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.
If you have any questions about this notice, please contact Directions Medical Clinic.

OUR OBLIGATIONS
We are required by law to:

Maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI)
Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding health information about you
Follow the terms of our notice that is currently in effect

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION:
The following describes the ways we may use and disclose health PHI that identifies you. Except for the purposes described below, we will use and disclose your PHI only with your written permission. You may revoke such permission at any time by writing to our practice Privacy Officer.

Uses and Disclosures Relating to Treatment or Health Care Operations: We may disclose your PHI to doctors, nurses and other health care personnel who participate in your health care. Your PHI may be shared with outside entities performing ancillary services we may use and disclose your PHI for healthcare operation purposes. We may also send or communicate appointment reminders that are subject to our normal confidentiality policies and any special instructions that you have requested.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS:
Uses and Disclosures for Which Special Authorization Will be Sought: For uses beyond treatment and operations purposes, we will ordinarily seek to obtain your authorization before disclosing your PHI. However, disclosure of your PHI may be made without your consent or authorization when required by law, when required for public health reasons, when necessary to avert a threat of harm to you or a third person, or when other circumstances may require or warrant such disclosure.

Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose Health Information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes: We are required by law to disclose PHI in response to any court or administrative order.

Law Enforcement: We are required by law to release PHI if asked by a law enforcement official.
Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. We may release PHI to a coroner or medical examiner.

USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE US TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT AND OPT
Disaster Relief: We may disclose your Protected Health Information to disaster relief organizations to coordinate your care or notify family and friends of your location or condition in a disaster.

YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED FOR OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The following uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information will be made only with your written authorization:

Uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information for marketing purposes; and
Disclosures when it is sought to investigate or impose liability on individuals, healthcare providers, or others who seeks, obtain, provide, or facilitate reproductive health care that is lawful under the circumstances in which such healthcare is provided, or to identify persons for such activities.

YOUR RIGHTS:
You have the following rights regarding Health Information we have about you:
Right to Inspect and Copy. You have a right to inspect and copy Health Information that may be used to make decisions about your care or payment for your care. This includes medical and billing records, other than psychotherapy notes. To inspect and copy this Health Information, you must make your request, in writing, to Directions Medical Clinic. We have up to 15 days to make your Protected Health Information available to you and we may charge you a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request. If we do deny your request, you have the right to have the denial reviewed by a licensed healthcare professional who was not directly involved in the denial of your request, and we will comply with the outcome of the review.

Right to an Electronic Copy of Electronic Medical Records. You have the right to request that an electronic copy of your record be sent to you or transmitted to another individual or entity. If the PHI is not readily producible in the form or format you request your record will be provided in our standard format.

Right to Get Notice of a Breach. You have the right to be notified upon a breach of any of your unsecured Protected Health Information.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made regarding Health Information for purposes other than treatment, payment, and health care operations or for which you provided written authorization. To request an accounting of disclosures, you must make your request, in writing, to Directions Medical Clinic.
Right to request restrictions on uses/disclosures. You may ask that we limit how we use or disclose your PHI. We will consider your request, but we are not legally bound to agree to the restriction. To the extent that we do agree to such restrictions, we will abide by such restrictions expect in emergency situations. We cannot agree to limit uses/disclosures that are required by law.

Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.

To Receive this notice: You may receive a paper or electronic copy of this notice upon request.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE: We reserve the right to change this notice at any time.

COMPLAINTS:
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact: Directions Medical Clinic Nurse Manager @ 209-368-7190.