Patient Family Grievance Policy

Purpose

The following Grievance and Resolution Policy and Procedure have been established to resolve grievances in the following areas:

URGENT GRIEVANCES

• Abuse, neglect, or patient harm
• Violations of patient right & responsibilities
• 24-hour response time

CRITICAL GRIEVANCES

• Concerns around timeliness of services
• Services/supports to be terminated
• Services set in a treatment plan are changed, denied, or reduced in scope without communication to you
• 2-3 business days response time

GENERAL GRIEVANCES

• Customer service regarding administrative or therapist communication
• Applicant is not eligible for services
• 7 business days response time

Definitions

A complaint is defined as a written expression of dissatisfaction by the patient/family regarding care or services provided by Shandy Clinic which directly impacted the patient. Most complaints will have simple solutions that can be promptly addressed and are considered resolved when the patient/family is satisfied with the action taken on their behalf.

A grievance is defined as a formal verbal or written expression of dissatisfaction with some aspect of care or service that has not been resolved to the patient/family’s satisfaction at the point of service. All verbal or written complaints of abuse, neglect, patient harm or the risk of patient harm, a violation of the Patient Rights and Responsibilities, and ethical violations are examples of grievances. A written complaint sent to Shandy Clinic Human Resources Department or any request from a patient/family to treat a complaint like a grievance will be considered a grievance.

Policy Statement

Shandy Clinic is committed to providing quality patient care and promoting patient/family satisfaction. Shandy Clinic Human Resources Department shall handle all patient/family complaints and grievances consistently and in a timely manner. Shandy Clinic HR department shall track and trend complaints and grievances and implement necessary changes and process improvements under the direction of the Quality, Patient Safety and Compliance Committee.

Any patient/family is encouraged to submit a grievance should they feel they’ve witnessed any violation or ethical issue pertaining to patient care. Please complete the following steps to submit a grievance to Shandy Clinic Human Resources Department, so we may review and take necessary actions to rectify these issues. A grievance pertains specifically to violations, actions, or unethical instances relating to patient care, you, or a team member’s personal safety.

• Human Resources Department may share this information on a case by case basis informing additional parties for any needed support.
• A grievance may be escalated to a peer-review process.
• Upon peer review, if an unethical practice or violation has taken place, Shandy Clinic will report to necessary Authorities, Boards or Licensure entities to notate this grievance.

To file a grievance, please complete the form below. Otherwise, please contact your Patient Coordinator (Front Desk) or Clinic Manager/ABA Manager at your respective clinic for assistance with submission.

Client/Family Grievance Policy Instructions

Fill out the grievance form below with information about the event you wish to report.

You are welcome to leave your personal information blank if you wish to remain anonymous. However, if contact information is not provided, we will be unable to follow up with you if we have any questions, information, or resolutions.