Preparing for your visit

General information

• Communicate religious and cultural preferences to your care team.
• Ensure all hospital staff introduce themselves and wear ID badges.
• Care providers must wash hands and check ID bracelets before treatments.
• Ask when to expect test results; follow up if not received.

Medications & nutrition

• Provide a list of medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements.
• Inform staff of allergies to medications, foods, and materials.
• Share dietary restrictions and preferences with your nurse or dietitian.
• Verify medications before taking them, especially if appearance differs from usual.

Surgical procedures

• Inform your doctor and anesthesiologist about allergies and prior anesthesia reactions.
• Clarify the procedure, preparation, and recovery expectations.
• Ask if fasting is required and whether post-surgery transportation is needed.

Rules & regulations for hospital patients

• Provide, to the best of your ability, your medical team with accurate, complete details about past and present illnesses, hospitalizations, surgical procedures, and medications.
• Communicate about the need for pain relief with doctors and nurses. Inform your medical team whenever you experience a change in your condition or a problem with your treatment.
• Let your medical team know if you do not understand your treatment or what you are expected to do.
• Follow the advice and instructions of your doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel concerning your care.
• Understand and accept the consequences of refusing treatment or not following instructions.
• Pay bills promptly or inform the hospital billing department if you cannot pay your bills. If someone else is paying your bills for you, you must inform the hospital who that individual is and how he or she can be contacted.
• Be courteous to the hospital staff and other patients, minimize noise and keep the number of visitors to reasonable levels.
• Do not smoke anywhere in the hospital.
• Do not damage or remove hospital property or the property of other patients.
• Discuss and plan for your post-discharge needs with your medical team early in your hospital stay.

Smoke-Free Policy

Part of our mission as a health care organization is to support health and wellness. By keeping our campuses smoke-free, we demonstrate our commitment to healthy living. Smoking is prohibited on all campuses. Information and tools are available to help you stop smoking or fight the urge while you are here.

• Receive necessary care, respectful treatment, and clear explanations of your condition and options.
• Provide informed consent for non-emergency procedures.
• Refuse medication/treatment and understand the consequences
• Expect proper pain management and only participate in research with consent.

Communication & information

• Know the names/functions of your care team.
• Request a translator or interpreter if needed.
• Access hospital policies, rules, and a summary of patient rights.

Medical records & cost

• Obtain access to your medical records.
• Request an itemized bill and appeal charges.
• Receive assistance with public/private health benefits.

Leaving the hospital 

• Get guidance for post-hospital care.
• Arrange necessary follow-ups before discharge.
• Be informed of transfer reasons and alternatives.

Personal safety

• Be treated with dignity and respect.
• Have secure storage for personal items.
• Be free from abuse and unnecessary restraints.

Privacy & legal rights 

• Maintain physical privacy during care.
• Have confidential medical information protected.
• Receive care without discrimination.

This list of Patient Bill of Rights is an abbreviated summary of the current New Jersey laws and regulations governing the rights of hospital patients. For complete information, consult the NJ Department of Health regulations N.J.A.C. 8:43G-4.1 or Public Law 1989-Chapter 170.

We are committed to maintaining your privacy at all times. 

All services provided to you, including any psychiatric treatment, drug and alcohol treatment, as well as abuse or HIV status, are documented in hospital records, which are hospital property. Every time we need to use or disclose your records, we must provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. When your protected health information is used or disclosed, we are required to abide by the terms of this notice (or other notice in effect at the time of the use or disclosure). Upon request, you may obtain a paper copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices, which goes into detail about how we use or disclose your information.

If you desire further information about your privacy rights, or if you are concerned that your privacy has been violated, or if you disagree with a decision that we made about access to your protected health information, you may contact our Chief Privacy Officer. You may also file written complaints with the Director, Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Upon request, the Privacy Officer will provide you with the correct address for the Director. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint.

You may contact the Chief Privacy Officer at:

Chief Privacy Officer
Atlantic Health System
PO Box 1905
Morristown, NJ 07962
Phone: 973-660-3104