Your Rights and Responsibilities

Revised February 2025

These rights and responsibilities describe how Seattle Children’s Hospital will partner with you and your family to provide expert, family-centered healthcare. You have the right to receive a hard copy of this handout and have it explained to you.

Your Rights and Responsibilities is available in the following languages:

• የእርስዎ መብቶች እና ሃላፊነቶች (Amharic) (PDF)
• حقوقك ومسؤولياتك (Arabic) (PDF)
• Your Rights and Responsibilities (English) (PDF)
• Ваши права и обязанности (Russian) (PDF)
• 您的权利和责任 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
• Derechos y responsabilidades (Spanish) (PDF)
• Quyền và trách nhiệm của quý vị (Vietnamese) (PDF)

Concerns or Feedback

Your feedback is very important to us. We hope you will tell us when we do a good job and when we do not meet your expectations. To do so, you can contact Seattle Children’s Support and Engagement using any of the methods listed below or complete comment cards available at the hospital and clinic locations.

Complaints

You have the right to submit a complaint or grievance about your care or treatment. We will let you know we received your complaint or grievance within 7 to 10 days of receipt and provide an estimated date for a final response. These are the ways you can reach us:

• Speak with a member of your care team in the moment about your concerns. If they are not able to help, ask to speak with a charge nurse or manager.
• Call Seattle Children's Support and Engagement at 206-987-2550.
  • If you’d like to speak to someone in a language other than English, call 866-583-1527, choose your language and ask to be connected to Seattle Children’s Support and Engagement.
  • If you are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf and blind, tell the person helping you that you need an interpreter or call Seattle Children’s Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201 (TTY 206-987-2201).
• Submit online.
• Email [email protected].
• Write to:
  Seattle Children’s Hospital
  Support and Engagement
  MS RB.7.420
  PO Box 5371
  Seattle, WA 98145-5005

Ways to file a complaint outside of Seattle Children’s

You may file a complaint with the Washington State Department of Health:

• General information regarding Health Agencies and Facilities Complaint Process
• Submit online.
• Call 800-633-6828 or 360-236-4700.
• Write to:
  HSQA Complaint Intake
  PO Box 47857
  Olympia, WA 98504-7857
• Email: [email protected].

You may file a complaint with DNV Healthcare, Seattle Children's accrediting organization:

• Submit online.
• Call 866-496-9647.
• Write to:
  Healthcare Complaints
  DNV Healthcare USA Inc.
  1400 Ravello Dr.
  Katy, TX 77449
• Email: [email protected].

Ways to file a complaint about health professionals

• General Information
• Washington State Department of Health (all health professionals)
• Washington Medical Commission (medical doctors [MD] and physician assistants [PA])

