Policies and Legal

Scroll down for a list of policies and notices available via our website.

You can also Learn About Corporate Compliance and our Corporate Responsibility Program

Public Notices

CHOC has always strived to provide safe quality care to our patients.

With the increasing national and public focus on patient safety, CHOC participates in multiple initiatives to remain innovative in protecting our young patients from medical errors.

Among these are the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ (JCAHO) National Patient Safety Goals which CHOC has been observed to be in full compliance with (see JCAHO Quality Check at www.JCAHO.org).

As part of a collaborative of Children’s Hospitals, CHOC participates in Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA) efforts to be well-positioned as a high-reliability organization for patient safety.

Your Privacy Is Important to Us:
CHOC Health System is committed to respecting patient privacy and protecting patient health information.

The following notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

If you do not understand the terms of this Notice, or have any questions, please contact the Privacy Officer at the telephone number listed at the bottom of the notice.

CHOC Notice of Privacy Practices
English | Spanish

We believe everyone deserves special treatment and high quality health care. You and your family have rights and responsibilities under California law. We want you to understand and use these rights and responsibilities. If for any reason you do not understand or you need help, we will provide assistance, including an interpreter.

You and your parent/guardian have the right to:

Considerate and respectful care, and to be made comfortable. You have the right to have your personal values and beliefs respected.  

Have a family member or someone you choose told promptly of your admission into the hospital. Have your own doctor told promptly of your admission into the hospital.  

Know the name of the doctor who will be in charge of your care. Know the names and jobs of all the others that will be seeing you during your hospital stay. 

Be told about your illness, treatment, and possibilities for recovery in the language and words you understand. You have the right to help the doctors make plans for your treatment and how it is to be carried out. You have the right to express your wishes regarding ethical questions that may come up. This may include questions about conflicts and how they will be resolved, withholding CPR and not doing or withdrawing life support treatment. 

Make decisions about your medical care. Receive any information you may need to understand the medical care or tests that will help you give consent for, or refusal for, the treatment or tests. This information will include a description of the treatment, alternate treatments or non-treatments, the possible risks and benefits, and the name of the persons who will provide the treatment or tests. In case of an emergency, medical care will be given before gathering information. 

Ask for or refuse treatment, to the extent permitted by law. However, you do not have the right to demand inappropriate or medically unnecessary treatment or services. You have the right to leave the hospital even against the advice of the doctors to the extent permitted by law. 

Be advised if the hospital/your doctor suggests to take part in or do human experimentation affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to take part in such research projects.  

Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service. 

The patient has the right to appropriate assessment and management of pain. 

To decide about advanced directives. This includes choosing a decision-maker if you can not understand a suggested medical care or tests, or if you are no longer able to communicate your wishes regarding care. All hospital staff must follow the advanced directives. 

Have personal privacy respected. You have the right to ask any one in the room to leave during an examination or discussion about your care or diagnosis. 

Have all communications and records regarding your medical care be treated confidentially. The hospital may release information when permitted or required by law. Except for these circumstances, the hospital will get your written permission to release any information other than basic information. Consultation, examination, treatment and discussions about your care will be conducted in a way that protects and respects you privacy.  

To get information in your medical records within a reasonable amount of time unless the law states otherwise.  

Receive medical care in a safe setting without physical abuse, verbal abuse, or harassment. You have the right to get protective services, including notifying government agencies, of neglect or abuse.  

We will keep your child free from restraints and seclusion except when needed and as provided by law. 

Receive information about all aspects of your care in a timely manner, including the time and location of appointments and the names of the people who will be caring for you. 

Be informed by your doctor, or other caregivers, of continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital. 

Know which hospital rules and policies apply to your behavior while a patient. 

Choose those you wish to have visit, if you a have decision-making capacity, whether the visitor is related by blood or marriage, unless:

  • No visitors are allowed
  • The hospital reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the hospital staff, another visitor to the hospital, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the hospital.
  • You have told the hospital staff that you no longer want a particular person to visit. The hospital may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitors, including restrictions upon the hours visitors may come to the hospital and the number of visitors.  

Have your wishes considered, if you lack decision-making capacity, for the purposes for determining who may visit. The method of the consideration will be disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At a minimum, the hospital shall include any person living in your household.  

