Policy Statement

Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 1557, Affordable Care Act

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Association Inc. (“Children’s Hospital”) complies with the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and all requirements imposed pursuant thereto. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency,or physical or mental disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in the provision of any care or service.

Our commitment includes (but is not limited to) the following:

1. Inpatient and outpatient care is provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. All patients receive care without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability.
   
   
2. All patients are assigned to rooms, floors, and the like without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability.
   
   
3. Patients will not be asked if they are willing or desire to share a room with a person based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability.
   
   
4. Employees are assigned to patient services without regard to the race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited
   English proficiency, or physical or mental disability of either the patient, parent/guardian or the employee.
   
   
5. Staff privileges will not be denied to qualified personnel on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability.
   
   
6. All facilities of this institution will be utilized without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability.
   
   
7. Transfer of patients from the rooms assigned and/or selected will not be made based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability. Any patient may request to change the room assigned and/or selected provided that the room requested is readily available.
   
   
8. We provide free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, including qualified sign language interpreters. If you need interpretive services, please notify any staff member or the Care Coordination department at (865) 541-8457.
   
   
9. We provide free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as qualified interpreters and information written in other languages. If you need interpretive services, please notify any staff member or the Care Coordination department at (865) 541-8457.
   
   
10. The nondiscriminatory policy of the institution applies to patients, parents/guardians, physicians and all responsible employees. Under no circumstances will the application of this policy result in the segregation or resegregation of buildings, wings, floors, or rooms for the reasons of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental
    disability.

Questions/concerns?

If you have a specific concern regarding your child's care at East Tennessee Children's Hospital or any of its facilities, you can go to www.etchintegrity.com and share your concerns there. Anonymous reporting is available, if preferred.

You may contact our Office of Patient Experience at (865) 541-8724 or (865) 541-8586. If you still have concerns after speaking with us, you may contact the agencies listed below. If you believe that Children’s Hospital has failed to provide required services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, limited English proficiency, or physical or mental disability, you can file a grievance with the Office of Patient Experience:

• Office of Patient Experience
  East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
  2018 Clinch Avenue
  Knoxville, TN 37916
• Phone: (865) 541-8724 or
• Fax: (865) 541-8778 or
• Email: mkdebolt@etch.com

You can file a grievance in person, by mail, by fax, or by email. You may also contact and/or file a grievance with:

The Tennessee Department of Health
Office of Civil Rights Compliance
Bureau of Licensure and Regulation
665 Mainstream Drive, Second Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
(800) 868-1019 | (800) 537-7697 (TDD)