If you have concerns or questions please call 951-290-4444

If you or your loved one needs to receive medications after discharge, your physician will order a prescription that can be conveniently filled in our Outpatient Pharmacy, located in the Professional Office Building on the 3rd floor, near Café Amici, suite 326.

Filling prescriptions at our pharmacy ensures that you or your loved one will receive

To reach the pharmacy by phone, please call 951-290-4810.

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• At this time, all pre-registrations must take place in our patient access office in person or by phone:
        Please visit our facility or call 951-290-4217
              to Pre-Register
        Have the following information ready:

       Patient’s Legal Name
        Date of Birth
        Telephone Number
        Social Security Number
        Scheduled Date of Service
        Diagnosis
        Admitting and Referring Physician(s)
        Emergency contact
        Insurance Information

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Your Right to Make Decisions about Medical Treatment

This Web page explains your rights to make health care decisions and how you can plan what should be done when you can't speak for yourself. A federal law requires us to give you this information. We hope this information will help increase your control over your medical treatment.

Whom can I name to make medical treatment decisions when I’m unable to do so?
You can choose an adult relative or friend you trust as your agent to speak for you when you're too sick to make your own decisions.

How does this person know what I would want?
After you choose someone, talk to that person about what you want. You can also write down in the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care when you would or wouldn't want medical treatment. Talk to your physician about what you want, and give your physician a copy of the form. Give another copy to the person named as your agent, and take a copy with you when you go into a hospital or other treatment facility.

Sometimes treatment decisions are hard to make and it truly helps your family and your physicians if they know what you want. The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care also gives them legal protection when they follow your wishes.

What if I don't have anybody to make decisions for me?
You can use another kind of “Advance Directive” to write down your wishes about treatment. This is often called a “living will” because it takes effect while you are still alive but have become unable to speak for yourself. The California Natural Death Act lets you sign a living will called a Declaration. Anyone 18 years or older and of sound mind can sign one.

When you sign a Declaration, it tells your physicians that you don’t want any treatment that would only prolong your dying. All life-sustaining treatment would be stopped if you were terminally ill and your death was expected soon, or if you were permanently unconscious. You would still receive treatment to keep you comfortable, however.

The physicians must follow your wishes about limiting treatment or turn your care over to another physician who will. Your physicians are also legally protected when they follow your wishes.

Are there other living wills I can use?
Instead of using the Declaration in the Natural Death Act, you can use any of the available living will forms. You can use a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care form without naming an agent, or you can just write down your wishes on a piece of paper. Your physicians and family can use what you write in deciding about your treatment. But living wills that don't meet the requirements of the California Natural Death Act don't give as much legal protection for your physicians if a disagreement arises about following your wishes.

What if I change my mind?
You can change or revoke any of these documents at any time as long as you can communicate your wishes.

Do I have to fill out one of these forms?
No, you don't have to fill out any of these forms if you don’t want to. You can just talk with your physicians and ask them to write down what you've said in your medical chart, and you can talk with your family. But people will be clearer about your treatment wishes if you write them down, and your wishes are more likely to be followed if you write them down.

Will I still be treated if I don’t fill out these forms?
Absolutely. You will still get medical treatment. We just want you to know that, if you become too sick to make decisions, someone else will have to make them for you. Remember that: A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care lets you name someone to make treatment decisions for you. That person can make most medical decisions - not just those about life-sustaining treatment when you can't speak for yourself. Besides naming an agent, you can also use the form to say when you would and wouldn't want particular kinds of treatment.

If you don’t have someone you want to name to make decisions when you can’t, you can sign a Natural Death Act Declaration. This Declaration says that you do not want life-prolonging treatment if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious.

How can I get more information about “Advance Directives”?
Ask your physician, nurse or social worker to get more information for you.

The California Consortium on Patient Self-Determination prepared the preceding text, which has been adopted by the California Department of Health Services to implement Public Law 101-508 4/97

Need Help? Advance Directive Forms are available in our Patient Access office. For assistance please call 951-290-4217.

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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) include provisions that address the security and privacy of a patient’s health information.  Each facility will comply with the following procedures to ensure adherence to the HIPAA requirements. 

Procedure:

The “Privacy Rule” is part of a set of standards under HIPAA’s “Administrative Simplification” provisions.  The final rule requires health care providers (and other covered entitles) to provide patients with a notice of patient’s privacy rights and the privacy practices of the provider.  Each patient will be provided with a Notice of Privacy Practices. 

