Your Hospital Bill

This is how our billing process usually works:

1. Our billing office will send a claim to your insurance company shortly after your services are complete.
2. After receiving the claim, your insurance company may contact you for additional information. Please respond to your insurance company’s questions as quickly as possible so their payment is not delayed.
3. Your insurance company usually takes 30 – 45 days to pay your claim.
4. After your insurance company pays us, we will provide you with information about any amount you may still owe. Keep in mind that your policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. If you did not follow your insurance plan’s terms, they might not pay for all or part of your care.

What is Not Included in Your Hospital Bill

Note that each physician providing services related to your hospital stay/visit will bill you separately. This could include fees related not only to physicians who directly cared for you during your stay, but also specialists such as anesthesiologists, pathologists and radiologists and other physicians consulted by your doctor, who “work behind the scenes” to ensure your safety and care.

The enacted California State AB72 provides that if you have insurance and your carrier is contracted with USC Arcadia Hospital, AND the provider (Physician) is NOT contracted with your carrier, you (as a plan member) are only required to pay the non-contracted physician only the amount you would be required to pay as if he/she were contracted (unless you have been advised 24 hours in advance and have consented to pay him/her the non-contracted rates). Should you have any questions, we advise you to call your physician’s billing office. Methodist Hospital of Southern California does not have nor, do we provide physician-related bills.

Payment at Time of Service

Similar to when you visit your physician’s office, we expect payment at time of service. If you are ineligible for Medicaid or financial assistance and cannot pay your entire bill, we will work with you to set up monthly payment arrangements. If, after your services are received, any additional payment is due, we will send you information about any amount you may still owe. We accept major credit cards, checks, money orders and cash. You may also pay your bill online.

Financial Assistance for Uninsured Patients

USC Arcadia Hospital offers many forms of financial relief for patients without healthcare insurance (“uninsured”) who need emergency or non-elective services. We have financial counselors available to evaluate your eligibility for various local and state programs, including county assistance and Medi-Cal

Financial Assistance for Uninsured Patients

Pricing Estimates

To provide helpful information based on each patient’s personal healthcare coverage, we must first determine your private insurance or government coverage (such as Medicare or Medicaid). If you have any questions about determining such call 626-821-2354. Your estimate will be a “good faith estimate” and not a final price as additional procedures may be performed or complications may arise. Additionally, your insurer has the final say on coverage, contract pricing and your financial responsibility. If you are uninsured or choose not to use your insurance, federal law gives you the right to a “Good Faith Estimate.” (See www.cms.gov/nosurprises)

First, you need to contact your insurance company to ensure that the services you require are “covered services.” If some or all of the services are not covered under your plan, please refer to our uninsured information. You also will need to contact your physician’s office to get the specific diagnosis or procedure description.

Our procedure pricing tool provides cost estimates for insured and uninsured patients. When using this tool, you will need to have the information listed in No. 1 and No. 2 below. Be sure to have the following information available, so that we can provide the best estimate possible:

1. Description of services needed: we will need as much information as possible about the specific services described by your physician.
2. Type of services needed: we need to know if you will be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient overnight or if you will be treated as an outpatient.
3. Physician/specialist name: if you are having surgery, we will need the surgeon’s name.
4. Your insurance card: please have your card available so that we can get the following information: insurance company, type of policy (HMO, PPO, POS, Indemnity, etc.), policy holder’s name, group name and number, policy number, insurance company phone number.
5. Policyholder’s personal information: the insurance company might want us to verify the Social Security Number and date of birth of the primary insurance policyholder.

No Surprises Act: Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

The No Surprises Act took effect on January 1, 2022 and provides patients financial protections against surprise medical bills and prohibits balance billing for certain out-of-network (OON) care. To learn more about your rights and protections against surprise medical bills, please download our Disclosure Notice Regarding Patient Protections Against Surprise Billing.

Financial Assistance Summary for Patients

USC Arcadia Hospital is dedicated to making healthcare services accessible to our patients and acknowledges the financial needs of our community who are unable to afford the charges associated with the cost of their medical care. The hospital offers a Financial Assistance Program for qualifying patients who receive emergency or medically necessary care. Patients must complete an application, submit certain verification documents and meet the eligibility requirements. This policy does not cover any other providers of service except USC Arcadia Hospital.

Download Our Financial Assistance Summary
Descargar nuestra politica de asistencia financiara
下載 我們的 财务归还援助服务 總結清單

Financial Assistance Program

If you need help paying for your medical services you may be eligible for USC Arcadia Hospital’s Financial Assistance Program. The Financial Assistance Program is a discretionary program offered by USC Arcadia Hospital to all patients for services that are medically necessary. You must apply within six months of when you received the services you are applying for.

How do I apply for Financial Assistance?

An application form and a list of all documentation required is available for download below, simply click on the Download Financial Assistance Application. For assistance on completing the application or to request a copy of the policy you may receive help at any of the following sources:

• Main Admitting, ER Admitting, Customer Service Department located in Main Admitting
• Call our Patient Financial Services Department at 626-574-3594 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you call after normal business hours, please leave a brief voice message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

Is there language assistance available?
這裡有語言服務嗎？
¿Hay servicios de traducción?

Our application forms are available in multiple languages. Interpreter services are also available.
我們的申請表格有三種語言，英語，西班牙語和中文，以及翻譯服務。
Nuestros fomularios de solicitud estan disponibles en tres idiomas, Ingles, espanol, Chino. Tambien existen servicios de interpetres.

Financial Assistance Application
Aplicación Para Ayuda Económica
財務協助申請

Financial Assistance for Uninsured Patients

USC Arcadia Hospital offers many forms of financial relief for patients without healthcare insurance (“uninsured”) who need emergency or non-elective services. We have financial counselors available to evaluate your eligibility for various local and state programs, including county assistance and Medicaid.

