Patients & Visitors

CARING FOR PATIENTS & FAMILIES

We are committed to providing high-quality health care and services to our patients, their families, visitors, and the community. All patients have the right to safe care, quality services, transparency, and privacy as outlined in our Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities and Patient Declaration of Values.

Code of
Conduct

The Code of Conduct and Ethics (Code) sets forth the standards of conduct through which we will achieve the mission and vision of HNDH.

HNDH’s Compliance and Ethics Program promotes adherence to these standards, as well as to applicable laws and regulations and HNDH’s policies and procedures. The Code supports a values-centric culture; sets expectations for individual accountability, transparency, integrity, and service excellence; and mandates a high standard for achieving clinical quality and patient safety.

Each individual must adhere to the standards of the Code and the requirements of the Compliance and Ethics Program in order to foster an environment of collaboration and accomplishment, to promote quality of care, and to preserve public trust and confidence in HNDH. It is essential that any person in a supervisory, management or executive position (Leader) diligently follow and promote the provisions of the Code and the Compliance and Ethics Program and maintain a work environment whereby individuals can comfortably ask questions or raise concerns.

Quality Care & Patient Rights

Standard of Conduct: We are committed to providing high-quality health care and services to our patients, their families, visitors, and the community. All patients have the right to safe care, quality services, transparency, and privacy as outlined in our Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities and Patient Declaration of Values.

For more information, please consult the Code of Conduct & Ethics manual.

Discharge
Information

Your doctor will authorize your discharge from the hospital. You must then leave your room by 11:00 a.m. so that your bed may be made up and your room cleaned and ready for the arrival of the next patient. Check your room thoroughly to make sure nothing is left behind. A member of the staff will accompany you to the Central Reception.

Discharge | Transportation

Make sure you have arranged a ride to take you home as soon as you are released. If you are unable to find someone to drive you home, ask your nurse for information about alternate transportation. If you have any concerns about your discharge, please discuss them with your doctor or the nurse on the unit. Questions regarding your medication should be directed to your physician.

Transfer for treatment | surgery to other hospitals

In some situations, your doctor will have the nurse arrange that you be transferred by ambulance to another hospital if you require treatment and/or surgery which cannot be provided at Hôpital Notre Dame Hospital.

When being sent to an out-of-town hospital, you need to bring the following

  • Health Card (Ministry of Health)
  • Money and/or credit card
  • Travel clothing for trip home (coat, shoes, slacks, etc.)
  • Personal grooming items (toothbrush, comb, housecoat, slippers, etc.)

After your treatment/surgery is completed, you may no longer require hospitalization and will be discharged from the out-of-town hospital by your doctor. It is your responsibility to make travel arrangements home (car, bus, train, commercial air).

Our Health
Professionals

HNDH Hearst

Physicians

Dr. Martin Papineau, Dr. Dr. Bill Fragiskos, Dr. Lianne Gauvin, Dr. Marjolaine Talbot-Lemaire, Dr. Patricia Smith (retired), Dr. René Laflèche (retired), Dr. Denis Lacroix (retired) and Dr. Richard Claveau

Privacy &
Confidentiality

Confidentiality of Personal Health Information

Standard of Conduct: We are committed to honouring our patients’ rights for Protected Health Information under the PHIPA and FIPPA legislation to be kept confidential and will take the appropriate measures to protect the privacy and security of our patients.

For more information, please consult the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) manual.

Patient & Family
Responsibilities

Patients’ Rights & Responsibilities

Hôpital Notre-Dame Hospital (Hearst) is committed to providing quality patient care. In order to achieve this commitment, the hospital identifies your rights and responsibilities as a patient:

Patients’ Right

  1. You have the right to be treated in a respectful manner, considerate of each patient as a whole person, valuing the uniqueness of every individual.
  2. You have a right to the privacy and confidentiality of your health information.
  3. You have a right to receive relevant information and education concerning your condition, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, in a manner which is understandable to you.
  4. You have a right to make decisions about the plan of care prior to and at any time during the course of treatment.
  5. You have the right to a clean, comfortable, safe, and secure environment.
  6. You have the right to be informed of any expenses that will be incurred by hospitalization.
  7. You have the right to expect members of your health care team will communicate with one another in order to ensure coordination of care.
  8. You have the right to express your concerns and to receive a response to your questions.
  9. You have the right to know who your care providers are, and the doctor who is in charge of your treatment.
  10. You have a right to refuse treatment in accordance with the law, and to be informed of the health risks and benefits of this decision.

