Our Non-Discrimination Policy

Lower Umpqua Hospital

Non-Discrimination in Admissions Policy for All Units of the District

It is the policy of the Lower Umpqua Hospital District to admit and treat all patients without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, disability, age or financial status. The same requirements for admissions are applied to all patients and patients are assigned within the hospital without regard to any of the above. There is no distinction on eligibility for, or in the manner of providing any patient service rendered by or through the hospital. All facilities of the district are available without distinction to all patients and visitors. All persons or organizations that have occasion either to refer patients for admission or recommend the Lower Umpqua Hospital are advised to do so without regard to any of the above.

Section 504 Notices of Services, Waivers or Consents

The regulation implementing Section 504 requires that an agency/facility "that provides notice concerning benefits or services or written material concerning waivers of rights of consent to treatment shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that qualified disabled persons, including those with impaired sensory or speaking skills, re not denied effective notice because of their disability." (45 C.F.R. §84.52(b))

IT IS NECESSARY TO NOTE EACH AREA OF THE CONSENT, such as:

1. MEDICAL CONSENT:
2. AUTHORIZATION TO DISPENSE MEDICAL INFORMATION:
3. PERSONAL VALUABLES:
4. FINANCIAL AGREEMENT:
5. ASSIGNMENT OF INSURANCE BENEFITS:
6. MEDICARE PATIENT CERTIFICATION AND PAYMENT REQUEST:

Note: Materials will be read to vision impaired patients. Sign language interpretation will be provided for hearing impaired patients without charge, as needed.

Section 504 Grievance Procedure

Lower Umpqua Hospital has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations (45 C.F.R. Part 84), implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 Y.U.S.C. 794). Section 504 states, in part, that "no otherwise qualified disabled individual…shall solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…" The law and regulation may be examined in the office of Noel Aasen, Administrator, 600 Ranch Road, Reedsport, OR, 97467, and (541) 271-6000.

Procedure:

1. A complaint should be in writing, contain the name and address of the person filing it, and briefly describe the discriminatory act.
2. A complaint should be filed with the person named above within 30 days after the person filing the complaint becomes aware of the alleged discriminatory act.
3. The Administrator, or designee, will investigate the complaint. The investigation will be informal but thorough, affording all interested persons and their representatives an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint.
4. The Administrator shall issue a written decision determining the validity of the complaint no later than 30 days after its filing.
5. The Administrator shall maintain the files and records relating to all complaints filed.
6. An individual who files a complaint may pursue other remedies. This includes filing with:

These rules shall be liberally construed to protect the substantial rights of interested persons to meet appropriate due process standards and assure Lower Umpqua Hospital's compliance with Section 504 and the regulations.