It's the policy of our practice that all physicians and staff preserve the integrity and the confidentiality of protected health information (PHI) pertaining to our patients. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that our practice and its staff have the necessary information to provide the best medical care possible while protecting the confidentiality of our patients to the highest degree possible. Patients should not be afraid to provide information to our practice for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO).
 

We collect, use, and disclose PHI only in conformance with state and federal laws, as well as current patient covenants and authorizations, as appropriate. Our practice does not use or disclose PHI for uses outside of our TPO, such as marketing, employment, and life insurance applications, without your authorization.
 

We use and disclose your PHI to remind you of appointments, unless we're instructed not to. The PHI we collect is accurate, timely, complete, and available when needed, and our staff implements reasonable measures to protect the integrity of all maintained PHI.
  

The staff here acts as responsible information stewards that treats all PHI as sensitive and confidential. This is in accordance with professional ethics, accreditation standards, and legal requirements.
 

You have the opportunity to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete PHI in your medical records, which is in accordance with the law and professional standards. A list of certain disclosures of PHI is maintained for purposes other than TPO for each patient, and those are made pursuant to an authorization as required by the HIPAA rules.
 

Any restrictions concerning the use or disclosure of PHI you apply, and have been approved by our practice, is adhered to by our staff. We recognize that though we "own" the medical record, you have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI. In addition, you have the right to request an amendment to your medical record if you believe it is incomplete or inaccurate.
 

You have a right to privacy and respect, so our practice and its physicians and staff respect your individual dignity at all times. Your privacy is respected to the extent consistent with providing the highest quality of medical care possible, and with the efficient administration of the facility.
 

No PHI data is disclosed unless you or your authorized representative has properly authorized its release, or the release is authorized by law. We permit your access to your medical records when your written requests are approved by our practice. If we deny your request, then you must be informed. In such cases, an on-site health care professional reviews your appeals. The list is provided to you as long as the request is in writing.
 

All physicians and staff must adhere to our privacy policy. Violations are not tolerated and are grounds for disciplinary action. This includes termination of employment and criminal or professional sanctions in accordance with our practice's personnel rules and regulations.
 

The privacy policy may be changed in the future by our practice. Any changes are effective upon the release of a revised policy and are made available to patients upon request.