Related Patient Rights Policies and Resources

• Admission Access to Seattle Children’s (PDF) (Policy)
• Advance Directives in the State of Washington
  • Advance Directives in the State of Washington (English) (PDF)
    የቅድሚያ መመሪያዎች (Advance Directives) በዋሽንግተን ስቴት (Amharic) (PDF)
  • التوجیھات المسبقة في ولایة واشنطن (Arabic) (PDF)
  • رهنمود پیشکایی (Advance Directives) در ایالت واشنگتن (Dari) (PDF)
  • Peba ko rej Kalikar Kōnaan ko an juon armij ikijen Jibañ in Taktō ilo State eo an Washington (Marshallese) (PDF)
  • Предварительные медицинские распоряжения в штате Вашингтон (Russian) (PDF)
  • 华盛顿州预先指示 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Amarbixinnada Hore ee gudaha Gobolka Washington (Somali) (PDF)
  • Voluntades anticipadas en el estado de Washington (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Завчасні медичні розпорядження у штаті Вашингтон (Ukrainian) (PDF)
  • Hướng dẫn về Chỉ thị Trước ở Tiểu bang Washington (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• End of Life Care Policy (PDF) (DOH - End of Life Policy)
• End of Life Care Services Form (Hospital) - Washington State Department of Health (PDF)
• Help for Abuse Concerns: Protective Services and Advocacy Groups
  • Help for Abuse Concerns: Protective services and advocacy groups (English) (PDF)
  • ለበደል ስጋቶች ያሉ እገዛዎች (Amharic) (PDF)
  • المساعدة بشأن مخاوف الإساءة (Arabic) (PDF)
  • Помощь в случае жестокого обращения (Russian) (PDF)
  • 帮助解决虐待问题 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Caawimaada Loogu Talagalay Walaacyada Xadgudubka (Somali) (PDF)
  • Ayuda para preocupación de abuso (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Trợ giúp lo ngại về lạm dụng (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• Non-Discrimination Policy (PDF) (DOH Non-Discrimination Policy)
• Nondiscrimination and Interpreters Notice
• Notice of Interpretation Services (PDF)
• Notice of Privacy Practices
  • Notice of Privacy Practices (English) (PDF)
  • የግላዊነት ልምዶች ማስታወቂያ (Amharic) (PDF)
  • إشعار ممارسات الخصوصية (Arabic) (PDF)
  • Совместное уведомление о неразглашении частной медицинской информации (Russian) (PDF)
  • 隐私权条款公告 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Ogeysiis Wadareedka Hab-dhaqannada Asturnaanta (Somali) (PDF)
  • Aviso de prácticas de confidencialidad (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Thông Báo Chung về Nguyên Tắc Bảo Vệ Quyền Riêng Tư (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• Reproductive Health Services - Seattle Children's (English) (PDF) (Policy)
• Reproductive Health Services Form (Hospital) - Washington State Department of Health (PDF)

Billing and Financial Assistance

• About Your Bill - Frequently Asked Questions
• Balance Billing
  • Balance Billing (English) (PDF)
  • ያልተጠበቁ የሕክምና ክፍያዎች እና የሂሳብ አከፋፈል በተመለከተ ያላቹ መብቶች እና ጥበቃዎች (Amharic) (PDF)
  • حقوقك وحمایتك ضد الفواتیر الطبیة المفاجئة وفواتیر الرصید (غیر المتوقعة) (Arabic) (PDF)
  • Ваши права и меры защиты от неожиданных медицинских счетов и счетов за остаток суммы (Russian) (PDF)
  • 意外医疗账单和差额计费 — 您享有的权利和保护 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Xuquuqda iyo Dhawritaannada Kaa Difaaca Qaansheegyada Caafimaadka ee Lama Filaanka ah iyo Qaansheegga Baaqiga (Somali) (PDF)
  • Derecho y protección ante facturas médicas sorpresivas y de saldo (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Quyền của bạn để được bảo vệ đối với hóa đơn y tế bất ngờ và hóa đơn tính phí chênh lệch (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• Estimated Charges
  • Estimated Charges (English) (PDF)
  • ግምታዊ ክፍያዎች (Amharic) (PDF)
  • الرسوم المق درة (Arabic) (PDF)
  • Предположительная оплата (Russian) (PDF)
  • 费用估算 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Lacagaha lagu Dallaco ee Qiimaysan (Somali) (PDF)
  • Cargos estimados (Spanish) (PDF)
  • Các chi phí ước tính (Vietnamese) (PDF)
• Financial Assistance (PDF) (DOH Charity Care Policy)
• Learn more about receiving financial assistance

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act Rights

• Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Rights – Seattle Children’s (English) (PDF) 
  • 紧急医疗和分娩权利法 (Simplified Chinese) (PDF)
  • Xeerka Daaweynta Degdegga ah iyo Dhalmada (Somali) (PDF)
  • Ley de Trabajo y Tratamiento Médico de Emergencia (Spanish) (PDF)
• Know Your Rights – Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) (PDF) – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Emergency Room Rights – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services