The Notice of Privacy Practices must clearly describe:

• All uses and disclosure of protected health information that the facility is permitted or required to make under the HIPAA privacy rule
• The patient’s rights regarding their protected health information
• The facility’s legal obligations with respect to protected health information

Areas of Responsibility:

Health care providers must provide Notice of Privacy Practices to their patients on the first date of service delivery.  For hospitals, this would include providing the Notice as part of the Admission and Registration process.  For physician clinics, this would include providing the Notice to each patient upon their first visit to the clinic.

Each facility must also post its Notice in a clear and prominent location where individuals seeking service are able to read it.  In addition, if the facility maintains a web site, the Notice must also be available through that web site.

Patients must acknowledge in writing that they have received the Notice of Privacy Practices.  Health care providers are required to make “good faith” efforts to obtain this acknowledgement.  During emergency treatment situations, however, this requirement may be delayed until reasonably practical after the emergency situation has ended or been established.

Since state laws regarding the release of patient health information may vary from federal regulation, the facility HIM Director should work with the facility and/or legal counsel to ensure that if the requirements are inconsistent, then the more stringent of either state or federal statutes or regulations will apply.  When state law is more stringent than a Federal standard requirement or implementation specification of HIPAA, state law will prevail and the facility’s Notice and all applicable policies and procedures should be revised to reflect such.  Any requested changes to the Notice of Privacy Practices form must be related to individual state law requirements and must be reviewed and approved by the forms committee.

Patient records containing AIDS/HIV status, mental health diagnosis or treatment, or alcohol or drug diagnoses or treatment may require specific authorizations in some states.  The HIM department should work with the facility and/or legal counsel to ensure state regulations are included in the policy for consistent interpretation, if necessary or appropriate. 

Process:

1. The Notice of Privacy Practices must be provided as part of the Admission process for inpatient admissions to the hospital, or on the first date of service delivery for outpatient visits.
2. Frequency of Providing Notice: the Notice must be provided as part of every Inpatient admission.  For recurring outpatient services such as outpatient physical therapy, the Notice must be provided at each registration.
3. For hospital inpatient admissions, the patient is given the Consent to Treatment form.
4. A paragraph regarding the Notice has been added to the Conditions to Treatment form.  By signing the consent form, the patient acknowledges that they received a copy of the Notice of Privacy document.
5. If a patient refuses to sign, indicating that he/she has received a copy of the Notice, the facility must document its efforts to obtain the acknowledgement and the reason(s) why the acknowledgement was not obtained.  This documentation should be made directly on the Consent to treat form besides the Notice of Privacy Practices.
6. The facility must adhere to the terms of the Notice.  Should any changes be made, the Notice must promptly be revised and made available to patients upon request.
7. Questions regarding the Notice of Privacy Practices should be directed to the facility’s health Information Management Director.
8. Information on filing privacy complaints should be directed to the Facility Privacy Officer.
9. More stringent state and/or federal regulations will supersede any and all instructions in this policy.  More stringent state regulations must be inserted behind this policy and document and will apply as appropriate to this policy/procedure.

Definitions:
Protected health information (PHI) refers to individually identifiable health information that is transmitted or maintained in any form which is protected under the federal regulations.  Examples include the patient’s name and other demographic information, medical records, x-ray films etc.

Direct Treatment Relationship

Refers to a relationship between an individual and a health care provider in which:

1. the health care provider delivers health care directly to the individual; and
2. the health care provider provides services or products, or reports the diagnosis or results associated with the healthcare, directly to the individual.

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Loma Linda university Medical Center Murrieta patients shall have certain rights as stated below.  Patients shall not, under any circumstances, be asked to waive any of these rights as a condition of treatment or payment.

Procedure:

The following are patient rights:

Section 1:  Facilities Responsibilities

1. Considerate and respectful care, and to be made comfortable.  You have the right to respect for your personal values and beliefs.
2. Have family members (or other representative of your choosing) and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the Medical Center.
3. Know the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care and the names and professional relationships or other physicians and non-physicians who will see you.
4. Receive information about your health status, course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms you can understand.  You have the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care.  You have the right to participate in ethical questions that arise in the course of your care, including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, and forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
5. Make decisions regarding medical care, and receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as you may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse a course of treatment.  Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved, alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each, and the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment. 
6. Requests or refuse treatment, to the extent permitted by law.  However, you do not have the right to demand inappropriate or medically unnecessary treatment or services.  You have the right to leave the Medical Center even against the advice of physicians, to the extent permitted by law.
7. Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.
8. Appropriate assessment and management of pain.
9. Formulate advance directives.  This includes designating a decision-maker if you become incapable of understanding a proposed treatment or become unable to communicate your wishes regarding care.  Medical Center staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital shall comply with these directives.  All patient rights apply to the person who has legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on your behalf.
10. Have personal privacy respected.  Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly.  You have the rights to be told the reason for presence of any individual.  You have the right to have visitors leave prior to an examination and when treatment issues are being discussed. 
11. Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to your care and stay in the Medical Center.  You will receive a separate “Notice of Privacy Practices” that explains your privacy rights in detail and how we may use and disclose your protected health information.
12. Receive care in a safe setting, free from verbal or physical abuse or harassment.  You have the right to access protective services including notifying government agencies of neglect or abuse.
13. Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
14. Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of appointments as well as the identity of the persons providing the care.
15. Be informed by the physician, or a delegate of the physician, of continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.  Upon your request, a friend or family member may be provided this information also. 
16. Know which hospital rules and policies apply to your conduct while a patient.
17. Designate visitors of your choosing, if you have decision-making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood or marriage, unless:
    a. No visitors are allowed.
    b. Medical Center reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the medical Center staff, or other visitor to the Medical Center, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the Medical Center. However, the Medical Center may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors.
18. Have your wishes considered, if you lack decision-making capacity, for the purposes of determining who may visit.  The method of that consideration will be disclosed in the Medical Center policy on visitation.  At a minimum, the Medical Center shall include any persons living in your household.
19. Examine and receive an explanation of the Medical Center’s bill regardless of the source of payment.
20. Exercise these rights without regard to sex, economic status, disability, educational background, race, color, ethnicity, religion ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or marital status, or the source of payment for care.
21. File a grievance.  If you want to file a grievance, you may do so by writing or by calling the Administrative Patient Representative. 
22. File a complaint with the State Department of Helath Services, regardless of whether you use the Medical Centers grievance process.

Patient's Responsibility:

Each Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta patient shall retain the right to be an active participant in his or her own medical care and be precluded from having his or her actions infringe upon the rights of other patients or upon the rights and responsibilities of the Facility.  Patients shall be responsible for:

1. Cooperating with the treatment plan recommended by the physician responsible for his or her care, including instructions by nurses and allied health personnel as they facilitate the responsible physician’s plan of care.
2. Accepting responsibility when refusing treatment or not following the physician’s instructions.
3. Showing respect for other patients by appropriate use of telephone, television, and light; limit of visitors; respecting visiting hours; following smoking regulations.
4. Being considerate of hospital, facilities, and equipment.
5. Being respectful to hospital employees and Medical Staff and avoiding the use of obscene language, threatening remarks or other inappropriate or disruptive behavior.
6. Understanding his or her illness and treatment; if not, questioning physician/other practitioner regarding illness and treatment.
7. Notifying appropriate personnel if language barrier exists so services of an interpreter can be secured.
8. Providing accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to medical problems.
9. Reporting unexpected chances in condition, if possible, to the responsible physician.
10. Informing appropriate personnel if he or she does not understand a contemplated course of action and what is expected.
11. Keeping appointments and notifying the appropriate personnel when unable to do so.
12. Ensuring that the financial obligations for health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
13. Following Medfical Center fules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
14. Bringing only those personal articles that are necessary for comfort and that the medical Center does not provide.
15. Sending home all articles not absolutely necessary before being admitted to the unit.
16. Depositing valuables for retention in the Medical Center safe for security.
17. Accepting full responsibility for articles taken or worn to the unit and/or which may be brought in following admission; allowing them to be labeled when possible with patient’s name and  medical record number.
18. Providing clothing to be worn and transportation home upon discharge.
19. Understanding how to continue care after leaving the hospital, including:
    • when and where to get treatment
    • what needs to be done at home to help with the treatment.

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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations conducts periodic accreditation surveys of Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta and its related agencies.

The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the organizations' compliance with nationally established Joint Commission standards. The survey results are used to determine whether, and the conditions under which, accreditation should be awarded the organization.

Joint Commission standards address:

• organizational quality of care issues
• the safety of the environment in which care is provided

Anyone believing that he or she has pertinent and valid information about such matters may request a public information interview with the Joint Commission's field representatives at the time of the survey. Information presented at the interview will be carefully evaluated for relevance to the accreditation process.

Requests for a public information interview must be made in writing and should be sent to the Joint Commission. The request must also indicate the nature of the information to be provided at the interview. Such requests should be addressed to:

Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
or Faxed to 630-792-5636
or E-mailed to complaint@jcaho.org

An account representative will contact the individual requesting the public information interview prior to the survey, indicating the location, date and time of the interview and the name of the surveyor who will conduct the interview.

If you have questions about filing a complaint about this facility, you may contact the Joint Commission at this toll free U.S. telephone number, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central Time, weekdays:

(800) 994-6610

This notice is posted in accordance with the Joint Commission's requirements.

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Loma Linda University Medical Center has an extensive health library available at:
http://lomalindahealth.org/health-library/index.html#symptom-navigator

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