Notices of Privacy Practices, complete document

We may use and disclose Health Information for your treatment and to provide you with treatment-related health care services. For example, we may disclose Health Information to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel, including people outside our office, who are involved in your medical care and need the information to provide you with medical care.

We may use and disclose Health Information so that we or others may bill and receive payment from you, an insurance company or a third party for the treatment and services you received. For example, we may give your health plan information about you so that they will pay for your treatment.

We may use and disclose Health Information for health care operations purposes. These uses and disclosures are necessary to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care and to operate and manage our office. For example, we may use and disclose information to make sure the obstetrical or gynecological care you receive is of the highest quality. We also may share information with other entities that have a relationship with you (for example, your health plan) for their health care operation activities.

We may use and disclose Health Information to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with us. We also may use and disclose Health Information to tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

When appropriate, we may share Health Information with a person who is involved in your medical care or payment for your care, such as your family or a close friend. We also may notify your family about your location or general condition or disclose such information to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort.

Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose Health Information for research. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health of patients who received one treatment to those who received another, for the same condition. Before we use or disclose Health Information for research, the project will go through a special approval process. Even without special approval, we may permit researchers to look at records to help them identify patients who may be included in their research project or for other similar purposes, as long as they do not remove or take a copy of any Health Information.

We will disclose Health Information when required to do so by international, federal, state or local law.

We may use and disclose Health Information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Disclosures, however, will be made only to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat.

We may disclose Health Information to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. For example, we may use another company to perform billing services on our behalf. All of our business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.

If you are an organ donor, we may use or release Health Information to organizations that handle organ procurement or other entities engaged in procurement, banking or transportation of organs, eyes or tissues to facilitate organ, eye or tissue donation and transplantation.

If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release Health Information as required by military command authorities. We also may release Health Information to the appropriate foreign military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.

We may release Health Information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

We may disclose Health Information for public health activities. These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.

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.

We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to provide legally required notices of unauthorized or intentional/accidental disclosure of your health information.

If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose Health Information in response to a court or administrative order. We also may disclose Health Information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.

We may release Health Information if asked by a law enforcement official if the information is:

1. in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;
2. limited information to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
3. about the victim of a crime even if, under certain very limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;
4. about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
5. about criminal conduct on our premises; and
6. in an emergency to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.

We may release Health Information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We also may release Health Information to funeral directors as necessary for their duties.

We may release Health Information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release Health Information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be if necessary: (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) the safety and security of the correctional institution.

We maintain Health Information about our patients in shared medical records that allow Lewis County Hospital District No. 1 associates to share Health Information. We may also participate in various electronic health information exchanges that facilitate access to PHI by other health care providers who provide you care. For example, if you are admitted on an emergency basis to another hospital that participates in the health information exchange, the exchange will allow us to make your Health Information available electronically to those who need it to treat you. If you decide you do not want your Health Information or your minor child's Health Information made available through shared medical record/health information exchanges, please contact the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356.

Unless you object, we may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person that you have authorized to receive your Health Information that directly relates to their involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary, based on our professional judgement and what we have determined to be in your best interest.

We may disclose your Health Information to disaster relief organizations that seek your Health Information to coordinate your care, or notify family and friends of your location or condition in a disaster. We will provide you with an opportunity to agree or object to such a disclosure whenever we practically can do so.

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 the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356. We have up to 30 days to make your 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. We may not charge you a fee if you need the information for a claim for benefits under the Social Security Act or any other state of federal needs-based benefit program. We may deny your request in certain limited circumstances. 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.

If your Protected Health Information is maintained in an electronic format (known as an electronic medical record or an electronic health record), you have the right to request that an electronic copy of your record be given to you or transmitted to another individual or entity. We will make every effort to provide access to your Health Information in the form or format you request, if it is readily producible in such form or format. If the Health Information is not readily producible in the form or format you request your record will be provided in either our standard electronic format or if you do not want this form or format, a readable hard copy form. We may charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for the labor associated with transmitting the electronic medical record.

You have the right to be notified upon a breach of any of your unsecured Health Information.

If you feel that Health Information we have is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our office. To request an amendment, you must make your request, in writing, to the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356. You must provide a reason for your request. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

• • Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is not longer available to make the amendment;
  • Is not part of the health information kept by or for our Facilities; or
  • Is accurate and complete.

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made of 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 the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356.

You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the Health Information we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the Health Information we disclose to someone involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not share information about a particular diagnosis or treatment with your spouse. To request a restriction, you must make your request, in writing, to the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356. We are not required to agree to your request except as noted in the next paragraph regarding out-of pocket-payments. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.

If you paid out-of-pocket (or in other words, you have requested that we not bill your health plan) in full for a specific item or service, you have the right to ask that your Protected Health Information with respect to that item or service not be disclosed to a health plan for purposes of payment or health care operations, and we will honor that request.

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you by mail or at work. To request confidential communications, you must make your request, in writing, to the Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. To obtain a paper copy of this notice contact our Health Information Management Department at P.O. Box 1138 Morton, WA 98356 or stop by any of our Facilities.