Becoming a Patient

We’re Here to Care for You

Once you become a patient with us, you have access to leading-edge treatments and an entire team of medical specialists – all working together to provide you the most comprehensive care available.
We consider every one of our employees a “caregiver.” Our physicians, nurses, administrative staff, and volunteers are all guided by our commitment to deliver extraordinary care.

Making An Appointment

We offer a wide range of outpatient primary and specialty medical services. To make an appointment, call 699-1304. Our staff will help connect you to an appropriate physician and guide you through the appointment process. We will help you work with your current medical providers to obtain all pertinent records and coordinate your care.
You may also wish to visit our Physician page to learn more about our specialty providers.

Excellent Care

We are committed to providing excellent care in the most personal, sympathetic, confidential and dignified manner possible.
We make every effort to be responsive to our patients’ and their families’ psycho-social, spiritual and cultural value concerns. We are dedicated to using our resources to help prevent illness, restore and maintain health, and provide support, pain management and comfort when death is inevitable.
We believe that a patient’s rights and responsibilities are an integral part of health care. We endorse the American Hospital Association’s “Patient’s Bill of Rights” which supports the rights and responsibilities of patients.
IMC wants you to know you have rights as a patient, including the right to make decisions about your health care.

Access to Care

You shall be provided impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available and medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, newborn status, handicap or source of payment. If you are disabled, you have the right to request modifications and accommodations of policies, procedures and practices in order to afford you any goods, services, facilities, privileges, accommodations and advantages as a non-disabled patient, unless provision of such modifications would:

1. Fundamentally alter an IMC program,

services, goods, privileges, advantages or accommodations; or
2. Compromise patient care.

Respect and Dignity

You have the right to considerate, respectful care at all times and under all circumstances, with recognition of your individual dignity and personal needs, including the need for privacy in treatment. You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or for your safety or the safety of others. You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.

Privacy and Confidentiality

You have the right to privacy, as manifested by the right to:

Refuse to talk or see anyone not officially connected to IMC, including all visitors or persons officially connected with the Clinic, but who are not directly involved in your care.

Wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.

Be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable privacy.

Expect that any discussion or consultation involving your case will be conducted discreetly and with respect for your privacy rights.

Have your medical record, including all computerized medical information, read only by individuals directly involved in your treatment or in the monitoring and evaluation of your care or charges, unless otherwise requested by you. Other individuals may have access only with your written authorization or that of your legally authorized representative.

Expect all communications and other records pertaining to your care, including source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.

Request a transfer to another room if a patient or visitor is unreasonably disturbing you.

Visitation

You have the right, subject to your consent, to receive the visitors that you designate. These visitors include, but are not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner (including same-sex domestic partner), another family member and/or friend. You have the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time. Visitors will not be restricted or limited or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identify, sexual orientation or disability. In some cases, due to clinical or safety reasons, a limitation on visitation may be necessary. In such cases IMC will discuss this with you and/or a family member.

Communication

You have the right of access to people outside the clinic by means of visitors and by verbal and written communication. When you do not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, you will have access to an interpreter. You have a right to designate persons who are permitted to visit you during your clinic stay. You have the right to have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the clinic.

Identity and Information

You have the right to know the name, function and qualifications of individuals providing service to you, and to know which physician or other practitioner has overall responsibility for your care.

You have the right to obtain, from the practitioner responsible for coordinating your care, complete and current information concerning your diagnosis (to the degree known), course of treatment and any known prognosis for recovery. This information should be communicated in terms you can reasonably be expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give you such information, the information should be made available to a legally authorized individual. You have the right to refuse this information.
You, or any person authorized by law, have a right to access your medical record. You have a right to access, request amendment to, and receive an accounting of disclosures regarding your own health information as permitted under applicable law.
You, or your legally authorized representative, have a right to be informed about the outcomes of care, treatment and services, including unanticipated outcomes.

Research Studies

You may be asked to participate in a research study. Taking part in such studies is your choice. If you decide not to participate, this will not affect the quality of the care you receive. You or your legally authorized representative shall give prior informed consent for your participation in any form of research.

Pain Management

You have the right to appropriate assessment and management of pain.

Consultation

You have the right, at your own request and expense, to consult with a specialist. You have the right to access protective services. Assistance is provided and referrals are made according to law. Resource information is provided upon request.

Refusal of Treatment

You may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. When refusal of treatment by you or your legally authorized representative prevents the provision of appropriate care in accordance with ethical and professional standards, the relationship between you and your health care providers may have to be terminated, after reasonable notice.

Advance Directives

You have the right to formulate Advance Directives and appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on your behalf, to the extent permitted by law. You will receive information about Advance Directives, you will have an opportunity to create an Advance Directive, it will be made part of your permanent medical record, and the terms of your Advance Directive will be followed by the staff, to the extent allowed by law. You will receive care even though you may not have an Advance Directive.

Transfer and Continuity of Care

You will not be transferred to another facility without being given a full explanation for the transfer, without provisions being made for continuing care and without acceptance by the receiving institution.

Clinic Charges

You have a right to examine your bill and receive an explanation of the bill, regardless of your source of payment. You have the right to timely notice prior to termination of your eligibility for reimbursement by any third-party payer.

Patient Responsibilities

Comply with clinic rules, cooperate in your own treatment, provide a complete and accurate medical history,

including current symptoms, medications you are taking, and other matters concerning your health.

Be respectful of other patients, staff and property, and provide required information concerning payment of charges.

Notify your physician or nurse about any unexpected change in your condition that concerns you.

Take part in the development of the treatment plan with your physician and other members of the health care team.

Follow the plan of care unless you have concerns, which at that time need to be expressed. If the plan of care is revised as

result of the concern, you will receive the possible consequences of not carrying out the recommended plan of care.

You are responsible for the outcomes if you do not follow the plan of care.

Pay attention to the care you are receiving.

Don’t be afraid to ask about safety measures the clinic is taking to protect you.

Educate yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing and all your options.

Make sure your health care professional knows your identity before he or she gives any medication or treatment.

Consider asking a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate, to assist you in decisions and ask questions

for you while you are under stress.

Expect health care workers to introduce themselves when they enter your room.

Ask questions when you do not understand what you have been told about your care. If you don’t understand, ask again.

Be considerate of other patients and clinic staff by not making unnecessary noise, smoking or causing distractions.

Do everything to make sure your bills are paid as promptly as possible.