About Your Special Needs
Each hospital must make staff available to explain or answer questions about your rights and to provide information on how you can protect those rights.
- If you are hearing or vision impaired, or if English is not your first language, skilled interpreters must be provided to assist you. Translations and/or transcriptions of important hospital forms, instructions and information must be provided to you if you feel you need them.
But you must speak up and ask questions.
You can contact a patient representative before you enter the hospital to be sure your special arrangements are made when you get there.
- If you have a question about any of the information in this booklet or feel that your needs have not been adequately met, ask the patient representative or other hospital staff person for further explanation or contact the New York State Department of Health.