Florida Statutes 765.2038 – Designation of health care surrogate for a minor; suggested form
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 765.2038
- Health care: means care, services, or supplies related to the health of an individual and includes, but is not limited to, preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or palliative care, and counseling, service, assessment, or procedure with respect to the individual's physical or mental condition or functional status or that affect the structure or function of the individual's body. See Florida Statutes 765.101
- Health care facility: means a hospital, nursing home, hospice, home health agency, or health maintenance organization licensed in this state, or any facility subject to part I of chapter 394. See Florida Statutes 765.101
- minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Physician: means a person licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459. See Florida Statutes 765.101
- Reasonably available: means readily able to be contacted without undue effort and willing and able to act in a timely manner considering the urgency of the patient's health care needs. See Florida Statutes 765.101
- Surrogate: means any competent adult expressly designated by a principal to make health care decisions and to receive health information. See Florida Statutes 765.101
DESIGNATION OF HEALTH CARE SURROGATE
FOR MINOR
I/We,   (name/names)  , the [ ] natural guardian(s) as defined in s. 744.301(1), Florida Statutes; [ ] legal custodian(s); [ ] legal guardian(s) [check one] of the following minor(s):
       ;
       ;
       ,
pursuant to s. 765.2035, Florida Statutes, designate the following person to act as my/our surrogate for health care decisions for such minor(s) in the event that I/we am/are not able or reasonably available to provide consent for medical treatment and surgical and diagnostic procedures:
Name:   (name)  
Address:   (address)  
Zip Code:   (zip code)  
Phone:   (telephone)  
If my/our designated health care surrogate for a minor is not willing, able, or reasonably available to perform his or her duties, I/we designate the following person as my/our alternate health care surrogate for a minor:
Name:   (name)  
Address:   (address)  
Zip Code:   (zip code)  
Phone:   (telephone)  
I/We authorize and request all physicians, hospitals, or other providers of medical services to follow the instructions of my/our surrogate or alternate surrogate, as the case may be, at any time and under any circumstances whatsoever, with regard to medical treatment and surgical and diagnostic procedures for a minor, provided the medical care and treatment of any minor is on the advice of a licensed physician.
I/We fully understand that this designation will permit my/our designee to make health care decisions for a minor and to provide, withhold, or withdraw consent on my/our behalf, to apply for public benefits to defray the cost of health care, and to authorize the admission or transfer of a minor to or from a health care facility.
I/We will notify and send a copy of this document to the following person(s) other than my/our surrogate, so that they may know the identity of my/our surrogate:
Name:   (name)  
Name:   (name)  
Signed:   (signature)  
Date:   (date)  
WITNESSES:
1.   (witness)  
2.   (witness)