Examine and receive an explanation of the hospital’s bill regardless of the source of payment.  

Exercise these rights without regard to sex, economic status, educational background, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or marital status or the source of payment for care. 
File a grievance and/or a complaint with the hospital and/or Department of Health Services and be informed of the action taken.

You and your child have the responsibility to:

 

Participate actively in decisions about care and treatment. 

Treat others with respect and dignity. Respect other’s privacy.

Be considerate of other patients, families and staff and follow hospital ruses about patient, family and visitor conduct. 

Follow the hospital’s rules and restrictions about the number of visitors allowed, when they can visit, and for how long.  

Respect hospital property and the property of others. 

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s treatment or care. 

Know your child’s health care requirements following discharge from the hospital, including follow-up care. 

Be part of your child’s health care team. This means:

  • Providing accurate and complete information about your child’s health;
  • Answering all questions honestly and accurately;
  • Asking questions so that you understand what is happening and why;
  • Following the treatment your child’s doctors and nurses have planned;
  • Telling us about any changes; and
  • Knowing the doctor who is in charge of your child’s care.

Provide accurate and complete information about your family’s health insurance and payments. Pay bills in a timely manner. 

Know your responsibilities regarding your child’s ongoing health needs.

Derechos y Responsabilidades de Los Pacientes Creemos que cada persona merece un trato especial y una atención médica de alta calidad. Bajo las leyes de California, usted y su familia tienen derechos y responsabilidades que deseamos comprendan y ejerzan. Si por alguna razón usted necesita ayuda o no entiende algo, nosotros le proporcionaremos la asistencia necesaria, incluyendo la de un intérprete.

El paciente y/o sus padres/tutor tienen el derecho a:

Recibir atención considerada, respetuosa y a que se le brinde comodidad. También tiene el derecho a que se respeten sus principios éticos y sus creencias. 
    
Que se avise oportunamente de su admisión en el hospital a un familiar o alguna persona a quien usted elija, así como a su médico.  
    
Saber el nombre del médico que estará a cargo de usted/su niño(a). Saber los nombres y las funciones que realizan el resto de las personas que estarán atendiendo a usted/su niño(a) durante su estancia hospitalaria. 
    
Que se le explique sobre su enfermedad, tratamiento y posibilidades de recuperación en el lenguaje y palabras que usted entienda. Usted tiene el derecho de ayudar a los doctores a hacer los planes de tratamiento y la manera en cómo se realizarán; También tiene el derecho de expresar sus deseos en cuanto a preguntas éticas que pudieran surgir, incluyendo preguntas acerca de conflictos y cómo serán resueltos, tal como el negarse a recibir Resucitación cardio-pulmonar y el no darle o retirarle el tratamiento de apoyo vital.  
    
Tomar decisiones en cuanto a su cuidado médico. Recibir cualquier información que necesite para ayudarle a entender todo sobre el cuidado médico y/o los exámenes, y para ayudarle ya sea a consentir o rechazar el tratamiento y/o los exámenes. Esta información incluye una descripción del tratamiento, las alternativas de tratamiento o la opción de no recibir ningún tratamiento, los posibles riesgos y beneficios y el nombre de las personas que proveerán el tratamiento y/o los exámenes. En caso de presentarse una emergencia, usted recibirá atención médica antes de pedir le cualquier información.  
    
Pedir o rechazar el tratamiento, hasta donde lo permita la ley. Sin embargo, usted no tiene el derecho de exigir tratamientos o servicios inapropiados o que sean médicamente innecesarios. Usted tiene el derecho de abandonar el hospital aún en contra del consejo de los doctores, hasta donde lo permita la ley.  
    
Que se le comunique en caso de que el hospital/su médico sugieran que usted tome parte en, o se haga un experimento humano que afecte su cuidado o tratamiento. Usted tiene el derecho de negarse a tomar parte en proyectos de investigación.  
    
Recibir respuestas apropiadas a cualquier petición razonable de servicio que usted haya hecho.  
    
El paciente tiene derecho a una evaluación y un manejo apropiado del dolor.  
    
