Discrimination is Against the Law
Sunny Vista complies with all applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude, or treat people differently on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, or disability. Sunny Vista Retirement Community:
- Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
- Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
- Provides Reasonable modifications for individuals with disabilities
If you need these services or have a grievance based on Sunny Vista Retirement Community’s failure to provide these services or discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can contact Sunny Vista Retirement Community’s Civil Rights and Section 1557 Coordinator:
Steve Downs, Executive Director, Sunny Vista Living Center 2445 E. Cache La Poudre Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Phone: (719) 741-8700 Phone: (719) 900-7126 Fax: (720) 974-3775 Email: s.downs@sunnyvista.org.
You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, your local Coordinator is available to help you. You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) electronically through the OCR Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf or by mail at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, phone (800) 868-1019, or TDD (800) 537-7697.
Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.
Language Assistance Services are Available to Individuals with Limited English Proficiency
ATTENTION: If you speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Amharic, Arabic, German, French, Nepali, Tagalog, Japanese, Cushite (Somali), Persian (Farsi), Kru*t (Bassa) or another language, language assistance services are available to you free of charge.
Click here for instructions on how to access this service.
Section 1557 Grievance Procedure
It is the policy of Sunny Vista Retirement Community not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. Sunny Vista Retirement Community has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18116) and its implementing regulations at 45 CFR part 92, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs and activities. Section 1557 and its implementing regulations may be examined at Sunny Vista Retirement Community, 5500 E Peakview Ave, Centennial, CO 80121
Any person who believes someone has been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability may file a grievance under this procedure. It is against the law for Sunny Vista Retirement Community to retaliate against anyone who opposes discrimination, files a grievance, or participates in the investigation of a grievance. Procedure:
- Grievances must be submitted to the Sunny Vista Retirement Community or service Section 1557 Coordinator (see list above) within (60 days) of the date the person filing the grievance becomes aware of the alleged discriminatory action.
- A complaint must be in writing, containing the name and address of the person filing it. The complaint must state the problem or action alleged to be discriminatory and the remedy or relief sought.
- The Section 1557 Coordinator (or her/his designee) shall conduct an investigation of the complaint. This investigation may be informal, but it will be thorough, affording all interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint. The Section 1557 Coordinator will maintain the files and records of Sunny Vista Retirement Community relating to such grievances. To the extent possible, and in accordance with applicable law, the Section 1557 Coordinator will take appropriate steps to preserve the confidentiality of files and records relating to grievances and will share them only with those who have a need to know.
- The Section 1557 Coordinator will issue a written decision on the grievance, based on a preponderance of the evidence, no later than 30 days after its filing, including a notice to the complainant of their right to pursue further administrative or legal remedies.
- The person filing the grievance may appeal the decision of the Section 1557 Coordinator by writing to the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at the Sunny Vista Retirement Community Office within 15 days of receiving the Section 1557 Coordinator’s decision. The Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer shall issue a written decision in response to the appeal no later than 30 days after its filing.
The availability and use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a person from pursuing other legal or administrative remedies, including filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in court or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
A person can file a complaint of discrimination electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, which is available at: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201 or by phone at: (877) 696-6775.
Complaint forms are available at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html. Such complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination.
Sunny Vista Retirement Community will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency are provided auxiliary aids and services or language assistance services, respectively, if needed to participate in this grievance process. Such arrangements may include but are not limited to, providing qualified interpreters, providing audio recordings of material for individuals with low vision, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. The Section 1557 Coordinator will be responsible for such arrangements.