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Caring Pathways

Caring Pathways

Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
  • Correct your paper or electronic medical record
  • Request confidential communication
  • Ask us to limit the information we share
  • Get a list of those with whom we have shared your information
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
  • Choose someone to act for you
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

  • Provide disaster relief
  • Provide mental health care
  • Raise funds
  • Tell family and friends about your condition

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information as we:

  • Treat You
  • Run our organization
  • Help with public health and safety issues
  • Do research
  • Comply with the law
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
  • Work with the medical examiner
  • Address worker compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
    Respond to lawsuits and other legal actions

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
  • We will provide a copy or summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record.

  • You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how you do this.
  • We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request Confidential Communications

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home, office, and cell) or to send mail to a different address. 
  • ​We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

  • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment or our operations.
  • We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it affects your care.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we have shared your health information for six years from the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
  • WE will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment and healthcare operations as well as certain disclosures you have asked us to make. The Center will provide one (1) accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable cost-based fee if another accounting is requested within the same year.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

  • ​You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
  • We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

  • You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.
  • You can file a complaint with the U.S, Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, W.S., Washington, DC 20201, Calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa.complaints/.
  • We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

Comply with the law. We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we are complying with the federal privacy law.

Address worker’s compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests. We can share information about you for:

  • Worker’s compensation claims
  • Law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
  • Health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
  • Special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits and legal action. We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Our Responsibilities:

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For additional information, visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hippa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

Changes to the Term of this Notice: We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all the information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request in our office.

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation.

If you are unable to tell us about your preference because of your health status, we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health and safety,

In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us permission:

  • for marketing purposes.
  • in the case of fundraising: We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can ask us not to contact you again if you prefer.

Our Uses and Disclosures

How does the Center use your health information?

  • ​To treat you. We use health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
  • Example, the doctor who serves as our Medical Director reviews your ultrasound scans and diagnoses pregnancy. We may be asked to send a copy of this report to the office where you are receiving prenatal care for your pregnancy.
  • Run our organization. WE use your health information to improve our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
  • Billing for services. In many medical situations, your insurance or Pregnancy Medicaid is provided information so that your healthcare bills are paid. Since our Center does not charge for your treatment or care, this is not done in your situation.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed, and sometimes required to share your information in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. WE have to meet many conditions of the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information, see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

  • Preventing disease
  • Helping with product recalls
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

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Notice of Privacy Practices Acknowledgement

Notice or Privacy Practices (NPP) are provided to all patients. This notice identifies the following: (1) how medical information about you may be used or disclosed; (2) your rights to access your medical information; (3) amend your medical information, request an accounting of disclosures of your medical information; (4) your rights to complain if you believe your privacy rights have been violated; and (5) our responsibilities for maintaining the privacy of your medical information                                                           

​The undersigned individual certifies that he/she has read the foregoing, received a copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices, and is the patient, or the patient’s personal representative.