USC Arcadia Hospital has a financial assistance policy that provides free hospital care for patients who have received emergency treatment, do not meet the qualifications for Medicaid and whose income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. To qualify for this free care, you must complete a financial assistance application and provide documents to support your income.

For patients who do not meet the financial assistance policy criteria and will be expected to pay for services out of pocket, USC Arcadia Hospital offers a discount similar to that received by managed-care health plans. All uninsured patients (except those receiving cosmetic procedures and certain “package” procedures) will be given a discount. All pricing estimates posted under the “Uninsured” insurance type already reflect the hospital’s uninsured discount.

Download Our Financial Assistance Policy
Descargar solicitud de asistencia financiera
下載 财务归还援助服务 表格

Patient Collection Policy

Download Patient Collections Policy
Política de facturación y cobros al paciente
患者帳單和催收政策

Amounts Generally Billed Calculation

Generally Billed Calculation
Cálculo de montos generalmente facturados
一般收費金額計算

Discharge Notice of Financial Assistance and Payment Options

Download Our Discharge Notice

Hospital Bill Complaint Program

The Hospital Bill Complaint Program is a state program, which reviews hospital decisions about whether you qualify for help paying your hospital bill. If you believe you were wrongly denied financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the Hospital Bill Complaint Program. Go to HospitalBillComplaint.hcai.ca.gov for more information and to file a complaint.

醫院帳單投訴計畫：

如果您認為自己的經濟援助申請被錯誤拒絕您可以向

加利福尼亞州的醫院帳單投訴計畫提出投訴。請造訪

HospitalBillComplaintProgram.hcai.ca.gov，以了解更多資 訊並提出投訴。

Programa De Quejas Sobre La Facturación Hospitalaria:

Si cree que se le denegó la asistencia financiera de forma incorrecta, puede presentar una queja ante el Programa de quejas sobre facturación hospitalaria del estado de California. Visite hospitalbillcomplaintprogram.hcai.ca.gov para obtener más información y presentar una queja.

USC Arcadia Hospital 340B Good Stewardship Principles

The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a federal government program that requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations at significantly reduced prices. The 340B program is tailored to assist hospitals that provide services to low-income individuals or serve isolated rural communities.

About USC Arcadia Hospital

Founded in 1903, USC Arcadia Hospital is a full-service community hospital with 348 licensed beds and a medical staff comprised of more than 700 physicians. USC Arcadia Hospital is designated by Los Angeles County as a Comprehensive Stroke Center as well as a heart attack receiving center, offering advanced neurological and cardiovascular services, including cardiac catheterization, open heart surgery, neurosurgery, and neuro-interventional radiology. USC Arcadia Hospital is also certified by L.A. County for providing an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics. The hospital is recognized as a center of excellence for a variety of other clinical services, including orthopedics, cancer care, bariatric surgery, and obstetrics. We admit over 16,000 patients per year and treat more than 50,000 emergency room visitors annually.

The 340B program helps ensure access to key medications needed by patients who access many of the services listed above. The program also enhances USC Arcadia Hospital’s ability to provide low-cost services to uninsured and medically underserved populations. In 2018, USC Arcadia Hospital realized savings of $1.34 million from the 340B program.

340B Program Benefits

The 340B Program enables patients to access needed prescription medications regardless of income level or insurance coverage and enables Methodist Hospital to provide a variety of needed treatments and services, including:

• Medications upon discharge at no cost to patients who might otherwise find such medication unaffordable
• Access to financial assistance with the purchase of specialty medications
• Clinical pharmacy services to patients with serious medical conditions to improve medication adherence and outcomes
• Access to specialty services and clinical expertise
• Free health screenings in local settings accessible to homeless and low-income populations
• Opioid stewardship program to help affected patients and families
• No-cost nicotine replacement therapy for patients trying to quit smoking

Impacts of Cutting Back 340B

In 2018, USC Arcadia Hospital provided charity care and in-kind health services valued at $18 million. The hospital’s cost of uncompensated care provided to Medi-Cal (Medicaid) and Medicare patients was $27 million during 2018. Key medicines provided through the 340B program at Methodist Hospital include contrast media, tPA, Lexiscan, Isuprel, Vasopressin, and Propofol. Scaling back the 340B Program would put at risk Methodist Hospital’s ability to provide many of the services and medications described above to uninsured and under-insured patients.

Accepted Insurance Plans

USC Arcadia Hospital accepts most health care insurance plans. To learn more, please call Patient Financial Services at 626-574-3594.

The USC Arcadia Hospital Language Services Program provides interpreter services to all patients and their relatives to assist in their health care.

Interpretation for American Sign Language (ASL) is available by video remote interpreting, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

USC Arcadia Hospital uses Cyracom translation services via telephonic interpreters to be able to ensure accurate and timely translation. The services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The languages available include:

Patient Rights

You have the right to an interpreter.
Usted tiene el derecho a un intérprete.
你有權利有翻譯員

Translation/ Language Services are available 24 hours a day at no cost on request. You may access language services in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese or Sign Language (as well as 27 other language) by asking any health care member. Translation/ Language Services are available by telephone and video conference.

Traducciones/Servicios de Idiomas son disponibles las 24 horas del dia sin ningun costo. Usted tendra diferentes servicios de idiomas como espanol, mandarin, cuntones o lenguaje por señas (incluyendo 27 idiomas mas) solamente pregunte ha cualquier miembro del cuidado de salud. Traducciones /Servicios tambien estan disponibles por telefono y por conferencia en video.

翻譯/語言服務可根據要求全天24小時免費提供 通過詢問任何醫療成員 您可以有西班牙語,普通話,粵語或手語(以及其他27種語言)服務 翻譯/語言服務是通過電話和視頻會議

For concerns/ complaints please call 626-574-3409 or the contact Department of Developmental Services at 916-654-1888.

