Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute
100 Moccasin Bend Road • Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: 423-265-2271 • Fax: 423-785-3347
To request medical records Fax: 423-785-3399

Protecting Patients' Rights

Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute recognizes the importance of individual worth and dignity and the basic rights of human beings for independence of expression, decision and action. Because people suffering from mental illness and emotional distress are particularly vulnerable to loss of personal dignity and supportive human relationships, and curtailment of personal liberty, the Institute has established a patient rights program to ensure all patients receive considerate care and treatment at all times, with full recognition of their personal dignity.

All patients are entitled to:

1. Impartial access to treatment regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, or source of payment.
2. Written information in simple, non-technical language regarding their medication, competence, appointment of guardians, and commitment.
3. Personal privacy and confidentiality of medical records.
4. A safe and therapeutic environment.
5. Voluntary participation in clinical training programs or in the gathering of data for research.
6. Treatment information in understandable language provided by the treatment team regarding diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information can be made available to a legally authorized individual.
7. Access to visitors and mail.
8. Access to an interpreter when the patient does not share the predominant language of the community or is hearing impaired.
9. Access to private communication with the Patient Rights Advisor.
10. Referral to outside medical services as appropriate.
11. Recommendations for continuing health care following discharge.
12. Information regarding procedures for filing patient complaints.

Complaints may be filed by patients, their families, employees or outside sources. The Patient Rights Advisor evaluates each complaint. Complaints of abuse and/or neglect involving staff and patients are referred to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities investigator assigned to MBMHI. Both the Patient Rights Advisor and the TDMHDD investigator work closely with appropriate supervisors and management staff to ensure that all complaints are promptly resolved. In order to make the staff aware of the importance of safeguarding patient rights at all times, all employees are required to attend an annual training program that reviews the patient rights program, and Institute policies and procedures on patients rights, patient abuse and neglect.

The Institute's Quality Assessment and Improvement Committee reviews statistics on all complaints, and corrective action is taken at its monthly meetings to ensure compliance with the Institute's commitment to protecting patient rights.