What is a patient?
At Mission Regional Medical Center, a patient is not a cold statistic, or simply a name on a chart, but a human being.  The patient is the most important person in the hospital.  A patient is not an interruption of our work, but the purpose of it.

About Patient Relations/Social Services/Pastoral Care Departments
The Patient Relations/Social Services Department was created in September 2000 in response to an initiative by Mission Regional Medical Center’s Board of Directors to improve customer satisfaction.The Patient Relations /Social Services Department is staffed by a full-time Licensed Master Social Worker, a Licensed Bachelor Level Social Worker, a full time Hospital Chaplain and two part-time Social Service workers.


The Social Services staff serve as liaisons to patients, families and visitors by offering crisis intervention assistance, community resource information, social services consultations, referrals, execution of Advance Directives, Hospital Chaplain services and by reviewing system delays or obstacles.  They also receive and facilitate resolution of complaints.   The Social Services staff strives to establish rapport and build confidence between department staff and the complainant.

If the complainant is still not satisfied after attempts to resolve the complaint are exhausted at the Division level, the complaint is then considered a Grievance and he/she may request (either verbally or in written form) a meeting with the Patient Grievance Committee by contacting committee chair, Julie Gomez.  All grievances are investigated and will be acknowledged by a written letter within seven days and a closure letter outlining the findings after the investigation has been completed

The department also trains all MRMC staff, in the areas of Patient Rights, Recognition of Patient Abuse and Neglect, and Cultural Diversity.