THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW PERSONAL AND PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Our facility uses your Personal and Protected Health Information for treatment, to obtain payment for our services and for our operational purposes, such as improving the quality of care we provide to you. We are committed to maintaining your confidentiality and protecting your health information. We are required by law to provide you with this Notice which describes our health information privacy practices and those of affiliated health care providers, our representatives and business associates that provide care at our facility.
This Notice applies to all information and records related to your care that our facility workforce members and Business Associates (described below) have received or created. It also applies to health care professionals, such as physicians, and organizations that provide care to you at our facility. It informs you about the possible uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information and describes your rights and our obligations regarding your Protected Health Information.
We are required by law to:
- maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information;
- provide to you this detailed Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices relating to your Protected Health Information; and
- abide by the terms of the Notice that are currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice, and will notify you or your personal representative by letter if we make any material changes to the Notice.
I. WITH YOUR CONSENT WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
You will be asked to sign a Consent allowing us to use and disclose your Protected Health Information to others to provide you with treatment, obtain payment for our services, and run our health care operations. Here are examples of how we may use and disclose your health information.
For Treatment. Our staff and affiliated health care professionals may review and record information in your record about your treatment and care. We will use and disclose this health information to health care professionals in order to treat and care for you. For example, a physician may consult with another physician located at another location to determine how to best diagnose and treat you.
For Payment. Our facility may use and disclose your Protected Health Information to others in order for the facility to bill for your health care services and receive payment.
For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information to others for our facility’s business operations. For example, we may use Protected Health Information to evaluate our facility’s services, including the performance of our staff, and to educate our staff.
II. WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR OTHER SPECIFIC PURPOSES
Business Associates. We may share your Protected Health Information with our vendors and agents who help us with obtaining payment or carrying out our business functions. For example, we may give your health information to a billing company to assist us with our billing for services, or to a law firm or an accounting firm that assists us in complying with the law and or improving our services.
Facility Directory. Unless you object, we may include general information about you in our facility directory. This information may include your name, location in the facility, and religious affiliation. We may release information in our directory, except for your religious affiliation, to people who ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation may be given to any member of the clergy even if they don’t ask for you by name.
Family and Friends Involved in Your Care. Unless you object, we may disclose your Protected Health information to a family member or close personal friend, including clergy, who is involved in your care or payment for that care.
Disaster Relief. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to an organization assisting in a disaster relief effort.
Public Health Activities. We may disclose your Protected Health Information for public health activities including the reporting of disease, injury, vital events, and the conduct of public health surveillance, investigation and/or intervention. We may also disclose your information to notify a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition if a law permits us to do so.
Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to health oversight agencies authorized by law to conduct audits, investigations, inspections and licensure actions or other legal proceedings. These agencies provide oversight for the Medicare and Medicaid programs, among others.
Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence. If we have reason to believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information to notify a government authority if required or authorized by law, or if you agree to the report.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, Organ Procurement Organizations. We may release your health information to a coroner, medical examiners, funeral director or, if you are an organ donor, to an organization involved in the donation of organs and tissue.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of the public or another person. However, any disclosure would be made only to someone able to help prevent the threat.
Military and Veterans. If you are a member of the armed forces, we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information as required by military command authorities. We may also use and disclose Protected Health Information about foreign military personnel as required by the appropriate foreign military authority.
Workers’ Compensation. We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to comply with laws relating to workers’ compensation or similar programs.
National Security and Intelligence Activities; Protective Services. We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials who are conducting national security and intelligence activities or as needed to provide protection to the President of the United States, or other important officials.
As Required By Law. We will disclose your Protected Health Information when required by law to do so.
III. YOUR AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED FOR OTHER USES OF YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
We will use and disclose your Protected Health Information other than as described in this Notice or required by law only with your written Authorization. You may revoke your Authorization to use or disclose Protected Health Information in writing, at any time. To revoke your Authorization, contact our staff. If you revoke your Authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your Protected Health Information for the purposes covered by the Authorization, except where we have already relied on the Authorization.
Law Enforcement. We may disclose your Protected Health Information for certain law enforcement purposes or other specialized governmental functions.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may disclose your Protected Health Information in the course of certain judicial or administrative proceedings.
Research. In general, we will request that you sign a written authorization before using your Protected Health Information or disclosing it to others for research purposes. However, we may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization for research purposes provided that the research has been reviewed and approved by a special Privacy Board or Institutional Review Board.