Patient Complaints

Patient complaints are a formal, written grievance, and should be filed by a patient, or on behalf of a patient, only when an issue cannot be resolved promptly, or “on-the-spot”, by the present staff.  In order to improve quality of care, patient complaints must be identified and addressed in a timely and efficient manner. Patient complaints will be accepted in writing and will be forwarded to the Operations Manager for investigation and appropriate response. 

The following procedures will be used in receiving and responding to patient complaints:

·                    All formal patient complaints must be submitted in writing to the Manager of Health Center Operations. 

·                    Patient Complaint/Grievance forms are available both in the Health Center waiting area or under the documents section of this web site or by selecting this link: www.ithaca.edu/sacl/healthcenter/docs/PatientComplaints/

·                    Persons who express a desire to file a formal complaint verbally, either in person or via a telephone call, should be instructed to complete and submit a written Patient Complaint/Grievance Form.

·                    The Operations Manager is responsible for bringing the formal written complaint to the Health Center’s Quality Management and Improvement Committee within 30 days for investigation, review, and resolution.

·                    The Quality Management and Improvement Committee is responsible for following-up on all patient complaints and for responses to the patient, department manager and the Executive Committee, as appropriate.

·                    If the patient is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint, he/she may appeal this decision directly to the Executive Committee of the facility.