UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central | Colorado Springs

Memorial Hospital strives to meet patients’ expectations for care and service in a consistent manner. Patients, or their personal representatives, have the right to submit a verbal or written complaint 24 hours a day. Memorial Hospital and its Board of Trustees have approved the following process to assist you with the complaint or grievances process.

If you voice a complaint to a Memorial Hospital staff member, and you are satisfied with the actions taken on your behalf, the complaint is considered resolved.

Filing a Grievance

If your verbal complaint is not promptly resolved to your satisfaction as stated in Step 1, or if you verbalize your request to file a grievance, or submit a written complaint, the complaint will be forwarded to the Memorial Hospital Patient Representative Office. Complaints are received 24 hours a day at 719.365.5621. The Patient Representative will contact the patient within three (3) calendar days to acknowledge that it was received.

Medicare Beneficiaries: If the grievance concerns the quality of care, or premature discharge from the facility, the Patient Representative will immediately refer the grievance to Case Management. At the patient’s request, the grievance will be referred to the Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Committee of the Board of Trustees. Patients also have the right to appeal an impending hospital discharge.

Investigation

The Patient Representative will conduct a quality review of the grievance in collaboration with leadership from the area/unit at Memorial. The Patient Representative will provide you a written response regarding the grievance investigation within seven (7) calendar days from the time the grievance was received.

Appealing the Grievance

If you are dissatisfied with the quality review outcome, at your request, the grievance will be forwarded to the Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or his designee for an appeal review. The CEO or designee will investigate and provide a written response of his/her findings to you within ten (10) calendar days. The Patient Representative will contact you upon receipt of the appeal to acknowledge that it was received.

Referral to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

If you remain dissatisfied with the CEO or designee’s response, at your request, the Patient Representative will forward the grievance and all-related reports to the Department of Public Health and Environment. Information regarding the Department of Public Health and Environment’s investigation will be directly communicated to the patient by the state.

You may also file a grievance directly with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Executive Director, Health Facilities Division, or the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Memorial Hospital is also a Joint Commission-Accredited organization, which means patients may also contact the Joint Commission.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Executive Director Health Facilities Division 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
Phone: 303.692.2800 or 1.800.886.7689, ext. 2800

Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies:
303.894.7855 or 800.886.7675

The Joint Commission
Office of Quality Monitoring One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Toll-free: 1.800.994.6610
Fax: 1-630-792-5636
Email: [email protected]

https://www.jointcommission.org/

For more information on Memorial’s grievance process, please contact the Patient Representative Office at 719.365.5621 or 1400 E. Boulder St., Colorado Springs, CO 80909 or [email protected].

Patient rights and responsibilities