Para preocupaciones/oquejas favor de llamar al 626-574-3409 o communicarse al Departamento de Servicios de Desarrollo al 916-654-1888.

有顧慮/投訴請打分機 626-574-3409 或聯絡發展服務部門 916-654-1888

For the full Interpreter and Translation Services policy, click here.

Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact USC Arcadia Hospital’s Privacy Officer at 626-574-3528.

WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE

This notice describes our hospital’s practices and that of:

• Any health care professional authorized to enter information into your hospital chart; including physicians and other health care providers who participate in your care and treatment at the hospital;
• All departments, clinics, and units of the hospital;
• Any member of a volunteer group we allow to help you while you are in the hospital;
• All hospital employees, staff, and other hospital personnel.

All these entities, sites and locations follow the terms of this notice. In addition, these entities, sites, and locations may share medical information with each other for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes described in this notice.

OUR PLEDGE REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION

We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive at the hospital. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by the hospital, whether made by hospital personnel or your personal doctor. Your personal doctor may have different policies or notices regarding the doctor’s use and disclosure of your medical information created in the doctor’s office or clinic.

This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information.

We are required by law to:

• Make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private (with certain exceptions);
• Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you;
• Notify you as required by law if your health information is unlawfully accessed or disclosed; and
• Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose medical information. For each category of uses or disclosures, we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

Disclosure at Your Request

We may disclose information when requested by you. This disclosure at your request may require a written authorization by you.

For Treatment

We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose medical information about you to doctors, nurses, technicians, health care students, or other hospital personnel who are involved in taking care of you at the hospital. For example, a doctor treating you for a broken leg may need to know if you have diabetes because diabetes may slow the healing process. In addition, the doctor may need to tell the dietician if you have diabetes so that we can arrange for appropriate meals. Different departments of the hospital also may share medical information about you in order to coordinate the different things you need, such as prescriptions, lab work, and X-rays. We may also disclose medical information about you to people outside the hospital who may be involved in your medical care after you leave the hospital, such as skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and physicians or other practitioners. For example, we may give your physician access to your health information to assist your physician in treating you.

For Payment

We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and services you received at the hospital may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party. For example, we may need to give your health plan information about surgery you received at the hospital so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you for the surgery. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment. We may also provide basic information about you and your health plan, insurance company or another source of payment to practitioners outside the hospital who are involved in your care, to assist them in obtaining payment for services they provided to you. However, we cannot disclose information to your health plan for payment purposes if you ask us not to, and you pay for the services yourself.

For Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose medical information about you for health care operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run the hospital and make sure that all of our patients receive quality care. For example, we may use medical information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you. We may also combine medical information about many hospital patients to decide what additional services the hospital should offer, what services are not needed, and whether certain new treatments are effective. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, and other hospital personnel for review and learning purposes. We may also combine the medical information we have with medical information from other hospitals to compare how we are doing and see where we can make improvements in the care and services we offer. We may remove information that identifies you from this set of medical information so others may use it to study health care and health care delivery without learning who the specific patients are.

Organized Health Care Arrangement

We may use and disclose medical information to doctors and other health care providers who care for and treat patients at the hospital as necessary to carry out treatment, payment and health care operations related to arrangements with them for health care services provided at the hospital, inclusive of radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists and other members of the Medical Staff who may provide you with services.

Appointment Reminders

We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or medical care at the hospital.

Treatment Alternatives

We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

Health-Related Products and Services

We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about our health related products or services that may be of interest to you, including information about other providers or settings, other treatments or therapies, or payment for such products or services.

Fundraising Activities

We may use medical information about you, or disclose such information to a foundation related to the hospital, to contact you in an effort to raise money for the hospital and its operations. We only would release contact information, such as your name, address and phone number and the dates you received treatment or services at the hospital. If you do not want the hospital to contact you for fundraising efforts you must notify us in writing to USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation office, 301 W. Huntington Drive, Suite 207, Arcadia, CA 91007. You may also contact us by phone 626-898-8888.

Hospital Directory

We may include certain limited information about you in the hospital directory while you are a patient at the hospital. This information may include your name, location in the hospital, your general condition (e.g., good, fair, etc.) and your religious affiliations. Unless there is a specific written request from you to the contrary, this directory information, except for your religious affiliation, may also be released to people who ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation may be given to a member of the clergy, such as a priest or rabbi, even if they don’t ask for you by name. This information is released so your family, friends, and clergy can visit you in the hospital and generally know how you are doing.

Business Associates

We may disclose medical information to those that we contract with as business associates so that they may perform services for us or on our behalf. For example, we may send tapes to an outside vendor for transcription. We require that business associates implement appropriate safeguards to protect your medical information.

Personal Representatives

We may disclose medical information to your “personal representative,” a person who has authority to act on your behalf and make decisions related to your healthcare.

Marketing and Sale

Most uses and disclosures of medical information for marketing purposes, and disclosures that constitute a sale of medical information require your authorization.

To Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care

We may release medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. Unless there is a specific written request from you to the contrary, we may also tell your family or friends your condition and that you are in the hospital. In addition, we may disclose medical information about you to an entity assisting in disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, and location. If you arrive at the emergency department either unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate, we are required to attempt to contact someone we believe can make health care decisions for you. For example a family member or an agent under a healthcare power of attorney.

For Research

Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose medical information about you for research purposes. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all patients who received one medication to those who received another, for the same condition. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process. This process evaluates a proposed research project and its use of medical information, trying to balance the research needs with patients’ need for privacy of their medical information. Before we use or disclose medical information for research, the project will have been approved through this research approval process. We may, however, disclose medical information about you to people preparing to conduct a research project, for example, to help them look for patients with specific medical needs, as long as the medical information they review does not leave the hospital.

