Patient Nondiscrimination

This policy applies to all members of the WhidbeyHealth workforce, including employees, medical staff members, contracted service providers, and volunteers, and to all vendors, representatives, and any other individuals providing services to or on behalf of WhidbeyHealth (“WhidbeyHealth personnel”).

To ensure that all patients and visitors of WhidbeyHealth are treated with equality, in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with applicable state and federal law.

WhidbeyHealth is dedicated to providing services to patients and welcoming visitors in a manner that respects, protects, and promotes patient rights.

• WhidbeyHealth personnel will treat all patients and visitors receiving services from or participating in other programs of WhidbeyHealth Medical Center and its affiliated clinics with equality in a welcoming manner that is free from discrimination based on age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
• WhidbeyHealth personnel will inform patients of the availability of and make reasonable accommodations for patients consistent with federal and state requirements.  For example, language interpretation services will be made available for non-English speaking patients and sign language interpretation will be made available for hearing impaired patients.
• WhidbeyHealth personnel will afford visitation rights to patients free from discrimination based on age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law and will ensure that visitors receive equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.
• Any person who believes that he, she, or another person has been subjected to discrimination which is not permitted by this Policy, may file a complaint using WhidbeyHealth’s complaint and grievance procedure.

WhidbeyHealth has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for the prompt and equitable resolution of grievances alleging any action prohibited by Section 504 and Title II of the ADA, or the Federal regulations implementing these laws. WhidbeyHealth has also adopted an internal complaint and grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of grievances alleging any action prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or the Federal regulations implementing these laws. To file a complaint or grievance or in case of questions, please contact:

WhidbeyHealth Department of Quality
101 N. Main St
Coupeville, WA 98239
360.678.7656, ext. 6304

A member of the Department of Quality will assist patients with complaints and grievances regarding the services provided through WhidbeyHealth.

Our Patient Experience Coordinator can be contacted at:

WhidbeyHealth Medical Center
101 N Main St
Coupeville WA 98239
360-678-7656, ext. 6305

Filing a grievance or complaint with WhidbeyHealth does not prevent the patient from filing a complaint with the Department of Health or the Office of Civil Rights.

Washington State Department of Health
Health Systems Quality Assurance
Complaint Intake
P.O. Box 47857
Olympia, WA 98504-7857
800.633.6828

Region X – Seattle (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2201 Sixth Avenue – M/S: RX-11
Seattle, WA 98121-1831
Voice Phone 800.368.1019
FAX 206.615-2297
TDD 800.537-7697

WhidbeyHealth personnel are prohibited from retaliating against any person who opposes, complains about, or reports discrimination, files a complaint, or cooperates in an investigation of discrimination or other proceeding under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination law.

• WhidbeyHealth Medical Center Corporate Compliance Officer is responsible for coordinating compliance with this Policy, including giving notice to and training all WhidbeyHealth personnel on this Policy.
• WhidbeyHealth personnel will determine eligibility for and provide services, financial aid, and other benefits to all patients in a similar manner, without subjecting any individual to separate or different treatment on the basis of age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
• WhidbeyHealth personnel will provide notices to patients regarding this Nondiscrimination Policy and WhidbeyHealth’s commitment to providing access to and the provision of services in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner.
• At the time patients are notified of their patient rights, WhidbeyHealth personnel will also inform each patient, or the patient’s support person, including the patient’s attorney in fact, when appropriate, of the patient’s visitation rights, including any clinical restriction on those rights, and the patient’s right, subject to the patient’s consent, to receive visitors whom the patient designates, free of discrimination based upon age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.  Such visitors include a spouse, state registered domestic partner (including same-sex state registered domestic partner), another family member, friend, or a legal representative of the patient, such as an attorney-in-fact. WhidbeyHealth personnel will also notify patients of their right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time. WhidbeyHealth personnel will afford such visitors equal visitation privileges consistent with the patient’s preferences.
• Any WhidbeyHealth personnel receiving a patient or visitor discrimination complaint will advise the complaining individual that he or she may report the problem and file a complaint without fear of retaliation.