NONDISCRIMINATION POLICIES
It is a policy of the Valley Health System to ensure that all patients and visitors are treated with equality, in a welcoming, nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.
Patient Non-Discrimination
It is a policy of the Valley Health System to make its health and medical care facilities and services available to all persons without regard to sex, race, physical or mental handicap or disability, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, age, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran’s status, creed, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including refusal to submit to genetic testing or make available the results of a genetic test), gender, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, nationality, liability for military service, ethnicity, culture, language, socioeconomic status, pregnancy, familial status, perceived disability, diagnosis, ability to pay, source of lawful income or source of payment or any other basis deemed protected under federal, state or local law. Such harassment and discrimination is unlawful and shall not be tolerated.
Equal Visitation and Non-Discrimination
It is a policy of the Valley Health System that in no way will it restrict, limit or otherwise deny access to visitors or support persons, also known as Partners in Care, on the basis of sex, race, physical or mental handicap or disability, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, age, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran’s status, creed, gender, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, nationality, military service, ethnicity, culture, language, socioeconomic status, pregnancy, familial status, perceived disability, source of lawful income or any other basis deemed protected under federal, state or local law. Such harassment and discrimination is unlawful and shall not be tolerated.
A patient has the right to receive the family/guests he or she designates, including but not limited to a spouse, domestic partner (including a same sex partner), partner in a civil union, family member or friend. Visitation may be limited, if necessary to ensure quality of care, safety, and/or confidentiality.
Section 1557 – Notice of Nondiscrimination
Valley Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Valley Health System does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
Valley Health System:
- Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
- Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
If you need these services, contact Joann Selser, Director of Patient Relations.
If you believe that Valley Health System has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:
Joann Selser, Director of Patient Relations
223 N. Van Dien Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-447-8169
Fax- 201-251-3219
Email- [email protected]
You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Joann Selser is available to help you.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)
Complaint forms are available here: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html