As Required By Law

We will disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety

We may use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Organ and Tissue Donation

We may release medical information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans

If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical information about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

Workers’ Compensation

We may release medical information about you for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs and compliance with civil rights laws.

Public Health Activities

We may disclose medical information about you for public health activities. These activities generally include the following:

• To prevent or control disease, injury or disability;
• To report births and deaths;
• To report reactions to medications or problems with products;
• To notify people of recalls of products they may be using
• To report regarding the abuse or neglect of children, elders, and dependent adults;
• To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition;
• To notify the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law;
• To provide student immunization records to a school that is required by law to obtain proof of immunization, based on your permission or personal representatives permission;
• To notify emergency response employees regarding possible exposure to HIV/AIDS, to the extent necessary to comply with state and federal laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes

If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose medical information about you in a response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful processes by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request (which may include written notice to you) or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.

Law Enforcement

We may release medical information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:

• In response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;
• About criminal conduct at the hospital;
• To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
• About a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
• About the victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;
• In emergency circumstances to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.

Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors

We may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical information about patients of the hospital to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

National Security and Intelligence Activities

We may release medical information about you to the authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others

We may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.

Inmates

If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may disclose medical information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official.

This disclosure would be necessary:

1. For the institution to provide you with health care;
2. To protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or
3. For the safety and security of the correctional institution.

Multidisciplinary Personnel Teams

We may disclose health information to a multidisciplinary personnel team relevant to the prevention, identification, management or treatment of an abused child and the child’s parents, or elder abuse and neglect.

Special Categories of Information

In some circumstances, your health information may be subject to restrictions that may limit or preclude some uses or disclosures described in this notice. For example, there are special restrictions on the use or disclosure of certain categories of information – e.g., tests for HIV or treatment for mental health conditions or alcohol and drug abuse. Government health benefit programs, such as Medi-Cal, may also limit the disclosure of beneficiary information for purposes unrelated to the program.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

You have the following rights regarding medical information we maintain about you.

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and copy medi-cal information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but may not include some mental health information. To inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request in writing to Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA, 91007.

If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to medical information, you may request that the denial is reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by the hospital will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.

Right to Amend

If you feel that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for the hospital.

To request an amendment, your request must be in writing and submitted to the Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request.

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

• Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
• Is not part of the medical information kept by or for the hospital;
• Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy;
• Is accurate and complete.

Even if we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to submit a written addendum, not to exceed 250 words, with respect to any item or statement in your record you believe is incomplete or incorrect. If you clearly indicate in writing that you want the addendum to be made part of your medical record we will attach it to your records and include it whenever we make a disclosure of the item or statement you believe to be incomplete or incorrect.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.” This is a list of the disclosures we made of medical information about you other than our own uses for treatment, payment, and health care operations (as those functions are described above), and with other exceptions pursuant to the law.

To request this list or accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. Your request must state a time period which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, on paper or electronically). The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free.

For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred. In addition, we will notify you as required by law if your health information is unlawfully accessed or disclosed.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery you had. We are not required to agree to your request, except to the extent that you request us to restrict disclosure to a health plan or insurer for payment or health care operations purposes if you, someone else on you, someone else on your behalf (other than the health plan or insurer), has paid for the item or service out of pocket in full. Even if you request this special restriction, we can disclose the information to a health plan or insurer for purposes of treating you. If we agree to another special restriction, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment.

To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. In your request, you must tell us:

1. what information you want to limit;
2. whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and
3. to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail.

To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to the Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. You may obtain a copy of this notice at our website: www.methodisthospital.org

To obtain a paper copy of this notice contact the Health Information Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 574-3566.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice in the hospital. The notice will contain the effective date on the first page, in the top right-hand corner. In addition, each time you register at or are admitted to the hospital for treatment or health care services as an inpatient or outpatient, we will offer you a copy of the current notice in effect.

COMPLAINTS

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the hospital or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, or by calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

To file a complaint with the hospital, contact the Corporate Compliance Department, Attn: Privacy Officer, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. 626-574-3528. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

OTHER USES OF MEDICAL INFORMATION

Other uses and disclosures of medical information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, this will stop any further use or disclosure of your medical information for the purposes covered by your written authorization, except if we have already acted in reliance on your permission. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to you.

