which has a significant recovery period).

If you object to a treatment or procedure, administrative and/or court authorization must be obtained before it can begin. Procedures that may generally be initiated without informed consent include screening, diagnostic, and treatment procedures which involve minimal intrusion, risk, and discomfort, such as physical examinations, laboratory tests, and X-rays.

Unless an adult has been declared incompetent by a court of law, the adult is presumed to have the capacity to make treatment decisions. However, if an adult is determined to lack the capacity to make treatment decisions by the Medical Director or his/her designee, the decision shall be made by the patient’s healthcare proxy or guardian, or the appropriate court. If the person to be treated objects to a treatment decision, the objection shall be resolved using either judicial or administrative process, depending on the type of treatment proposed.