Patients’ Responsibilities

  1. Provide accurate and complete information about your health to your hospital team members, to help them care for you.
  2. Participate cooperatively in the mutually agreed upon plan of care, to the best of your ability.
  3. Assist in the provision of your care by identifying one spokesperson, with whom the team can communicate, in the event you become incapable.
  4. Tell the hospital team if there is a change in your condition, or if concerns arise during treatment.
  5. Accept responsibility for the consequences of refusing treatment or medical advice.
  6. Be courteous and respectful of other patients, visitors, and all members of your hospital team.
  7. Recognize that the needs of other patients may sometimes be more urgent than your own.
  8. Recognize that providers need not provide any treatment that they consider being medically or ethically inappropriate.
  9. Respect hospital property and comply with hospital regulations and policies.
  10. Make arrangements for discharge, when the physician determines that discharge is appropriate, or accept alternate level of care as appropriate.
  11. Be responsible for all expenses not covered by OHIP or private insurance, during your hospitalization.

Palliative Care
& Services

Hospice palliative care is aimed at relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for persons who are living with, or dying from, advanced illness.

Palliative care is a special kind of health care for individuals and families who are living with a life-limiting illness that is usually at an advanced stage. The goal of palliative care is to provide comfort and dignity for the person living with the illness as well as the best quality of life for both this person and his or her family. A “family” is whoever the person says his or her family is. It may include relatives, partners and friends.

Objectives & Goals

An important objective of palliative care is relief of pain and other symptoms. Palliative care not only meets physical needs, but also meets psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual needs of each person and family. Palliative care may be the main focus of care when a cure for the illness is no longer possible. Palliative care services help people in later life who are ill to live out their remaining time in comfort and dignity.

Quality hospice palliative care neither hastens death nor prolongs life. The goal of hospice palliative care is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. Palliative care services are helpful not only when a person is approaching death but also during the earlier stages of an illness.

The heart of palliative care is compassion. Hôpital Notre-Dame Hospital has a Palliative Care Room that is structured for the comfort of patients, their families and their friends. The room features a private bathroom, homelike décor and furnishings, a quiet location for the use of the patient, family and friends. Overnight accommodation with a Murphy bed and reclining chairs.

Become a Volunteer

Trained volunteers are part of the team, and help to enrich the patient’s quality of life. If you are interested in becoming a palliative care volunteer, you may go to the volunteer section of this website, download the application package, fill out the form and send it to info@hdnh.flywheelsites.com.

Send a Message
to a Patient

Here at the Hôpital Notre-Dame Hospital (Hearst), we know how support from friends and family is important for a patient centered-care during a health crisis. That’s why we offer this new message service to our patients at no extra cost.

How to use our service: Simply complete the form below. All we require is the patient’s name, and room number (if known). As well as your full name so the recipient knows who it came from.

Your message will be printed and delivered to the patient the following business day in a sealed envelope. If the patient is no longer in the hospital, we will not be able to deliver your message and it will be discarded without notification to you. Please note that patients are unable to reply to your message.

Important privacy information:

  • Do not include anything in the message that contains sensitive information.
  • We are unable to confirm the delivery due to patient confidentiality.
  • If the patient is discharge, your message will be disposed securely without notification to you.
  • We cannot list patients and their room number. Please know this information prior to sending your message.

Enter Your Message Here

This message is subject to be handled by staff & volunteers. While confidentiality will be maintained, it cannot be guaranteed.