All Evergreen Health locations, the Pride Center of WNY and Community Access Services will close at 12pm Tuesday, December 24, and will remain closed Wednesday, December 25. We will reopen Thursday, December 26 for regular business hours.

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Non-Discrimination and Accessibility

APPLICABILITY

Applies to EHS, Inc. and its affiliates’ (Pride Center of Western New York, Inc., and Community Access Services of WNY, Inc. collectively “Affiliates”) (hereinafter referred to as “Evergreen Health”), board members, employees, and independent contractors, interns and volunteers (hereinafter referred to as “personnel”)

PURPOSE

To ensure that all patients of Evergreen Health are treated with equality, in a welcoming, non-discriminatory manner, consistent with applicable state and federal law.

POLICY

Evergreen Health provides services to patients in a manner that respects, protects, and promotes patient rights.

Evergreen Health will treat all patients and visitors accessing services or participating in other programs of Evergreen Health and its affiliates with equity and in a manner that is free from discrimination based on age, citizenship, color, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender expression, gender identity, language, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, source of payment, or other non-medically relevant factor or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.   Evergreen Health assures that no patient will be denied healthcare services due to their inability to pay for such services.  Evergreen Health has implemented a sliding fee program to reduce and/or eliminate financial barriers to care for medically underserved populations.

Evergreen Health provides reasonable accommodations to our patients, consistent with federal and state requirements, such as:

  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Interpretation services for non-English speaking patients
  • Information written in other languages

If you need one of these services, please request assistance from a member of your care team.

Any person who believes they have been subjected to discrimination as outlined in this Policy may file a grievance using Evergreen Health’s grievance procedure.

PROCEDURE 

Evergreen Health is committed to providing the highest quality of care to those we serve.  When a discrimination complaint cannot be resolved within the department, Center or by the Patient Experience Manager, Evergreen Health has adopted an internal grievance procedure.  This procedure provides for the prompt and equitable resolution of grievances alleging any action prohibited by federal regulations.  To file a discrimination grievance or ask questions, please contact:

Bill Dimmig, Corporate Compliance Officer
Evergreen Health
206 South Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY  14201
(716) 844-0520

A member of the Corporate Compliance department will assist patients with grievances regarding the services provided by Evergreen Health and its affiliates.

Filing a discrimination grievance with Evergreen Health does not prevent a patient from filing a grievance with the New York State Department of Health, or the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

Electronically: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf

Mail: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201

Phone: 1.800.368.1019, 800.537.7697 (TDD)

Evergreen Health personnel are prohibited from retaliating against any person who reports discrimination, files a grievance, or cooperates in an investigation of discrimination.