Download the Notice of Privacy Practices

Patient Rights

1. Considerate and respectful care, and to be made comfortable. You have the right to respect for your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs and preferences.
2. Have a family member (or another representative of your choosing) and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
3. Know the name of the licensed health care practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care, and the names and professional relationships of physicians and non-physicians who will see you.
4. Receive information about your health status, diagnosis, prog­nosis, the course of treatment, prospects for recovery and outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes) in terms you can understand. You have the right to effective communication and 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 and end of life care.
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. Request 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 hospital even against the advice of members of the medical staff, to the extent permitted by law.
7. Be advised if the hospital/licensed health care practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
8. Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.
9. Appropriate assessment and management of your pain, informa­tion about pain, pain relief measures and to participate in pain management decisions. You may request or reject the use of any or all modalities to relieve pain, including opiate medication if you suffer from severe chronic intractable pain. The physician may refuse to prescribe the opiate medication, but if so, must inform you that there are physicians who specialize in the treatment of severe chronic pain with methods that include the use of opiates.
10. 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. Hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital shall comply with these directives. All patients’ rights apply to the person who has the legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on your behalf.
11. Have personal privacy respected. Case discussion, consulta­tion, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. You have the right to be told the reason for the presence of any individual. You have the right to have visi­tors leave prior to an examination and when treatment issues are being discussed. Privacy curtains will be used in semi-private rooms.
12. Confidential treatment of all communications and records per­taining to your care and stay in the hospital. 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.
13. Receive care in a safe setting, free from mental, physical, sexual or verbal abuse and neglect, exploitation or harassment. You have the right to access protective and advocacy services includ­ing notifying government agencies of neglect or abuse.
14. Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
15. 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.
16. Be informed by the physician, or a delegate of the physician, of continuing health care requirements and options following discharge from the hospital. You have the right to be involved in the development and implementation of your discharge plan. Upon your request, a friend or family member may be provided this information also.
17. Know which hospital rules and policies apply to your conduct while a patient.
18. Designate a support person as well as visitors of your choosing, if you have decision-making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood, marriage, or registered domestic partner status, unless:
    1. No visitors are allowed.
    2. The facility reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the health facility staff, or another visitor to the health facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the facility.
    3. You have told the health facility staff that you no longer want a particular person to visit.
    4. However, a hospital may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visita­tion and number of visitors. When the hospital restricts a patient’s visitors, mail, telephone calls, or other forms of communication, the restrictions are evaluated for their therapeutic effectiveness. The hospital must inform you (or your support person, where appropriate) of your visitation rights, including any clinical restrictions or limitations. The hospital is not permitted to restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
19. Have your wishes considered, if you lack decision-making capacity, for the purposes of determining who may visit. The method of that consideration will comply with federal law and be disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At a minimum, the hospital shall include any persons living in your household and any support person pursuant to federal law. Any restrictions on communication are fully explained to the patient and family and are determined with their participation. This section may not be construed to prohibit a health facility from otherwise establishing reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors.
20. Examine and receive an explanation of the hospital’s bill regard­less of the source of payment.
21. Exercise these rights without regard to sex, economic status, educational background, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, or the source of pay­ment for care.
22. File a grievance. Patients may register a complaint or grievance, and recommend changes freely without being subject to coercion, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption of care. Patients may register a complaint or grievance, and recommend changes freely without being subject to coercion, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption of care. If you want to file a grievance with this hospi­tal, you may do so by writing or by calling: USC Arcadia Hospital, Risk Management Department, 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. (626) 574-3409. The grievance committee will review each grievance and provide you with a written response within 7 business days. The written response will contain the name of a person to contact at the hospital, the steps taken to investigate the grievance, the results of the grievance process, and the date of completion of the griev­ance process. Concerns regarding quality of care or premature discharge will also be referred to the appropriate Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization (PRO).
23. File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health regardless of whether you use the hospital’s grievance process. The California Department of Public Health’s phone number and address is Department of Health Services, 5555 Ferguson Drive #320, Commerce, CA 90022. Phone: (855) 804-4205. CDPH_LNC_SFS@cdph.ca.gov

Issues or concerns regarding the quality of care may also be filed with The Joint Commission (“TJC”) regardless of whether you use the hospital’s grievance process. The Joint Commission can be contacted at (800) 994-6610.

A copy of the hospital charge description master is available upon request in our admitting areas or obtain a copy HERE and the summary by Inpatient DRG can be obtained HERE .

Translation Services Available: Translation services are available in any language-please ask any employee concerning translation services including for the hearing impaired. The TTY (Text Telephone) line is 626-574-3799.

This Patient Rights document incorporates the requirements of The Joint Commission; Title 22, California Code of Regulations, Section 70707; Health and Safety Code Sections 1262.6, 1288.4, and 124960; and 42 C.F.R. Section 482.13 (Medicare Conditions of Participation).

Non-Discrimination Statement

USC Arcadia Hospital complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude, or treat people differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sex, or sexual/gender orientation. USC Arcadia Hospital of Southern California:

• Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
• Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
  • Qualified interpreters
  • Information is written in other languages

If you need these services, contact Cari Toneck, Civil Rights Coordinator.

If you believe that USC Arcadia Hospital has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sex, and/or sexual/gender orientation you can file a grievance with the USC Arcadia Hospital Patient Advocate, 300 West Huntington Drive, PO Box 60016, Arcadia, CA 91066-6016, Telephone: 626-574-8848, fax: 626-574-2469, email: liset.diaz@methodisthospital.org. You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Cari Toneck, Civil Rights Coordinator, is available to help you.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)

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

Please contact any staff member to request translation services free of charge.

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística.

Llame al 626-574-3582 (TTY: 1-626-574-3799).

注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 626-574-3582 (TTY: 1-626-574-3799)。 。

CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 626-574-3582

(TTY: 1-626-574-3799).

주의: 한국어를 사용하시는 경우, 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 이용하실 수 있습니다. 626-574-3582

(TTY: 1-626-574-3799 )번으로 전화해 주십시오.

Daisy Award Winners—Recognizing Extraordinary Nurses

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 of ITP, an auto-immune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created this national award to say thank you to nurses everywhere.

Anyone can nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award. The DAISY Award committee selects one nurse who exemplifies the following characteristics:

• Established a special connection with a patient/family
• Has significantly made a difference in the life of a patient
• Shows empathy in all situations
• Is an outstanding role model for the nursing profession
• Generates enthusiasm and energy towards meeting the challenges of nursing
• Consistently exhibits excellent interpersonal skills
• Exemplifies the essence of professional nursing in all activities

Each winner receives a nominee pin, a DAISY Award recipient pin, a Healer’s Touch—hand-carved statue—and an award certificate. In addition, the selected nurse’s unit receives a banner to post for the month and freshly baked cinnamon rolls for everyone on the day the award is presented.

How To Nominate A Nurse

Anyone may nominate a deserving nurse by filling out the online form or a paper form located at one of our DAISY Award collection boxes located throughout the hospital. For questions about the DAISY Award at Methodist Hospital, please call the Nursing Administration office.