Decidir a tomar disposiciones por adelantado para su atención médica. Esto incluye la elección de alguien que tome las decisiones por usted en caso de que usted no entienda el tipo de atención médica o los exámenes que le sugieran, o si usted ya no puede comunicar sus deseos en relación a su cuidados médico. Todo el personal del hospital debe seguir sus disposiciones por adelantado.  
    
Que se respete su vida privada. Usted tiene el derecho de pedir a cualquier persona que se encuentre en el cuarto, que salga durante un examen o discusión acerca de su atención o diagnóstico.  
    
Que todas las comunicaciones y expedientes sobre su atención médica se traten en forma confidencial. El hospital puede divulgar su información cuando le sea permitido o requerido por la ley. A excepción de estos casos, el hospital pedirá su permiso por escrito para divulgar cualquir otra información que no sea básica. Las consultas, exámenes, tratamientos y discusiones acerca de su atención médica se harán de tal forma que se proteja y se respete su vida privada.  
    
Conseguir información de su expediente médico dentro de un tiempo razonable, a menos que la ley lo establezca de otra forma.  
    
Recibir atención médica en un ambiente seguro, sin abuso físico, verbal u hostigamiento. Usted tiene el derecho a recibir los servicios de protección, incluyendo la notificación de negligencia o abuso a las agencias gubernamentales respectivas.  
    
Estar libre de restricciones y aislamiento en cualquiera de sus formas, usados como medios de fuerza, disciplina, conveniencia o como represalia por parte del personal. 
    
Recibir información acerca de todos los aspectos de su atención médica en un tiempo razonable, incluyendo la hora y lugar de las citas y los nombres de las personas que le brindarán atención.  
    
Que su médico u otros proveedores de la salud le informen de los requisitos necesarios para continuar con su atención médica después de ser dado de alta del hospital.  
    
Conocer cuáles son los reglamentos y normas del hospital aplicables a su comportamiento durante su hospitalización.  
    
Elegir a las personas que usted desea que lo visiten, si tiene la capacidad de tomar decisiones, ya sea que su visitante tenga parentesco por consanguinidad o por matrimonio, a menos que:

  • No se permitan visitas.
  • El hospital determine en forma razonable que la presencia de un visitante en particular pudiera poner en peligro la salud o seguridad de un paciente, un miembro del personal hospitalario, otro visitante del hospital, o que pudiera afectar en forma significativa el funcionamiento del hospital.
  • Usted le haya dicho al personal del hospital que no desea la presencia de una visita en particular. El hospital puede establecer restricciones razonables en cuanto a las visitas, incluyendo restricciones sobre el horario y el número de visitantes.  

Que se consideren sus deseos, si no tiene la capacidad de decidir, con el tin de determinar quiénes deben visitarlo. El método para dicha consideración se divulga rá en las normas del hospital para las visitas y como mínimo, el hospital incluirá cualquier persona que viva en su casa. 
    
Examinar y recibir una explicación de la cuenta del hospital, independientemente de su fuente de pago.  
    
Ejercer estos derechos sin discriminación de sexo, nivel económico, educación, raza, color, religión, ascendencia, nacionalidad, orientación sexual, estado marital o fuente de recursos para el pago de atención médica.  

Presentar una queja formal o motivo de desacuerdo al hospital y/o al departamento de Servicios de Salud y que se le informe de la acción tomada.  
   

El paciente y/o sus padres/tutor tienen la responsabilidad de:

Participar activamente en las decisiones acerca de su cuidado y tratamiento.    
 
Tratar a los dimás con respeto y dignidad, asi como respetar su vida privada. 
    
Ser considerado con otros pacientes, familias y personal y seguir las reglas del hospital con respecto al paciente, su familia y la conducta del visitante.  
    
Seguir las reglas y restricciones del hospital en cuanto al número de visitantes permitidos, cuándo pueden visitarle y por cuánto tiempo.  
    
Respetar la propiedad del hospital y la de los demás.  
    
Decirnos si tiene algunas preguntas o dudas acerca del tratamiento o atención médica de usted/su niño(a).  
    
Saber los requisitos necesarios para continuar con el cuidado de la salud de su niño(a) después de ser dado de alta del hospital, incluyendo su atención médica subsecuente.  
    
