In addition to providing you your rights, as detailed above, the federal HIPAA privacy standard requires us to:
- Maintain the privacy of your health information, including implementing reasonable and appropriate physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect the information.
- Provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to individually identifiable health information we collect and maintain about you.
- Abide by the terms of this notice.
- Train our personnel concerning privacy and confidentiality.
- Implement a sanction policy to discipline those who breach privacy I confidentiality or our policies with regard there to.
- Mitigate (lessen the harm of) any breach of privacy I confidentiality.
We will not use or disclose your health information without your consent or authorization, except as described in this notice or otherwise required by law.
Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health care OperationsWe will share your health information for treatment.Example: A physician, nurse, or other member of your health care team will record information in your record to diagnose }'our condition and determine the best course of treatment for you. The primary care giver will give treatment orders and document what he or she expects other members of the health care team to do to treat you. Those other members will then document the actions they took and their observations. In that way, the primary caregiver will know how you are responding to treatment.
With a properly signed authorization, we will also provide a subsequent health care provider with copies of your records to assist them in treating you.
We will use your health information for seeking payment for services rendered.Example: We may send a bill to you, or to a third -party payer, such as your health ins;urance company. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, your diagnosis, treatment received, and supplies used.
We will use your health information for health care operations.Example: Members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality assurance team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your cases and the competence of the caregivers. We will use this information in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and services we provide. When reporting results, personal identifiers are used whenever possible.
Business Associates: We provide some services through contracts with business associates. Examples include but are not limited to diagnostic tests, paper shredding copy service to make copies of medical records, and the like. When we use these services, we may disclose your health information to the business associate so that they can perform the function(s) we have contracted with them to do and bill you, or your third-party insurer, or GNBCHC for services rendered. To protect your health information however, we require our business associates to appropriately safeguard your information.
Directory: Unless you notify us that you object, we will use your name, location in the facility, and general condition for directory purposes. This information may be provided to our staff or others to help expedite your treatment or help in health care operations.
Notification: We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location, and general condition.
Communication with family: Unless you object, health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
Research: We may disclose information to researchers when their research project has been approved by the GNBCHC Research Review Committee and that the Committee has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Funeral Directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable laws to enable them to carry out their duties.
Marketing continuity of care: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Fund-raising: We may contact you as part of a fund-raising effort You have the right to request not to receive subsequent fund-raising materials.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse effects I events with respect to food, drugs, supplements, product or product defects, or post marketing signorinas information to enable product recalls, repairs or replacement.
Worker's Compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker's compensation or other similar programs established by law.
Public Health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, disability, or death.
Correctional Institutions: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents there of health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals, as required by law.
Law Enforcement: We may disclose health information for purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
Health Oversight Agencies and Public Health Authorities: If a member of our workforce or a business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or otherwise violate professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers, or the public, they may disclose your health information to health oversight agencies and/or public health authorities, such as the department of public health. As part of our federal and state funding requirements we may disclose your health information to authorized members of their staff or organizations that may be acting as their agent as part of oversight audits.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): Under the HIPAA privacy standards, we must disclose your health information to DHHS as necessary for them to determine our compliance with those standards
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OUR PRACTICES AND TO MAKE THE NEW PROVISIONS EFFECTIVE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALLY INDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMANTION WE MAINTAIN. SHOULD WE CHANGE OUR INFORMATION PRACTICES, \VE WILL POST SUCH CHANGES IN A PUBLIC LOCATION WITHIN OUR BUILDINGS AND OFFER A NEW COPY TO YOU UPON YOUR NEXT VISIT TO OUR PRACTICE.How to get more information or to Report a Problem.If you have questions, would like additional information, or you believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact the Privacy Officer at GNBCHC, 874 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 or (508) 984-8405- ext 106. If you feel that we have not adequately addressed your concerns, you may contact the Privacy Officer at the above address or contact the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.