Spiritual Care

The Chaplain is a member of the health care team and assists staff in understanding the patient’s spiritual and cultural needs as part of their care plan. The Chaplain provides a listening ear to patients, family, and staff. Chaplains can be a liaison between the patient, the patient’s families and the staff. Our USC Arcadia Chaplains are sensitive to the diversity and listens, comforts, encourages and prays for the patient in ways that help them draw upon their spiritual resources for coping and healing.

Chaplains are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Any specific religious/spiritual requests such as a Catholic Priest or a specific faith practitioner is made through the Spiritual Care Department or the Chaplain on-call.

The Spiritual Care staff includes student chaplains who are doing their clinical work at USC Arcadia Hospital in preparation for professional ministry. These students are seminary students who come from around the world to take part in this accredited Clinical Pastoral Education program. In combination with staff the students help provide the hospital with a multi-faith and multi-cultural chaplaincy staff.

The Hospital’s Interfaith Chapel and the Healing Garden are located on the first floor near the back door of the hospital. The Chapel is always open for reflection, meditation, and prayer.

The Spiritual Care Department provides a meditation channel for patients and their families. It is shown on Channel 6 on the TV in the patient rooms.

For more information please contact our Spiritual Care Department at 626-574-3433.

Health Ministry Program

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Health Ministry Program

Health Ministries

USC Arcadia Hospital’s Health Ministries (Parish Nurse) Program develops and supports holistic health programs in faith communities. The program is designed to enhance the ability of faith communities to promote health – body, mind and spirit – to individuals, families, groups, and the community. USC Arcadia Hospital provides education, information, and resources in the areas of disease prevention and wellness promotion to improve the health of our community.

How does the Health Ministries Program Work?

USC Arcadia Hospital helps each interested faith community establish a health cabinet and select a health minister (Parish Nurse). Based on a health needs assessment of each faith community, an individualized program is developed to care for the “whole” person. The parish nurse does not provide “hands-on” care. Their roles include education, health counseling, referral, training of volunteers, providing for health screenings, and translating the relationship between faith and health.

USC Arcadia Hospital’s Commitment

• As a healthcare leader, provide assistance and consultation in organizing health cabinets/ministries
• Offer training and ongoing education for clergy, parish nurses, health cabinet members and faith community members
• Provide resources and written materials to support the health ministries program
• Provide referrals to healthcare providers and community resources
• Assist with coordination of health education, health fairs, screening programs and immunization clinics

The Faith Community’s Commitment

• As a healthcare leader, provide assistance and consultation in organizing health cabinets/ministries.
• Offer training and ongoing education for clergy, parish nurses, health cabinet members and faith community members.
• Provide resources and written materials to support the health ministry’s program.
• Provide referrals to healthcare providers and community resources
• Assist with coordination of health education, health fairs, screening programs and immunization clinics.

The Faith Community’s Commitment

• Establish a health cabinet, composed of community members interested in maintaining the health of their faith community, to develop, direct and oversee the health ministry’s program.
• Select a Parish Nurse in collaboration with the hospital and health cabinet, to coordinate the program, conduct the needs assessment and provide health education.
• Provide adequate office space for the Parish Nurse and volunteers to work.

The Program’s Benefits

The Health Ministries Program enhances understanding of the body and spirit connection through:

• Education programs to promote a healthy lifestyle.
• Support groups to address specific health issues.
• Links to other health and community resources.
• Health screenings, immunizations and counseling.
• Training of volunteers for home visitation.

For more information please contact our Spiritual Care Department at 626-574-3433.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

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Chaplaincy Programs in California

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

What is Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)?

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is interfaith professional education for ministry which brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. Out of intense involvement with people in need, and feedback from peers and teachers, students develop an awareness of themselves as persons and of the needs of those to whom they minister. Through reflection on specific human situations, they deepen their understanding of ministry. Within the interdisciplinary team process of helping people in need, they develop skills in interpersonal and professional relationships.

Clinical Pastoral Education includes:

• Spiritual Formation and Integration– focusing on personal and pastoral identity issues in learning and ministry.
• Awareness of Self and Others – includes learning about oneself and developing greater awareness of the experiences and values of others.
• Relational Dynamics – Spiritual care and education require empathy and healthy relational boundaries grounded in warmheartedness for self and others. Empathy includes caring about and taking the perspective of others’ experiences, values, beliefs, and practices. Healthy relational boundaries include respect for differences in spirituality.
• Pastoral Reflection – reflecting on oneself as a person and spiritual caregiver in relationship to others in crisis, the Educator, and peer group members, as well as the curriculum and institutional setting.
• Pastoral Competence – deepening competence in spiritual care skills and knowledge of faith traditions, human personality, development and behavior.
• Spiritual Care Interventions – Understanding one’s role and the power and authority embedded within it are essential to providing spiritual care interventions. Learning practical communication styles and skills are necessary to develop spiritual care relationships.
• Professional Development – Professional Development in the CPE process includes engaging the Clinical Method of Learning, abiding by Ethical Practice and Professionalism, growing through Consultation and Feedback, investing in Teamwork and Collaboration, and becoming Research literate.

The essential elements of CPE include:

• Spiritual care with people in crisis
• Learning through action and reflection
• An individualized contract for learning
• Written reflection and evaluation.
• Peers in a shared learning experience
• Individual and group supervision

What does CPE prepare a person to do?

CPE may be a component of one’s preparation for ministry within a religious community, chaplaincy, lay ministry, teaching, health ministry and counseling. Some students, after completing several units of CPE, choose to enroll in Educator CPE, working toward certification as an Educator.

USC Arcadia Hospital is accredited to offer Level I and Level II and Education CPE by ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education. ACPE, is an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

ACPE may be contacted at:

We Work, Floor 4
120 West Trinity Place
Decatur, GA 30030
404-320-1472
http://www.acpe.edu

The USC Arcadia community is culturally and religiously diverse. Our chaplains practice cultural humility with respect to the social locations and faith traditions of their patients, even as they develop a deeper understanding of their own faith and cultural uniqueness.

