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Patient Rights & Privacy Practices

Vail Valley Surgery Center makes every effort to provide a foundation for understanding and respecting the rights of patients and their families. We provide care that is sensitive to cultural, racial, religious or other differences. We do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or source of payment. We respond to reasonable requests for treatment and to each person's health care needs. Our response depends on the urgency of each situation and our ability to provide the kind of treatment the patient may require.
 
We ask that patients participate in decisions about their health care by talking with caregivers and taking an active role in planning their care. This helps ensure that the care our patients receive preserves their dignity and reflects their desires and values. A designated surrogate or proxy decision-maker may exercise these rights on the patient’s behalf if the patient lacks decision-making capacity, is legally incompetent or is a minor. Interpreter assistance is available at no cost to patients and/or their family when patients receive services provided by the surgery center.

Your Rights
Vail Valley Surgery Center's Rights & Responsibilities Policy
Privacy Practices
Vail Valley Surgery Center is required by law to maintain the privacy of our patients' health information and provide patients a description of our privacy practices. We abide by the terms of the following policy.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Vail Valley Surgery Center complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or gender identity. Vail Valley Surgery Center does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or gender identity.
Advance Directives
All patients have the right to participate in their own health care decisions and to make Advance Directives or to execute Power of Attorney that authorize others to make decisions on their behalf based on the patient's expressed wishes when the patient is unable to make decisions or unable to communicate decisions. This Surgery Center respects and upholds those rights.

However, unlike in an acute care hospital setting, the Surgery Center does not routinely perform "high risk" procedures. Most procedures performed in this facility are considered to be of minimal risk. Of course, no surgery is without risk. You will discuss the specifics of your procedure with your physician who can answer your questions as to its risks, your expected recovery, and care after surgery.

Therefore, it is our policy, regardless of the contents of any Advance Directive or instructions from a health care surrogate or attorney-in-fact, that if an adverse event occurs during your treatment at this facility, we will initiate resuscitative or other stabilizing measures and transfer you to an acute care hospital for further evaluation. At the acute care hospital, further treatments or withdrawal of treatment measures already begun will be ordered in accordance with your wishes, Advance Directive, or healthcare Power of Attorney. Your agreement with this facility’s policy will not revoke or invalidate any current health care directive or health care power of attorney.  

If you wish to complete an Advance Directive, copies of the official state forms are available below:
If you do not agree with this facility’s policy, we will be pleased to assist you in rescheduling your procedure.