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Patient Rights

As a patient of Children's Hospital, I and my parents/family/guardian/visitors have these rights and responsibilities:

I have the right to:

  • Be identified correctly and called by name.
  • Receive a smile and loving care.
  • Be given careful evaluation, and courteous, prompt treatment.
  • Know the names of my doctors, my nurses and any others who help care for me.
  • Have my basic needs met - to be clean, dry, safe, comfortable and without restraints whenever possible.
  • Have a schedule for my tests and procedures that doesn't keep me hungry or thirsty any longer than necessary.
  • Have as normal a schedule as possible - uninterrupted sleep, quiet times, playroom, school, the comfort of my parents and members of my family, and the schedule should be designed for my convenience as much as possible. Sometimes schedules do not permit this and I understand that this can occur.
  • Make choices whenever possible when they do not interfere with the quality of my care.
  • Cry and make noise, or object to anything that hurts me.
  • Have my parents with me any time that they are able to stay as long as it doesn't interfere with my care.
  • Have an interpreter for my family and me whenever possible.
  • Be told what's happening to me, and to have my questions answered honestly, in words I can understand.
  • Have confidentiality about my illness.
  • Have access to an ethical review.
  • Understand that doctors will be professionally discussing my situation so that I can get the best care. Sometimes these discussions take place over my bed, in my room or in the hallway. My parents or I have the right to know what's happening whenever possible.
  • Be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible without harming my health.


Patient Liaison:

Nationwide Children's values service to our patients, families and visitors. The hospital offers a Patient Liaison, Thom Juarros, who can be reached at (614) 722-6593 or via e-mail at Thom.Juarros@NationwideChildrens.org.

Administrator On-Call:

In addition, there is a hospital Administrator On-Call at all times to attend to issues should the liaison be unavailable or the issue warrants their attention. The Administrator On-Call can be reached via the hospital operator at (614) 722-2000.

Concerns About Patient Care:

In the event that any of our customers have concerns about patient care and/or safety in the organization, Nationwide Children's encourages them to contact the Patient Liaison or Administrator On-Call to request assistance. If the concerns in question can not be resolved at these levels, the individual is encouraged to contact the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Customers may contact JCAHO at the following Web site: http://www.jcaho.org/general+public/public+input/report+a+complaint/index.htm