Section 200. Patients' rights

A. Each abortion facility shall establish a protocol relating to the rights and responsibilities of patients consistent with the current edition of the Joint Commission Standards of Ambulatory Care. The protocol shall include a process reasonably designed to inform patients of their rights and responsibilities, in a language or manner they understand. Patients shall be given a copy of their rights and responsibilities upon admission.

B. The abortion facility shall establish and maintain complaint handling procedures which specify the:

1. System for logging receipt, investigation, and resolution of complaints; and

2. Format of the written record of the findings of each complaint investigated.

C. The abortion facility shall designate staff responsible for complaint resolution, including:

1. Complaint intake, including acknowledgment of complaints;

2. Investigation of the complaint;

3. Review of the investigation findings and resolution for the complaint; and

4. Notification to the complainant of the proposed resolution within 30 days from the date of receipt of the complaint.

D. Any patient seeking an abortion shall be given a copy of the complaint procedures, in a language or manner she understands, at the time of admission to service.

E. The abortion facility shall provide each patient or her designee with the name, mailing address, and telephone number of the:

1. Abortion facility contact person; and

2. OLC Complaint Unit, including the toll-free complaint hotline number. Patients may submit complaints anonymously to the OLC. The abortion facility shall display a copy of this information in a conspicuous place.

F. The abortion facility shall maintain documentation of all complaints received and the status of each complaint from date of receipt through its final resolution. Records shall be maintained for no less than three years.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 29, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2013.

Statutory Authority

§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-127 of the Code of Virginia.