Patient Information

As a patient, it’s a good idea to educate yourself about your rights and responsibilities. As always, our staff is available to answer any questions you may have.

Our Ethical and Religious Directives

At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Our hospitals, outpatient centers and other care facilities are open to persons of every faith and ethnic background. Thank you for entrusting us with your care.

Living Will and Power of Attorney

In the event that you cannot make medical decisions for yourself, it is important to have these legal documents prepared, so your loved ones can follow your wishes.

Living Will Form

Durable Power of Attorney Form

Patient discounts and financial assistance

We offer discounts and other financial assistance for medically necessary services. To be eligible for this assistance, you must submit the necessary documents and meet established qualifications.

For more information or to obtain an application

Visit our financial assistance page or call the Franciscan Regional Business Office at 253-396-6700. All inquiries are treated with respect and in confidence.

Third-party coverage

We also provide help in obtaining payment from third parties such as Medicare and Medicaid. If you are eligible for Medicaid, but you are not currently signed up, we can help you apply.

Service animals

Individuals with disabilities have a right to be accompanied by a trained service animal or dog guide, have reasonable accommodations and be able to access non-sterile and non-medically regulated patient and visitor areas.

Patient visitation rights

Patients of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health enjoy visitation privileges consistent with the patient preference and subject to the hospital's Justified Clinical Restrictions. Each patient has the right to receive the visitors whom he/ she designates and may designate a support person to exercise the patient's visitation rights on his/ her behalf. All visitors designated by the patient (or support person where appropriate) shall enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family member would enjoy. The designation of a support person does not extend to the medical decision making.

The hospital may impose clinically necessary or reasonable restrictions or limitations on patient visitation when necessary to respect all other patient rights and to provide safe care to patients. A justified Clinical Restriction may include, but need not be limited to one or more of the following: (i) a court order limiting or restraining contact; (ii) behavior resenting a direct risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff, or others in the immediate environment; (iii) behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit; (iv) reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time; (v) patient's risk of infection by the visitor; (vi) visitor's risk of infection by the patient; (vii) extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak; (viii) substance abuse treatment protocols requiring restricted visitation; (ix) patient's need for privacy or rest; (x) need for privacy or rest by another individual in the patient's shared room; or (xi) when the patient is undergoing clinical intervention or procedure and the treating health care professional believes it is in the patient's best interest to limit visitation during the clinical intervention or procedure.

Patient satisfaction questionnaire

We constantly measure our patients’ satisfaction with the medical care and services they receive. We also seek ways to improve how we meet your expectations.

As a patient or former patient, you may be asked to respond to a questionnaire designed to gauge your level of satisfaction with our hospital and the care it provided you. We hope you will take the few minutes to complete the survey. Your comments are important to us. Customer satisfaction is one of our top priorities.

Patient concerns

If you want to discuss your health care experience with us, please call the CHI Customer Concern Line at 1-877-426-4701. Our Patient Advocates are available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Voicemails will be returned within one business day.

If you believe your rights aren’t being respected or you’re displeased with how you’re treated, as a patient you have the right:

• To register a complaint with any staff member and get a prompt response from management
• To speak with management directly about your concerns
• To initiate a formal grievance

Contact us

Contact any of our hospitals with location-specific questions.

St. Anne Hospital
206-244-9970

St. Anthony Hospital
253-530-2000

St. Clare Hospital
253-985-1711

St. Elizabeth Hospital
360-802-8800

St. Francis Hospital
253-835-8100 (King County)
253-944-8100 (Pierce County)

St. Joseph Medical Center
253-426-4101

St. Michael Medical Center
564-240-1000