Committed to exceptional care for our patients

Maimonides is committed to providing our patients with the best care available. We want to make sure we provide you with the information you need to make your stay and experience at Maimonides as comfortable as possible. If at any time you have questions or concerns about the quality of care that you or a family member is receiving or has received at our hospital, do not hesitate to speak with your nurse, the nursing supervisor, or your doctor. If you feel that your issue wasn’t resolved, please contact the Patient Relations Department at (718) 283-7212 with your complaints or concerns.  You may call at any time during or after your stay.

If hospital staff cannot resolve a problem or issue, you may contact the New York State Department of Health or The Joint Commission.

For the NYS Department of Health:
Mail: NYS DOH Centralized Hospital Intake Program
Bureau of Hospital and Primary Care Services
Mailstop/CA/DCS
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12237
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 800-804-5447

For The Joint Commission:
Mail: Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Telephone: 800-994-6610
Fax: (630) 792-5636
Email: [email protected]

Patient Bill of Rights

You have certain rights and protections as a patient guaranteed by state and federal laws. These rights help to promote quality and safety during your hospital stay.

As a patient in a hospital in New York State, you have the right, consistent with law, to:

1. Understand and use these rights. If for any reason you do not understand, or you need help, the hospital MUST provide assistance, including an interpreter
2. Receive treatment without discrimination as to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, source of payment, or age
3. Receive considerate and respectful care in a clean and safe environment free of unnecessary restraints
4. Receive emergency care if you need it
5. Be informed of the name and position of the doctor who will be in charge of your care in the hospital
6. Know the names, positions, and functions of any hospital staff involved in your care and refuse their treatment, examination, or observation
7. A no-smoking environment
8. Receive complete information about your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
9. Receive all the information that you need to give informed consent for any proposed procedure or treatment. This information shall include the possible risks and benefits of the procedure or treatment
10. Receive all the information you need to give informed consent for an order not to resuscitate. You also have the right to designate an individual to give this consent to you if you are too ill to do so. If you would like additional information, please ask for a copy of the pamphlet, “Deciding About Health Care—A Guide for Patients and Families“
11. Refuse treatment and be told what effect this may have on your health
12. Refuse to take part in the research. In deciding whether or not to participate, you have the right to a full explanation
13. Privacy while in the hospital and confidentiality of all information and records regarding your care
14. Participate in all decisions about your treatment and discharge from the hospital. The hospital must provide you with a written discharge plan and a written description of how you can appeal your discharge
15. Identify a caregiver who will be included in your discharge planning and sharing of post-discharge care information or instruction
16. Review your medical record without charge. Obtain a copy of your medical record for which the hospital can charge a reasonable fee. You cannot be denied a copy solely because you cannot afford to pay
17. Receive an itemized bill and explanation of all charges
18. View a list of the hospital’s standard charges for items and services and the health plans with which the hospital participates
19. You have a right to challenge an unexpected bill through the Independent Dispute Resolution process
20. Complain without fear of reprisals about the care and services you are receiving and to have the hospital respond to you and if you request it, to receive a written response. If you are not satisfied with the hospital’s response, you can complain to the New York State Health Department. The hospital must provide you with the State Health Department telephone number
21. Authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors
22. Make known your wishes in regard to anatomical gifts. You may document your wishes with your health care proxy or on a donor card, available from the hospital

We can provide versions of this notice in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Traditional), Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Uzbek.

Maimonides will plan advanced directives (including living wills, Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) and/or other expressed decisions) and have the hospital staff apply and follow to the extent possible.

In addition to the Bill of Rights:

Maimonides will formulate advanced directives (including living wills, MOLST, and/or other expressed decisions) and have the hospital staff implement and comply to the extent applicable.

Upon admission, the patient or patient representative may request that the patient’s physician be advised of the admission.

The patient will receive treatment without discrimination on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, and/or gender transition status.

To learn more about your rights as a hospital patient in New York State, click here

Patient representatives

The Patient Relations Department works to ensure your safety and comfort. Our patient representatives educate you and your family about your rights and responsibilities, help you communicate with hospital staff, and handle care issues such as advance directives. Most patient representatives are bilingual or multilingual with fluency in Hebrew, Yiddish, Urdu, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Arabic, Greek, or Russian. Our patient representatives are available in the emergency room 24/7 and on inpatient units from 8 a.m. – 12 a.m., 7 days a week. You can reach the Patient Relations Department at (718) 283-7212.

Preadmission testing

The 1st step before most surgeries is preadmission testing, which is a physical examination that typically includes:

• An electrocardiogram (ECG) or x-rays
• A review of your medical history, all the medications you are taking, and advance directives such as a healthcare proxy or living will
• Tests of your blood, blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs

Advance Directives/Health Care Proxies

The types of advance directives are:

• Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order – A form that instructs medical staff not to try to revive you if your breathing or heartbeat stops
• Health care proxy – The person you appoint to make treatment decisions for you, including your wishes regarding organ donation
• Living will – A document that states your specific instructions and choices regarding medical treatment
• MOLST form (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) – NYS Department of Health form used to convey a patient’s wishes regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other life-sustaining treatments

If you or a loved one has questions about patient information, please reach out and contact our Patient Relations Department at (718) 283-7212. Our compassionate staff is committed to enhancing your patient experience as best we can.

Nondiscrimination And Language Accessibility

Maimonides provides services to all persons regardless of actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, citizenship status, culture, language, socioeconomic status, partnership status, familial status, caregiver status, parental status, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender nonconformance or transgender status, physical or mental disability, and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or city law.

If you believe that Maimonides Medical Center has discriminated on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you may file a grievance with:

Paula Ioannides, Grievance Coordinator
Office of Risk Management
Maimonides Medical Center
4802 Tenth Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11219 
(718) 283-3933

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by mail, electronically, or phone at:

US Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW 
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201 

https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)

Complaint forms are available at http:www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html