OAR 309-118-0010: Policy Statement

(1) It is the policy of OSH that the care and treatment of its patients be administered in a manner that preserves their civil and legal rights. OSH will maintain a process for patients and their representatives to resolve informal complaints or grievances concerning the patient’s care, treatment and rights. It is OSH’s policy to encourage all personnel to alert treatment staff concerning any patient’s or their representative’s informal complaint, grievance, or request for review. (2) OSH recognizes the responsibility and authority of other state and federal agencies to receive and review complaints from patients or their representatives. No patient or representative shall be subjected to reprisal by OSH or OSH staff for contacting or seeking review of an informal complaint or grievance under these rules or outside of OSH. (3) A patient or patient’s representative who files an informal complaint or grievance may pursue other remedies, including, but not limited to, filing a grievance directly with the state agency that has licensure survey responsibility over OSH. (4) If the grievance involves an allegation of abuse, the Grievance Committee shall refer the allegation immediately to the agency responsible for investigating patient abuse pursuant to ORS 430.745 and OAR 943-045-0000. (5) Nothing in this section modifies an individual’s mandatory abuse reporting obligations. (6) Nothing in these rules is intended to affect the right of a patient to seek independent redress of grievances by access to state or federal courts.