§ 23-17-19.3 - Patients' visitation rights.
SECTION 23-17-19.3
§ 23-17-19.3 Patients' visitation rights.– (a) All health care providers as licensed under the provisions of chapter 29 or37 of title 5 and all health care facilities as defined in § 23-17-2(6)shall be required to note in their patients' permanent medical records the nameof individual(s) not legally related by blood or marriage to the patient whothe patient wishes to be considered as immediate family member(s), for thepurpose of granting extended visitation rights to the individual(s), so theindividual(s) may visit the patient while he or she is receiving inpatienthealth care services in a health care facility.
(b) A patient choosing to designate individual(s) asimmediate family members for the purpose of extending visitation rights maychoose up to five (5) individuals and do so either verbally or in writing. Thisdesignation shall be made only by the patient and can be initiated and/orrescinded by the patient at any time, either prior to, during, or subsequent toan inpatient stay at the health care facility.
(c) The full names of designated individual(s), along withtheir relationship to the patient, shall be recorded in the patient's permanentmedical records, both at the inpatient health care facility and with thepatient's primary care physician.
(d) In the event the patient has not had the opportunity tohave this designation recorded in his or her medical records, a signedstatement in the patient's own handwriting attesting to the designation of theindividual(s) as an immediate family member for the purpose of extendingvisitation rights during the provision of health care services in an inpatienthealth care facility, along with their relationship to the individual(s) shallmeet all the requirements of this chapter. The patient's signature on a signedstatement shall be witnessed by two (2) individuals, neither of whom can be thedesignated individual(s). In the event a signed statement is not available,those designated as agents on a durable power of attorney for health care formshall be allowed visitation privileges.
(e) This chapter shall not be construed to prohibit legallyrecognized members of the patient's family from visiting the patient if theyhave not been so designated through the provisions of this chapter. No patientshall be required to designate individual(s) under the provisions of thischapter.