Our Mission:
It is the mission of the Western Carolina University Health Services to meet the healthcare needs of the academic community and to enhance the physical, psychological, environmental and health education needs of our campus.

Patient Rights:
To be treated with respect, dignity, and consideration of the individual patient's values and beliefs.
To be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, neglect, and exploitation while under the care of the Health Services.
To receive the best care available for your problem, without regard to national origin, race, age, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, or illness.
To know the identity and professional status of individuals providing your care.
To obtain from the provider, to the degree known, information concerning your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
To be informed about the outcomes of your health care, including unanticipated outcomes.
To have your pain assessed, treated and managed appropriately.
To participate in decisions involving your health care and in resolving conflicts about care decisions.
To refuse care, treatment, or services in accordance with law and regulation and to be informed of the medical consequences of such action.
To refuse participation in research studies.
To confidential treatment of disclosures and records, and to approve or refuse the release of such information, except where release is required by law.
To a safe and accessible environment.
To receive an itemized statement of the services provided by the Health Services, and information about fees and payment policies upon request.
To voice concerns and/or recommend changes in policies and services.
To request a referral to another health care provider for a second opinion concerning your health issues.
To be informed of their right to change their provider if other qualified providers are available.

Patient Responsibilities:
To provide, to the best of your ability, accurate and complete information needed to assure your proper evaluation and treatment.
To follow treatment plans recommended by your provider and to ask questions or discuss concerns with the provider when you do not understand or agree with the plan of treatment.
To be respectful and considerate of other patients, the Health Services staff and facility.
To keep appointments reliably and promptly or to notify the Health Services when you are unable to do so.
To fulfill financial obligations for your care in a timely manner.
To be familiar with your health insurance coverage and provide information necessary for appropriate provider referral, if needed.
To be responsible for taking prescribed medications properly and not sharing your medication with others.
To inform the health center of any advance directives/living ill instructions in order for the health center to fulfill the wishes of the patient if an emergency situation were to occur.

CONFIDENTIALITY
All medical contracts and visits are strictly confidential.  We will not release any information about your visit, your medical history, or current health status to any unauthorized individual without your expressed consent.  This includes parents, faculty members, and anyone else who may request information from the UHS without your permission or a court order.

In certain cases of emergency intervention, danger to one’s self or others, or court ordered testimony, state laws and professional ethics may mandate that we release specific information.

Student Workers/Student Clinicals of the UHS sign a Confidentially/Security Agreement and are given a copy of the Computer and Information Usage Agreement.  They also follow the same policies and procedures as the staff of the UHS follow.

The WCU Health Services does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual preference, or marital status.

Patient Grievances

Policy: Patient concerns and grievances should be clarified and resolved at the earliest possible time.  Every effort should be made to resolve matters informally before official grievance procedures are initiated.  All patients are entitled to pursue their grievances without fear, restraint, interference or discrimination.

Procedure: All grievances should be reported to the University Health Services director as soon as a complaint arises.  All names will be kept confidential unless otherwise stated from the health services director.  The University Health Services will adhere to the WCU policy #77 Grievance Policy and Procedures when dealing with a staff complaint from a patient.