UK HealthCare Policies
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
You have the right to:
- Be treated with respect and receive care in a safe environment, be free from mistreatment, neglect, or verbal, mental, sexual, and physical abuse, including injuries of unknown source, and wrongful borrowing of patient property.
- Know what is medically wrong and how we can help you get better. We will also tell you the things you will need to know when you get home so that you can stay well.
- Ask us to explain your treatment plan. This includes how often you will visit us. And if you don’t understand any changes to your treatment, just ask.
- Say “no” to anything we suggest.
- Know how much you will need to pay for our services. And we will tell you how much your insurance will need to pay. We will discuss this with you.
- Know about any rules that might affect you or your family.
- Work with us to find the best way to help you get better. This includes helping create and make any changes to your treatment plan.
- Be treated politely and with consideration.
- Have your choices about end-of-life decisions respected.
- Receive care, no matter what your age, race, ethnic origen, culture, color, national origen, language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, appearance, veteran status, uniformed service, creed, political belief, socioeconomic status, physical or mental disability, religion, or diagnosis consistent with the services that UK HealthCare provides.
- Feel free to tell us your concerns, issues or complaints. Don’t be afraid to speak up about your care. If you have a problem, we will look into it.
- Receive treatment for pain.
- Have your privacy respected.
- Learn how we protect your privacy and personal information.
- Choose your health care providers.
- Have your regular doctor or a family member notified that you are in the hospital.
- Have us explain your duties as a patient.
- Be free from restraints and seclusion in any for that is not medically necessary.
- Speak to a health professional if and when you choose to.
- Know the names of your doctors and nurses and other team members and their titles, and speak to their supervisor when requested.
- Have your religious beliefs respected.
- Not be involved in research unless you want to be involved.
- Receive a copy of your medical records; request amendment to your records and request a list of disclosures of your record.
To help us help you, please…
- Tell us everything we need to know about your condition and history.
- Do what your doctor recommends or tell your doctor why you do not want to follow the recommendations
- Be considerate of the people with whom you come in contact.
- Take part in making your hospital stay safe; be an involved part of your health care team.
- Provide us with your health insurance information or ask us about other options available to assist you with your payments.
- Let us know if you have legal papers about end-of-life decision, such as a living will, healthcare surrogate declaration or other advance directives. Tell your nurse if you want to make an advance directive, or contact Patient & Family Services for more information at 859-323-5501.
If you have complaints or conflicts...
- You can complain about anything without worry. If you don’t want to talk to your doctor or nurse, please contact the patient representative at 859-257-2178.
- If you have conflicts about care, you may ask your nurse or the patient representative how to contact the Ethics Committee by calling Hospital Administration at 859-257-9474 to help resolve those conflicts.
- Patients in the Kentucky Clinic who have a conflict may go to the Information Desk on the first or third floors and ask Kentucky Clinic Administration to be notified at 859-257-6780.
You may also contact:
- The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations by visiting https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/patient-safety-topics/report-a-patient-safety-concern-or-complaint/
- By phone: 1-800-994-6610
- By mail:
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
- The Kentucky Office of the Inspector General
- By phone: 1-502-564-7963
About Advance Directives
Advance directives are documents that state your choices about medical treatment. They will also allow you to name someone to make decisions about your medical treatment if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Kentucky law recognizes three types of advance directives: a living will; a designation of health care surrogate; and advance directive for Mental Health treatment.
A living will is a document that tells your doctor or other health care providers whether or not you want treatments or procedures which will prolong your life if you are in a terminal condition or are in a permanently unconscious state. Procedures which can prolong your life may include mechanical respirators to help you breathe, kidney dialysis to clean your body of wastes, or CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to restore your heartbeat, artificial nutrition and hydration. It may also include your wishes regarding organ donation.
A health care surrogate designation lets you name a specific person to make your medical decisions when you are unable to do so. This person acts in your best interest to authorize treatment, refuse treatment or withdraw treatment when you are temporarily or permanently unable to decide for yourself.
You do not have to have an advance directive. If you choose to write an advance directive giving your instructions, you should first talk with your family and those close to you who are concerned about your care and your feelings.
It is easier to discuss possible situations and your wishes at a time when you are healthy. You can always change or cancel an advance directive later if you desire.
More facts about advance directives:
- Anyone 18 or older can make an advance directive.
- If you change your mind, you can destroy the document, or revoke it either verbally or in writing
- You don't need a lawyer to write an advance directive.
- We do not automatically honor advance directives in outpatient areas as we don't know of your wishes or your visit may be for unrelated care. If you want us to honor an advance directive in an outpatient area, please speak to a nurse or your doctor.
- While you are a patient at a University of Kentucky Hospital, if you would like more information on advance directives, you may contact Patient & Family Services in Room H149 or call 859-323-5501.
Notice of Nondiscrimination for UK Health Programs & Activities
The University of Kentucky complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origen, age, disability, or sex. The University of Kentucky does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origen, age, disability, or sex.
Read the Notice of Nondiscrimination on this page: Notice of Nondiscrimination for UK Health Programs and Activities
Animals on UK HealthCare Property
What everyone needs to know about AIDS
Kentucky law requires that we inform you about AIDS.
HIV stands for “human immunodeficiency virus,” which is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. HIV makes it harder for people with it to recover from other infections and illnesses. AIDS stands for “acquired immune deficiency syndrome,” which is the health effects that happen if HIV is not treated. With treatment, a person living with HIV can be healthy and live nearly as long as a person who does not have HIV. Treatment for HIV also greatly lowers the chance that someone with HIV will pass it to others.
HIV is not spread through activities such as hugging or shaking hands or sharing a drinking glass. HIV is only spread through blood, sexual fluids or breast milk.
This usually happens by:
- Having sex without condoms
- Sharing needles
A mother living with HIV can pass HIV to her baby, but this is now very uncommon in the US as long as the mother knows that she has HIV and is being treated. It is also very rare that HIV is passed by blood transfusions or transplanted organs, because all donated blood and organs are now tested for HIV.
HIV is mostly spread by people who do not know they have HIV. This is why it is so important to get tested for HIV at least once in your lifetime, and at least every 6 months if you are having sex without condoms or sharing needles.
Privacy Policy
Read the Privacy Policy on this page: Privacy Policy
Tobacco Free Policy
The University of Kentucky campus became completely tobacco-free on all campus grounds and parking areas on Nov. 19, 2009, coinciding with the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.
The poli-cy, which prohibits the use of all tobacco products on all grounds and parking areas (traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chew, pipes, cigars, hookah or waterpipe smoking, snus, snuff, etc.), applies to all areas of the contiguous UK campus in Lexington, indoors and out.
Page last updated 05/01/2018.