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Patient Relations


Patient Advocacy

Our Pledge

We pledge to extend every effort to make our patients and their families experience at University Hospital at Downstate as comfortable and pleasing as possible. The department of Patient Advocacy is staffed by patient advocates who are available to help with matters concerning hospitalization, answer questions, listen to suggestions, opinions and address many non-medical needs. Patient advocates are available to all inpatients, outpatients, and Emergency Department patients, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00am-6:00pm. Listed below are some of the services patient advocates provide to patients and family.

Our Services

  • Act on behalf of patients in seeking solutions for special needs, problems, or concerns of patients, family members and visitors.
  • Answer any questions you may have about your rights and responsibilities as a hospital patient.
  • Answer questions regarding the Healthcare Proxy Law and offer assistance in formulating a healthcare proxy.
  • Address questions concerning services of the Ethics Committee.
  • Assist in obtaining sign language and foreign language interpreters.
  • Receive your compliments or suggestions about staff and service.
  • Provide information on local accommodations, transportation, parking, maps.
  • Visit while you are in the hospital to ensure a pleasant stay and enhance patient comfort.
  • Provide links to other services within the hospital.

Contact a Patient Advocate

Share a compliment about a staff member of department by writing to the Department of Patient Advocacy.  Compliments are shared with staff and hospital leaders. 

You have the right to contact us when something is wrong too.   You can reach our Department to discuss the nature of your complaint with us.  We will provide an investigation that will include speaking with you and your family, speaking with the persons involved in your complaint, reviewing all appropriate documentation and collaborating on a possible resolution.  You can expect that we will resolve your complaint in a timely manner. 

You also have the right to contact an outside agency to file your complaint.  Or if you prefer, you can contact the New York State Department of Health at 1-800-804-5447 or the Joint Commission at 1-800-994-6610 or via email at complaint@jointcommission.org

We recognize that being ill and in the hospital can be a difficult time for patients and families and assure you of our commitment to offer our assistance should the need arise.  

 

Department of Patient Advocacy
University Hospital at Downstate
Closest Entrance Hospital Lobby
445 Lenox Road Entrance
Room A1- 381
Brooklyn , New York 11203

Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00am-6:00pm (During after hours and weekends, inpatients can call 718-270-2121 and have the nursing supervisor paged)
Phone:  718-270-1111
Email: PatientRelations@downstate.edu