Living Wills Policy

In an ambulatory care setting, where we expect to provide less invasive care to patients who are not acutely ill, admission to a surgery center indicates the patient will tolerate the procedure in the ambulatory setting without difficulty.

Regulation requires that Advanced Center for Surgery notify its patients, in advance of the date or performance of surgery, that Advanced Center for Surgery does not honor advance directives or living wills.

1. If you are transferred to a more acute level of care, such as a hospital emergency room and you have provided us with an advanced directive/living will, it will be maintained in your permanent medical record.
2. If you request transfer to another facility, it will be sent with you along with other parts of the medical record.

If you have any concerns regarding the surgery center’s policy, you have an opportunity to discuss them with your attending physician and/or make arrangements for a change in admission. If you disagree with this policy, you must address the issue with your attending physician prior to signing the surgery center’s admission form acknowledging your understanding of the policy regarding advance directives/living wills.

Although, it is not required that you have a living will or advanced directive, you have the right to have one and the right to have the living will placed in your medical record.

Further information regarding advance directives and forms can be found by clicking here.