Full-Time CPE units are offered quarterly. Students meet Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. and have on-call duties on evenings and weekends.

Extended CPE units are offered in the fall and early spring, students may enroll for 22-week units which involve approximately 20 hours per week education and spiritual care visitation. Usually, these units meet on Thursdays for educational components and on the weekend days for service in the hospital.

CPE interns are not eligible for stipends, housing, or meal tickets.

Education CPE units are available to a limited number of qualified applicants as positions become open. Educator CPE entails a full-time commitment over several years. Requirements for admission into Educator CPE include sufficient ministry experience to demonstrate pastoral competence, the successful completion of Level II outcomes (usually four or more units of CPE), and membership in the ACPE. Educator Candidates are eligible for yearly stipends plus health benefits.

Admission to CPE

Our center is committed to giving fair and thorough consideration to all qualified applicants and to enhancing the educational experience by selecting students with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We select students who are seminarians, clergy and laypersons according to aptitude for learning, capacity for self-reflection and potential for ministry without regard to age, gender, race, national origin, disability, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. Successful applicants generally have completed at least one year of graduate theological education or specialized training in their particular faith traditions.

Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2023-2024

Dates Tuition

2023 Fall Fulltime Unit
Tuition: $750
September 25 – December 15, 2023

2023 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
September.28, 2023 – March. 14, 2024
(Thursdays & Weekends)

Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2024-2025

2024 Winter Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
January 3 – March 15, 2024

2024 Spring Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
April1 – June 21, 2024

2024 Spring/Summer Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
March 28 – September 5, 2024
(Thursdays & Weekends)

2024 Summer Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
July 1 – September 20, 2024

2024 Fall Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750
September 30th 2024 – December 20, 2024

2024 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900
September 19th 2024 – March 12, 2025
(Thursdays & Weekends)

Clinical Pastoral Education Schedule 2025-2026

2025 Winter Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
January 6^th 2025 – March 28^th 2025

2025 Spring Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
April 2^th 2025 – June 20^th 2025

2025 Spring/Summer Extended Unit
Tuition: $900.00
March 20^th 2025 – September 4^th 2025

2025 Summer Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
June 25^th 2025 – September 12^th 2025

2025 Fall Full-Time Unit
Tuition: $750.00
September 17th 2025 – December 5, 2025

2025 Fall/Winter Extended Unit
Tuition: $900.00
September 18^th 2025 – March 12^th 2026

Full-Time CPE hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and overnight on-call on evenings, weekends and holidays, as assigned.

Apply Early! CPE Program information and application material is available here.

The application fee is $50.

You can E-mail the application to spiritualcare@med.usc.edu or mail with your application fee to:
USC Arcadia Hospital – Spiritual Care Dept.
300 W. Huntington Drive
Arcadia, CA 91007

Clinical Pastoral Education Faculty

The Rev. Brenda Simonds
Director, Spiritual Care
ACPE Certified Educator
Brenda.simonds@med.usc.edu
(626)574-3715

The Rev. Stephen Wilson
Manager, Spiritual Care Department
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate
Stephen.wilson@med.usc.edu
(626)898-8195

The Rev. Bruce Whyte
Supervisor, Pastoral Education
ACPE Certified Educator Candidate
Bruce.whyteIV@med.usc.edu
(626)898-8815

Deacon Guido Zamalloa
Catholic Chaplain
Guido.zamalloa@med.usc.edu
(626)898-8332

Janet Muller
Spiritual Care Coordinator
Janet.muller@med.usc.edu

mailto:spiritualcare@uscarcadiahospital.edu

For more information please contact our Spiritual Care Department at

626-574-3433.

Bioethics & Ethical Dilemmas

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Bioethics in Healthcare

Bioethics & Ethical Dilemmas

Sometimes making the right decision in the face of serious illness can be complicated. When there is uncertainty or disagreement, the Bioethics Committee can help.

The Bioethics Committee is a group of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, other staff members and members of the community who are available to help patients, families, doctors and other health care provides when they face difficult ethical decisions.

The Bioethics committee meets free of charge to provide a safe, supportive, confidential forum in which you and others can think through a problem, consider different points of view and sort through options. Every attempt is made to involve key members of the health care team as well as the patient and family, as appropriate, in the process. After discussing the ethical issues at stake, the Bioethics Committee offers advice in the form of a nonbinding recommendation. It is then up to those involved to decide what to do next.

Before you contact the Bioethics committee, it is recommended that you first speak with those involved in your health care situation, and that you use all available resources in the hospital to try to resolve the problem or dilemma.

Often, meeting with the patient, family members, physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, patient representatives, and other members of the hospital staff can help those involved come to an agreement. If what should be done is still unclear, you may contact the Bioethics committee. A Bioethics request can be initiated by any hospital staff, patient or patient family member.

What is an Ethical Dilemma?

Ethical dilemmas may arise for patients, family members, medical staff members and physicians alike.

Some of the issues surrounding problems for which ethics consultation may be requested include:

• Advance directives
• Surrogate decision making
• Refusal of treatment
• Conflicts with caregivers
• Foregoing life-sustaining treatment
• Do Not Resuscitation orders
• Futile Care determination
• Other issues perceived as ethical problems

Examples of ethical dilemmas may include the following:

• Your critically ill family member is in the hospital, and the doctors and nurses are turning to you to make medical decisions on the patient’s behalf. You don’t know how to decide what to do and could use some guidance.
• You are a patient and are concerned that you may become too sick to speak for yourself. You are uneasy about who will make medical decisions on your behalf, and whether your wishes will be followed. You wonder, “What if they disagree about what I would want, or what would be best for me?”
• You are part of the healthcare team, and your patient comes from a culture in which it is considered wrong to tell patients that they are dying. You’re unclear how to respond to a family’s request to conceal the truth from a dying patient.
• You are a physician, and some may think it is time to withdraw life support and let nature take its course, yet the dying patient’s family insists that you “do everything possible” to keep the patient alive. You’re unclear how to solve this problem and worry that “doing everything” might cause the patient pain and discomfort without offering any benefit.

