Interpreter Services

Professional Interpreter Services are available. For information, please ask your nurse.

Notary Service

For information, ask your nurse, who will make arrangements as quickly as possible.

Staying in Control

An Advance Directive is a legal document that specifies the care you would want, should you become unable to communicate those wishes to others. If you currently have an Advance Directive, please bring a copy with you upon admission to the hospital. Due to State and Federal regulations, we will ask you if you have completed an Advance Directive and/or signed a Power of Attorney for healthcare matters. You will be offered information about Advance Directives before and after you are admitted. We would be happy to assist you with the forms if you wish. Contact Central Registration at (207) 262-1284 or ask your nurse.

If a patient has not made his/her wishes clear by an Advance Directive, decisions regarding patient care may sometimes rest with the family. In these situations, in addition to advice from physicians, clergy, Pastoral Care or Case Management staffs, a consultation with the Ethics Committee may be helpful to families facing difficult dilemmas. All consultations are confidential and strictly advisory. Please speak to your nurse or contact Pastoral Care at (207) 262-1798 to arrange a consultation.

Patients’ Bill of Rights

We subscribe to the Patients’ Bill of Rights adopted by the American Hospital Association, and believe deeply in the dignity of the individual and the right of all persons to quality health care. You can expect considerate and respectful treatment from us. If you are not satisfied for any reason, please speak immediately to your charge nurse.

Your rights include:

• an active role in your care
• information about treatment and medications
• visitors and telephone calls
• refusal of treatment to the extent provided by law
• privacy and confidentiality of treatment and records
• a response to your reasonable requests
• identification of doctors, nurses and others involved in your care
• knowledge of financial implications of treatment choices
• filing a formal complaint by contacting the Patient Advocate.

We ask that you provide certain information in order to assist us in providing the best healthcare possible:

• the most complete medical history possible
• complete candor about your understanding of instructions regarding your healthcare
• your consideration of other patients
• communication of your needs and wishes to our staff
• all necessary insurance information

For a detailed description of your rights and responsibilities as a patient of St. Joseph Healthcare, click below

Patient Rights and Responsibilities (200k, pdf)

To Request your Medical Records

To request copies of your medical records, please fill out our Authorization to Release Information Form. You may download and print a copy using the link below:

Authorization to release form (200k pdf)

Once you have printed and filled out the form you may either mail or fax it to us:

St Joseph Hospital
Attn: Medical Records-ROI
P.O. Box 403
360 Broadway
Bangor, ME 04401

Fax: (207) 262-1103
Attn: ROI

If you should have questions or need assistance filling out this form please contact us at (207) 262-1377 or (207) 262-1378, or visit our Release of Information office anytime Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We located on the 4th floor of the hospital.

Please note there may be a fee associated with your request depending upon the reason the information is needed. Please contact us for more information.

For more information on your rights under our Privacy Policy with respect to your request for a copy of your medical Record, Click Here.

If you Have a Concern

At St. Joseph Hospital, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality care possible. If you have any concerns about patient care and safety in our hospital which we have not addressed, please contact the hospital’s management. You may contact the Risk Management Department or the Patient Advocacy Office by mail at:

St. Joseph Hospital
PO Box 403
Bangor, ME 04402-0403

Or by telephone:

Risk Management Department: 207-262-1750
Patient Advocacy Office: 207-262-1445

If your concerns cannot be resolved through the hospital, you have the option to contact the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s Office of Quality Monitoring at 1-800-994-6610 or by E-mail: complaint@jointcommission.org