Advanced Directives

In the State of Florida, all patients have the right to participate in their own healthcare decisions and to make Advance Directives or to execute Power of Attorney that authorize others to make decisions on their behalf, based on the patient’s expressed wishes when the patient is unable to make decisions or unable to communicate decisions. The Surgery Center of Ft. Pierce respects and upholds those rights. However, unlike in an acute care hospital setting, the Surgery Center does not routinely perform “high risk” procedures. Most procedures performed in this facility are considered to be of minimal risk. Of course, no surgery is without risk. You will discuss the specifics of your procedure with your physician who can answer your questions as to its risks, your expected recovery, and care after surgery. Therefore, it is our policy, regardless of the contents of any Advance Directive or instructions from a health care surrogate or attorney-in-fact, that if an adverse event occurs during your treatment at this facility, we will initiate resuscitative or other stabilizing measures and transfer you to an acute care hospital for further evaluation. At the acute care hospital further treatment or withdrawal of treatment measures already begun will be ordered in accordance with the patient’s wishes, Advance Directive or Health Care Power of Attorney. The patient’s agreement with this policy by signature does not revoke or invalidate any current health care directive or health care power of attorney.

Should the patient’s Advance Directive include a non-resuscitation clause, the patient will be informed that the Surgery Center of Ft. Pierce will not honor this request in our Facility and that they will need to sign an Ambulatory Surgery Center Patient Consent To Resuscitative Measures. Without such Advance Directive suspension, the procedure cannot be performed in the Center”.

If the patient does not have an Advance Directive, they will be asked if they would like a brochure. The Center will provide adult individuals, upon request, with written information about their rights under State law to make health care decisions, including the right to accept or refuse treatment and the right to execute Advance Directives. No patient will be discriminated against because of his/her wishes about Advance Directives.