Advance Directives

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Advance Directives

What are Advance Directives?

• Advance directives are documents such as the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and Living Wills that allow the patient to give healthcare providers direction regarding their wishes regarding their medical care at end of life, should the capacity to make decisions be lost due to coma, dementia, or inability to communicate due to terminal illness. While all advance directives are helpful, only advance directives that indicate a decision-making surrogate and follow state prescribed signatures or notarization are legally binding in the State of California.
• Advance directives are completed by patients in consultation with their health care providers, family members, and significant others.
• How do I obtain an Advance Directive?
• You may download a form through the California Hospital Association and follow the directions in the form. If you are a patient in the hospital, we would be happy to provide you a free copy of the form and answer any questions you may have regarding the form and give you any assistance you may need in filling out the form. To receive a form please let your nurse know that you would like information about Advance Directives.
• Access the California Hospital Association Form here

Patient Visitation Guidelines

Please review this general information on our hospital visitation guidelines. The full Hospital Visitation Policy is available by clicking the hot button below.

• General visiting hours are 8 am to 8 pm daily.

• The Emergency Department entrance will remain open 24 hours a day.

• USC Arcadia Hospital observes “Rest Time” from 2 to 4 pm daily to allow patients to rest and heal. During this time, visitors may be asked to leave to allow patients this rest time.

• All visitors must check in and receive a visitor’s pass upon entrance to the hospital which indicates the visitor’s destination.

• Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to visit (unless facilitated by management, social worker, or spiritual care). Minors must be under direct supervision of an adult at all times and must comply with the behavioral guidelines that are provided when an exception is made.

• Patients in Critical Care Units (CCU) may have up to 2 visitors at a time in the patient’s room for 15 minutes at a time. Visitors will be asked to exit the CCU for patient privacy during patient care activities and at shift change (7:00 am – 8:00 am and 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm).

• Labor and Delivery patients may have unlimited visitors in the waiting area, but may have only 2 visitors at a time in the patient’s room if laboring, only 2 visitors at a time if outpatient, and only 1 visitor in the operating room during a procedure and PACU. If a doula is present, please check with staff if a second visitor is permitted.

• Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) patients may only have 2 visitors at a time in the patients’ room.

• Visitors will be asked to exit the NICU at shift change (6:30 am-7:30 am and 6:30 pm-7:30 pm).

• Visitors must comply with Codes of Conduct and Infection Control Practices as directed by the hospital. If the patient is positive for COVID-19, isolation precautions will be followed as required, but visitation is no longer prohibited.

• The Hospital Reserves the right to revoke visitation privileges for failure to comply with visitation guidelines or at the request of the patient or legally designated decision-maker.

To view the entire Visitation Policy, please click here

Take charge of your healthcare by accessing your health information through our Patient Portal

You have the ability to view your health information from a desktop computer or download the Follow My Health app from the App Store or Google Play store as it is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. We have conveniently provided the links to both on our patient portal login in page.

You can access your Patient Portal account a couple of ways:

1. If you provided an email address during your visit simply click the link in your email to create your account.
2. If you did not provide an email address during your visit or you opted out previously and would like to opt back in, visit https://uscarcadiahospital.followmyhealth.com/ to create your account.

Types of information available in your Follow My Health account are:

• Lab Results
• Immunization History
• Medication History

Also, if your provider participates, you can communicate with them via secure messaging.

You also have the ability to use other third-party health applications to manage all of your health information in one central application after you have requested and received it into your FollowMyHealth account. You will be required to authenticate your identity within the third-party health application using your secure FollowMyHealth account. For a current list of available third party health applications that are known to be able to connect to our Electronic Health Record, please visit our website www.uscarcadiahospital.org and click on the “Patients & Visitors” tab.

You can download and print a PDF of this information here – Patient Portal Instructions

Request for Standard Medical Records

Please download the Authorization form below for Release of Protected Health Information from USC Arcadia Hospital. Fax to: 626.898.8855 or Email to: DL-UAH-HIMROIStaff@med.usc.edu

Authorization – English
Authorization – Spanish
Authorization – Chinese

For Nonstandard Electronic Health Information Requests:

To make a paid request to use, access or exchange your electronic health information, please submit the online form here: KECK NON-STANDARD EHI RECORD REQUEST (keckmedicine.org).

If you have any questions about the online form, please contact HIMROIE@med.usc.edu.

Third-Party Application List

The third-party applications on this list have either self-reported that their solution is production-ready for patients to use or, if indicated, have been tested through the certification process with Allscripts, our Electronic Health Record system.

Hospital Price Transparency

At USC Arcadia Hospital, we believe understanding your healthcare options and what it will cost is important. To help you make an informed decision, we have provided the below pricing resources to help you estimate your out-of-pocket costs.

Hospital price transparency helps Americans know the cost of a hospital item or service before receiving it. Starting January 1, 2021, each hospital operating in the United States will be required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide in two ways:

1. As a comprehensive machine-readable file with all items and services.
2. In a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format.

This information will make it easier for consumers to shop and compare prices across hospitals and estimate the cost of care before going to the hospital.

List of Prices and Cost of Services

Download a list of standard charges

Cultural Diversity

Cultural Diversity at USC Arcadia Hospital

To learn more go to:

• AB-1195 Continuing education: cultural and linguistic competency
• AB-241 Implicit bias: continuing education: requirements