Advance Directive

• In the state of Florida, each person has the right to request or refuse medical treatment. Subject to the state’s interest in protecting innocent third parties, each patient has the right to make Advance Directives, or to execute a Power of Attorney that authorizes others to make decisions on their behalf.
• West Florida Surgical Center does not honor advance directives. Health care providers at West Florida Surgical Center are bound to do all in their power to assure the safe recovery of every patient, including resuscitation if that becomes necessary. All adult patients are asked if they have an advance directive, which is placed in their medical record. Adult patients are also informed that an advance directive will not be honored while they are a patient at West Florida Surgical Center.
• If an adverse event occurs during your treatment at West Florida Surgical Center, we will initiate resuscitative or other stabilizing measures and transfer you to an acute care hospital for further evaluation. At the acute care hospital, further treatments or withdrawal of treatment already begun will be ordered in accordance with your wishes, Advance Directive, or health care Power of Attorney.
• If you wish to complete an Advance Directive, copies of official state forms are available online at https://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/reports- guides/advance-directives.aspx