What rights do my child and I have?
The Medical City Patient Bill of Rights states that patients at Medical City Children's Hospital have the following rights:

• To be informed of your rights, and the rules and regulations governing your conduct while in the hospital.
• To be cared for by health care professionals who have been educated about patient rights and their role in supporting them.
• To receive considerate and respectful care, provided in a safe, secure, nonthreatening environment, and to be free from all forms of abuse (mental, physical, sexual, verbal), neglect, exploitation or harassment.
• To have your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, personal values, beliefs and preferences respected.
• To be cared for in an environment that preserves your dignity and positive self-image.
• To receive pastoral care and other spiritual services as requested.
• To exercise these rights, and receive effective and safe care, treatment or services, which are medically indicated, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, national origin, disability, age or source of payment.
• To interpreter services if you have a speech or hearing impairment, or require language interpretation. You also have the right to reading assistance in order to understand or actively participate in your care. You have the right to have information communicated in a language you understand.
• To have the hospital respond to your request for service, within its capacity, and provide evaluation, service or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case.
• To be transferred to another facility, when medically permissible, as recommended or requested, after being informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives to transfer. The receiving institution must have accepted you for transfer.
• To be involved in all aspects of your care, treatment or service, including, but not limited to, the development and implementation of your plan of care, refusal of such care to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of such actions.
• To appropriate assessment and management of pain.
• To have a family member, a representative of your choice or your own physician be notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
• To know by name the physician responsible for the coordination of your care and the identities of others involved in providing your care.
• To obtain information as to any professional relationships among individuals treating you, as well as the relationship between the hospital and other health care and educational institutions that may influence your care.
• To obtain information in understandable terms regarding your diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and plans for discharge and follow-up care.
• To be informed as soon as possible if your provider is going to be delayed for a scheduled appointment—and to be given the opportunity to reschedule.
• To be free from seclusion or restraints, of any form, which are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
• To formulate an advance directive (such as a Directive to Physicians or Durable Power of Attorney) and appoint a surrogate to make health care choices on your behalf. You have the right to expect that the terms of your directive will be followed to the extent permitted by law and to have provision of care that is not conditioned on the existence of an advance directive.
• To expect care that optimizes the comfort and dignity of the dying patient, including treatment of primary and secondary symptoms that respond to treatment (as desired by the patient or surrogate decision maker), effectively managing pain, and acknowledging the psychosocial and spiritual concerns of the patient and family regarding death and the expression of grief.
• To receive information on the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.
• To participate in decisions regarding ethical issues surrounding your care including issues of conflict resolution, withholding of resuscitation, forgoing or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials. You may ask your nurse or physician to consult the Ethics Committee for resolution of conflicts in decision-making regarding your care and may request to see a copy of the hospital’s policy on ethical issue resolution and code of ethical behavior.
• To receive the necessary information from your physician to allow you to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. Except in emergencies, such information should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the specific procedure and/or treatment, the medically significant risks, benefits and alternatives involved, and the probable duration of incapacitation.
• To be informed of any human experimentation or other research or educational projects that affect your care or treatment—and to consent or refuse to participate. Your refusal to participate or discontinuing participation at any time will not compromise your access to care, treatment or services.
• To have consent obtained prior to recording, photographing or filming, to know how this material will be used and to request cessation of recording, photographing and filming. You have the right to rescind consent for use up until a reasonable time before the recording or film is used.
• To examine and receive an explanation of your bill and to be informed of available payment options. You have the right to timely notice prior to termination of eligibility for reimbursement by any third-party payer for the cost of care.
• To access, request amendment and receive an accounting of disclosures regarding your health information, and to have the information explained or interpreted to you within the limits of the law.
• To expect that all consideration is given to providing for your security and privacy. All communication and records pertaining to your care will be treated as confidential within the limits of the law.
• To have access to protective and advocacy services.
• To express concerns and complaints concerning quality of care issues either verbally or in writing to the supervisor or department manager, nursing staff, medical staff, guest relations or administration. You have the right to a timely response to your concern or complaint and a resolution when possible. The expression of a concern or complaint will not compromise your care or future access to care.
• To report your concerns and complaints directly to state regulatory agencies or The Joint Commission:
  • If your concern is with a doctor, you may call the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners directly at 512-305-7010.
  • If your concern is with the hospital, you may call the Texas Department of Health at 1-800-228-1570.
  • To report your concerns or complaints to The Joint Commission, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail Office of Quality Monitoring, The Joint Commission, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. You can also call 1-800-994-6610 for more information.
• To expect that Medical City Children’s Hospital will meet the requirements of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires program and facility accessibility. Actions alleged to be in violation of this act should be placed in writing and given to an area supervisor. A response will be provided if requested.
• The patient's guardian, next of kin or legally authorized representative shall exercise, to the extent permitted by law, the rights delineated on behalf of the patient if the patient is incompetent, medically incapable, unable to communicate or a minor.
• In addition to the above-listed rights, children, adolescents and their parents and guardians have the following rights:
  • For parents and guardians to be with children and adolescents as much as possible.
  • For the child or adolescent to be considered a unique individual separate from parents or guardians.
  • To be cared for by staff that is knowledgeable in age-specific care.
  • To be in a supportive, secure, nonthreatening environment that promotes growth and development.
  • To cry, make noise or object to anything that hurts the child or adolescent.

What responsibilities do my child and I have?
Patients, parents and guardians, legally authorized representatives and surrogate decision makers have the following responsibilities:

• To provide to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, perceived risks in your care and other matters related to your health.
• To report unexpected changes in your condition to the responsible practitioner.
• To ask your doctor and nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain relief options, to work with your doctor and nurse in developing a pain management plan, to ask for pain relief when pain first begins, to help us measure your pain and to tell us if your pain is not relieved.
• To follow the treatment plan developed with your doctor and other caregivers and express any concerns you have about your ability to follow that plan. The hospital shall make every effort to adapt the plan to your specific needs and limitations. You will be informed of possible consequences of any unapproved changes or noncompliance in following the treatment plan.
• To be responsible for your actions and the medical consequences if care, treatment or services are refused.
• To ask questions and request additional information or clarification when you do not understand your care, treatment or services, or what is expected of you.
• To follow hospital rules and regulations.
• To consider the rights of other patients and personnel of the hospital, and assist in the control of noise, smoking and the number of visitors.
• To respect hospital property and the property of others.
• To participate in those educational and discharge planning activities necessary to ensure you have adequate knowledge and support services necessary to provide you with a safe environment upon discharge from the hospital.
• For fulfilling the financial obligations of your health care.
• To provide the hospital with a copy of your advance directive, if one exists.

Who can obtain information about my child?
We believe your child’s health is a personal matter. Diagnostic and other confidential information will not be released to anyone but you and others you authorize. Relatives or friends who call the hospital will only receive a general condition report. Please tell them to contact you or another family member to inquire about your child’s progress.

Download our Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF)