Advanced Directives

Eastern Connecticut Endoscopy Center respects the right of patients to make informed decisions regarding their care. The Center has adopted the position that an ambulatory surgery center setting is not the most appropriate setting for end of life decisions. Therefore, it is the policy of this surgery center that in the absence of an applicable properly executed Advance Directive, if there is deterioration in the patient’s condition during treatment at the surgery center, the personnel at the center will initiate resuscitative or other stabilizing measures. The patient will be transferred to an acute care hospital, where further treatment decisions will be made.

If the patient has Advance Directives which have been provided to the surgery center that impact resuscitative measures being taken, we will discuss the treatment plan with the patient and his/her physician to determine the appropriate course of action to be taken regarding the patient’s care.

This statement of limitation reflects the policy of the facility and does not address any objections to provision of care for particular patients on the part of individual staff members. In addition, this statement of limitation applies to all patients and procedures performed at the center.

Connecticut laws regarding advanced healthcare directives presented in this policy can be found Connecticut Statutes Title 19a-580. Sec. 19a – 580a: The physician shall act as promptly as practicable and take all reasonable steps to transfer patient to complying physician.