Select Policies

Below you’ll find links to select Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) policies of public interest. They are also posted on the Washington State Department of Health website.

Standards of Conduct: Our Values in Action

These policies cover St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Anthony Hospital, St. Clare Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, St. Michael Medical Center, St. Anne Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital.

It is the policy of VMFH to recognize and respect the rights of all patients. Discrimination in any form is prohibited. Patients receiving any health care services at VMFH shall be informed of these patient rights as well as their responsibilities. It is the policy of VMFH to ensure that the individual’s right to make treatment decisions and to execute Advance Directives are honored.

Admission Notice of Patients Rights and Responsibilities

As a recipient of Federal financial assistance, VMFH is dedicated to providing services to patients and welcoming visitors in a manner that respects, protects, and promotes patient rights. VMFH does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of age, race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical , mental or other disability, citizenship, medical condition, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by VMFH directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which VMFH arranges to carry out its programs and activities.

Notice of Nondiscrimination

VMFH provides high quality health care to everyone in our care, recognizing each person's inherent dignity as a unique expression of life. We value informed consent and all clinicians are supported in disclosing all options with their patients, including interventions not available at our facilities in a non-directive manner with a safe transfer of care when requested. VMFH does not participate in the Washington State Death with Dignity Act at any of our facilities. VMFH provides care to all patients across the lifespan. End of life care is provided to all patients, regardless of their participation under the act, and our clinicians seek to ensure patients are kept as free of pain as possible so that they may die comfortably and with dignity. VMFH honors patient's advance directives, including those that outline a preference to forgo life-sustaining treatments.

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Anne Hospital

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Anthony Hospital

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Clare Hospital

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Elizabeth Hospital

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Francis Hospital

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Joseph Medical Center

Hospital End of Life Services - St. Michael Medical Center

Hospital End of Life Services - Virginia Mason Medical Center

End of Life Policy

VMFH provides high quality health care to everyone in our care, recognizing each person's inherent dignity as a unique expression of life. We value informed consent and all clinicians are supported in disclosing all medically appropriate options with their patients, including interventions not available at our facilities. We do not provide direct abortions or in-vitro fertilization in any of our facilities. When a pregnant patient arrives with a serious pathological condition that puts the their life at risk, our clinicians are supported to pursue operations, treatments and medications within the standard of care that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition even if this indirectly results in the termination of the pregnancy.

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Anne Hospital

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Anthony Hospital

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Clare Hospital

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Elizabeth Hospital

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Francis Hospital

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Joseph Medical Center

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - St. Michael Medical Center

Hospital Reproductive Health Services - Virginia Mason Medical Center

Reproductive Healthcare Policy

The VMFH Financial Assistance Policy (available in multiple languages) applies to uninsured/underinsured patients who come to our facilities for treatment. This policy provides financial relief to patients who qualify based on a comparison of their financial resources and/or income to Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Financial Assistance/Charity Care