Maryland General Hospital is committed to ethical business practices and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies governing the provision of health care.
Maryland General Health System complies with the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all requirements imposed pursuant thereto, to the end that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in the provision of any care or services.
Specifically the above includes (but is not limited to) the following characteristics:
Client care will be provided on a nondiscriminatory basis: all clients will be admitted and receive care without regard to race, color, or national origin.
All clients will be assigned to services without regard to race, color or national origin.
When applicable, clients will not be asked if they are willing or desire to share a room with person of another race.
Employees will be assigned to client services without regard to race, color, or national origin of either the client or employee.
Staff privileges will not be denied to professionally qualified personnel on the basis of race, color, or national origin of either the client or employee.
All facilities of the program will be utilized without regard to race, color, or national origin.
Language assistance services will be provided as needed.
All staff, employees and contractors will be informed or NONDISCRIMINATORY practices and individual responsibilities.
The nondiscriminatory policy of the facility applies to clients, physicians, contractors and responsible facility employees. Under no circumstances will the application of the policy result in the segregation or re-segregation of buildings, wings, floors, or rooms for the reason of race, color or national origin.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). These organizations and employers include many hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centers and human service programs.
Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services. It defines the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in, and have access to, program benefits and services.
Who Is Protected from Discrimination?
Section 504 protects qualified individuals with disabilities. Under this law, individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. People who have a history of, or who are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, are also covered. Major life activities include caring for one's self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. Some examples of impairments which may substantially limit major life activities, even with the help of medication or aids/devices, are: AIDS, alcoholism, blindness or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, drug addiction, heart disease, and mental illness.
In addition to meeting the above definition, for purposes of receiving services, education or training, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who meet normal and essential eligibility requirements.
For purposes of employment, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been hired to perform. (Complaints alleging employment discrimination on the basis of disability against a single individual will be referred to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for processing.) Reasonable accommodation means an employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate your disability unless it would cause the employer undue hardship.
Section 504 prohibitions against discrimination apply to service availability, accessibility, delivery, employment, and the administrative activities and responsibilities of organizations receiving Federal financial assistance. A recipient of Federal financial assistance may not, on the basis of disability:
Deny qualified individuals the opportunity to participate in or benefit from federally funded programs, services, or other benefits.
Deny access to programs, services, benefits or opportunities to participate as a result of physical barriers.
Deny employment opportunities, including hiring, promotion, training, and fringe benefits, for which they are otherwise entitled or qualified....
These and other prohibitions against discrimination based on disability can be found in the DHHS Section 504 regulation at 45 CFR Part 84.
For information on how to file a complaint of discrimination, or to obtain information of a civil rights nature, please contact us. OCR employees will make every effort to provide prompt service.
If you feel you have been discriminated against and denied equal access or delivery of services in accordance with Title VI, Section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which includes race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, or sex, you may proceed with one of the following:
� By writing or calling the:
Equal Access Compliance Unit
Office of Equal Opportunity Programs
5th Floor, Herbert R. O�Conor Building
201 West Preston Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
410-767-6600 � MD Relay 711
1-800-735-2258
� By writing or calling the Administrator of the facility where the alleged discriminatory act took place, with carbon copies to the Equal Access Unit
� By writing or calling the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, Region III, 150 S. Independence Mall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106; 215-861-4441, TDD 215-861-4440
Individuals with disabilities may contact all of the above departments via the Maryland Relay System at 1-800-735-2258.
This information is required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Hill-Burton Act.
