Patient Nondiscrimination Policy

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This policy ensures that all patients and visitors of Harbor Community Birth and its employees are treated with equality, in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with applicable state and federal law.

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Scope

This policy applies to all members of the Harbor Community Birth workforce, including employees, medical staff members, contracted service providers, and volunteers, and to all vendors, representatives, and any other individuals providing services to or on behalf of Harbor Community Birth (“Harbor Community Birth personnel”).

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Purpose

To ensure that all patients and visitors of Harbor Community Birth are treated with equality, in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with applicable state and federal law.

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Policy

Harbor Community Birth is dedicated to providing services to patients and welcoming visitors in a manner that respects, protects, and promotes patient rights.

 

1. Harbor Community Birth personnel will treat all patients and visitors receiving services from or participating in other programs of Harbor Community Birth with equality in a welcoming manner that is free from discrimination based on age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

 

1. Harbor Community Birth personnel will inform patients of the availability of and make reasonable accommodations for patients consistent with federal and state requirements.  For example, language interpretation services will be made available for non-English speaking patients and sign language interpretation will be made available for hearing impaired patients.

 

1. Harbor Community Birth personnel will afford visitation rights to patients free from discrimination based on age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law and will ensure that visitors receive equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.

 

1. Any person who believes that they, or another person has been subjected to discrimination which is not permitted by this Policy, may file a complaint using Harbor Community Birth's complaint and grievance procedure.

 

To file a complaint or grievance or in case of questions, please contact:

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Harbor Community Birth

2619 Cherry St

Hoquiam, WA 98550

206-778-2347

 

Filing a grievance or complaint with Harbor Community Birth does not prevent the patient from filing a complaint with the Department of Health or the Office of Civil Rights.
 

Washington State Department of Health

Health Systems Quality Assurance

Complaint Intake

P.O. Box 47857

Olympia, WA 98504-7857

800.633.6828

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Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2201 Sixth Avenue - M/S: RX-11

Seattle, WA 98121-1831

Voice Phone 800.368.1019

FAX 206.615-2297

TDD 800.537-7697

 

Harbor Community Birth personnel are prohibited from retaliating against any person who opposes, complains about, or reports discrimination, files a complaint, or cooperates in an investigation of discrimination or other proceeding under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination law.

 

Procedure

 

1. Harbor Community Birth is responsible for coordinating compliance with this Policy, including giving notice to and training all Harbor Community Birth personnel on this Policy.

 

1. Harbor Community Birth personnel will determine eligibility for and provide services, financial aid, and other benefits to all patients in a similar manner, without subjecting any individual to separate or different treatment on the basis of age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

 

1. Harbor Community Birth personnel will provide notices to patients regarding this Nondiscrimination Policy and Harbor Community Birth's commitment to providing access to and the provision of services in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner.

 

1. At the time patients are notified of their patient rights, Harbor Community Birth personnel will also inform each patient, or the patient’s support person, including the patient’s attorney in fact, when appropriate, of the patient’s visitation rights, including any clinical restriction on those rights, and the patient’s right, subject to the patient’s consent, to receive visitors whom the patient designates, free of discrimination based upon age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.  Such visitors include a spouse, state registered domestic partner (including same-sex state registered domestic partner), another family member, friend, or a legal representative of the patient, such as an attorney-in-fact. Harbor Community Birth personnel will also notify patients of their right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time. Harbor Community Birth personnel will afford such visitors equal visitation privileges consistent with the patient’s preferences.

 

1. Any Harbor Community Birth personnel receiving a patient or visitor discrimination complaint will advise the complaining individual that he or she may report the problem and file a complaint without fear of retaliation.