Patient Rights

The California Department of Public Health is committed to the delivery of quality health care in California. “Patient Rights” is an integral part of this commitment and includes topics such as nurse-to-patient ratios required by state law; the right of nursing home residents to quality care; how to acquire copies of your personal health information maintained by the California Department of Public Health; and health information privacy addressed in California law (Information Practices Act) and Federal law (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

AB3000 (Wolk) was signed into law by the Governor on August 4, 2008. This new law ensures that when a patient has a completed Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, the form must be honored by all health care providers.

Health Information Privacy

Access to Protected Health Information (PHI)

Information on access to personal records maintained by the Department, including disclosures of personal information and procedures to make changes to your personal information.