Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that sets rules about who can look at and receive your health information. This law gives you rights over your health information and when it can be shared. It also requires your doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers, and your health plan to explain your rights and how your health information can be used or shared.

Our Pledge Regarding Health Information
We understand that information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting health information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive at the health center. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by the health center whether made by the health center personnel or your doctor. This notice explains the ways in which we may use and share medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information. 

How We May Use and Share Health Information About You
We may use your health information to provide you with medical treatment, and to arrange and coordinate your health care; to obtain payment for our services; and to conduct our health care operations, including quality assurance, fundraising, and general management and administration. We may disclose your health information for a variety of purposes in the public interest, as required or permitted by law. We will obtain your written authorization to use or disclose your health information for other purposes. There are circumstances when health information about you will not be shared unless you first give your permission for it to be shared; such as when you receive services in a substance abuse treatment agency.

Your Health Information Rights
You have a right to inspect, copy, and/or amend your health information. You also have a right to know with whom we have shared your medical information. You have a right to request restrictions on the disclosure of health information to others. You have a right to confidential communications about your treatment or services.

Who Will Follow This Notice
This summary describes our health center’s practices and that of:

• Any health care professional authorized see or enter information into your medical chart.
• All sites, locations, departments and units of the health center.
• All employees, staff, consultants, volunteers and other health center personnel

We are required by law to:

• Make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private.
• Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
• Follow the terms of the notice that are currently in effect