Conocer el plan integral de tratamiento de usted/su niño(a). Esto incluye hacer y acudir a sus citas subsiguientes y conocer los nombres de los doctores de usted/su niño(a).  
    
Ser parte del equipo que lo atiende a usted/su niño(a). Esto quiere decir:

  • Dar la información exacta y completa acerca de la salud de usted/su niño(a);
  • Contestar a todas las preguntas en forma honesta y exacta;
  • Hacer preguntas de tal manera que usted entienda qué es lo que está ocurriendo y por qué;
  • Seguir el tratamiento que los doctores y enfermeras de usted/su niño(a) han planeado;
  • Avisarnos de cualquier cambio; y
  • Saber quién es el doctor que se encuentra a cargo de la atención de usted/su niño(a).  

Dar información exacta y completa acerca del seguro de salud de su familia y de sus pagos. Pagar sus cuentas a tiempo.

Conocer sus responsabilidades acerca de las necesidades de salud de usted/su niño(a).

The compensation of CHOC executives is determined by the Compensation Committee of the CHOC Children's Board of Directors, using outside independent consultants retained by the Board of Directors, as well as legal counsel, as needed. CHOC Management may not be members of this Committee. This independent process considers a number of factors including pay-for-performance and the competitive marketplace and benchmarks from relevant third party peers and sources.
CHOC complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Click here for nondiscrimination statements and language assistance information.

Web Policies

Links to CHOC's site

CHOC.org welcomes links to our Web site, provided that the link complies with this policy. We believe in the utility of hyperlinks, which allow anyone to point directly to content, whether on the same site or an external site. CHOC.org uses hyperlinks to give the visitor easy access to additional information or original source material.

In particular, you should note the following conditions:

  • The CHOC logo is trademarked. Permission must be obtained to reproduce CHOC logos and images in every instance. Visit our Pressroom for information about logo usage.
  • No endorsement of your site by CHOC is to be implied, and this should be expressly stated.
  • Please do not frame CHOC content within your site.
  • Your use of any material from the CHOC website will be subject to the restrictions and disclaimers appearing on the CHOC website.

Linking from CHOC’s site

CHOC’s website contains several pages which have links to other websites. These include sites which may provide useful information to our visitors regarding diagnoses, support groups or certain events. Generally, commercial organizations are not eligible to be linked from the CHOC website except for cause-related marketing activities. It is against CHOC's policy to link to other sites where fundraising activities may conflict with their own.

Reservations

CHOC reserves the right to change these terms at any time and solely at its discretion. CHOC reserves the right, solely at its discretion, to refuse a link or to request removal of your link at any time. It also reserves the right to review your link.

All transactions processed on the CHOC Hospital in Orange/CHOC Children's Online Payment are eligible for a refund if the payee would like to cancel a payment.

To request a cancellation:

Donations & Foundation Event payments - contact the Foundation Department at (714) 509-8690.
Medical billing - contact the Family Payment Center at (714) 509-8600.

Social media is for everyone. It enables us to interact in an unprecedented way with our associates, volunteers, physicians, patients, families, donors and anyone else who is passionate about CHOC and the work we do. We encourage you to be active participants in our online communities. Click here for our social media guidelines.
Icons on this site were obtained from the Noun Project.

About Corporate Compliance and the Corporate Responsibility Program

Here at CHOC, we contribute to a culture of excellence by doing the right thing with pride and whole-heartedness. To assist in achieving the high standards we set for ourselves, a Corporate Responsibility Program (the “Program”) has been developed. The Program reflects CHOC commitment to prevent and detect violations of law and to develop and maintain an organizational culture that encourages ethical conduct and compliance with laws, regulations and standards that govern the healthcare industry. The Program also seeks to provide all Associates of the CHOC organization with education relative to compliance and to promote compliance through written standards of conduct, the sharing of best practices, and the continual improvement of operations relating to compliance.

Compliance Reporting

If you have a compliance related concern to report, please use one of the methods listed below to notify the Corporate Compliance Department. Anonymous reporting is supported by each of these methods.

CHOC Compliance Hotline – (877) 388-8588

CHOC Compliance Hotline email – ComplianceHotline@CHOC.org

Please click here to view CHOC Standards of Conduct