Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Patients and their parents or legal guardians are entitled to certain rights at UNM Health. At our facility, you will be:

  • Treated with dignity and respect of your individuality in a safe environment, free of threat and harm and with privacy in treatment
  • Assessed and treated for pain
  • Free from restraints unless they are necessary to keep you safe and when less restrictive methods have not worked

We will keep your medical record and health information private except when used for treatment, billing or hospital business, or when required by law.

For more information, please visit UNM Hospitals Patient Rights & Responsibilities.

Specific Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access qualified interpreter services
  • Express your religious and cultural beliefs as long as the exercise of these beliefs does not harm others or interfere with the medical treatment or the rights of others
  • Get the care you need regardless of your race, creed, age, color, beliefs, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status or ability to pay
  • Request assistance if you are vision and/or hearing impaired

You have the right to:

  • Have a family member, representative or provider notified when you are admitted to the hospital
  • Know the members of your health care team
  • Get information you can understand about your diagnosis and the risks, benefits, prognosis and choices of treatment
  • Get a second opinion
  • Get information about follow-up care when you are discharged
  • Look at your medical records and get copies
  • Get information about being transferred to another doctor at another hospital including the reason for transfer and care offered by the receiving hospital or doctor
  • Get an explanation of your bill and the services provided to you
  • Receive a copy of your Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

You have the right to:

  • Choose whether to participate in a clinical trial
  • Decide who may visit you in the hospital according to hospital policy
  • Participate with the treatment team in making care decisions
  • Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law
  • Sign an advance directive indicating who can make decisions about your care and treatment if you can't communicate your wishes

As many of you may know, the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act is effective in New Mexico as of June 18, 2021. At this time, UNM Health System is not a participating health care entity. UNM Health System is developing a comprehensive plan for taking the steps necessary to implement the infrastructure and systems required under the End-of-Life Options Act, and expects to provide more information on this plan within the next four months.

Como muchos de ustedes saben, la Ley Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options entra en vigor en Nuevo México a partir del 18 de junio, 2021. Por el momento, el Sistema de Salud de UNM no es una entidad del sector de salud que está participando. El Sistema de Salud de UNM está desarrollando un plan integral para tomar los pasos necesarios para implementar la infraestructura y los sistemas que se requieren bajo la Ley End-of-Life Options. Esperamos proveer más información sobre este plan dentro

Như nhiều người trong số các quý vị có thể biết, Đạo luật về các Lựa chọn Cuối đời của Elizabeth Whitefield có hiệu lực ở New Mexico kể từ ngày 18 tháng 6 năm 2021. Tại thời điểm này. Hệ thống Y tế UNM chưa tiến hành hay áp dụng đạo luật này. Hệ thống Y tế UNM đang phát triển một kế hoạch toàn diện để thực hiện các bước cần thiết để thực hiện cơ sở hạ tầng và hệ thống cần thiết theo Đạo luật Lựa chọn Cuối đời và dự kiến sẽ cung cấp thêm thông tin về kế hoạch này trong vòng 4 tháng tới.

We always welcome questions, concerns and complaints from patients and their families. Your feedback gives us an opportunity to improve our care. You have a right to:

  • File a grievance about a complaint that you haven’t been able to resolve with your provider. You can file by calling:
    • The UNM Cancer Center Quality Manager/Patient Advocate at 505-925-0108 or use our electronic feedback form.
    • The New Mexico Department of Health at 800-752-8649. You can also mail a complaint to: New Mexico Department of Health, Division of Health Improvement, Incident Management, P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502-6110
    • The Joint Commission at 800-994-6610