UNDERSTANDING PATIENT PRIVACY RIGHTS

Federal and state laws guarantee a patient¹s rights to the privacy of Protected Health Information or PHI. PHI is any information pertaining to the health of an individual, combined with any information that could identify that individual.

Ensuring the privacy of this information is very important to us and plays an integral role in your health care.

We use and disclose information for treatment, payment and/or health care operations. Health care operations include those actions we take to provide quality care.

It is important that you are aware of these uses and disclosures. Listed below are some of the ways we may use and disclose your health information:

• Treatment
• Payment
• Health care operations  
• Hospital directory
• Public health activities
• Some types of research
• Organ and tissue procurement
• As required by law

These uses and disclosures do NOT require your authorization.

There are also uses which require patient authorization.
Some of the uses and disclosures are:

• Marketing
• Disclosures of highly confidential information
• Research

RIGHTS TO RESTRICT

Every patient has the right to request a restriction on the use and disclosure of information. Such restrictions include:

• Requesting a limit on the information published in the hospital
  directory.
• Requesting that information not be disclosed to certain family members
  or other individuals.       

In addition to requesting certain restrictions, patients also have the right to request information to be sent to them at an alternative location or by alternative means (e-mail, fax, cell phone, etc.)

We will make every attempt possible to meet all requests that are within reason.

Click here to read the full Notice of Privacy Practice (NPP).