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We are required by law to protect the privacy of medical information about you and that identifies you. This medical information may be information about health care we provide to you or payment for health care provided to you. It may also be information about your past, present, or future medical care.
We are also required by law to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices explaining our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information. We are legally required to follow the terms of this Notice. In other words, we are only allowed to use and disclose medical information in the manner that we have described in this Notice.
We may change the terms of this Notice in the future. We reserve the right to make changes and to make the new Notice effective for all medical information that we maintain. If we make changes to the Notice, we will: - Post the new Notice in our waiting area
- Have copies available upon request
- Post a copy on our website www.henrycountyhospital.org
- Provide a revised notice to you at your first visit after the revisions are effective
The rest of this Notice will:- Describe how we may use and disclose medical information about you
- Explain your rights with respect to medical information about you
- Describe how and where you may file a privacy-related complaint
Each time you visit Henry County Hospital, we make a record of the information gathered during your visit. This information is used for a number of purposes. You have certain rights regarding this information. Your rights regarding this information are described below. Finally, we have certain responsibilities regarding our use of your information. Our responsibilities are described below.
If, at any time, you have questions about information in this Notice or about our privacy policies, procedures or practices, you can contact our Privacy Officer at (419) 591-3823.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We are permitted by law to use your health information to provide treatment to you. For example, we will provide your physician with the information we obtain to assist the physician in providing proper care to you. This may also include communicating with other health care providers regarding your treatment and coordinating and managing your health care with others.
We are permitted by law to use your health information to obtain payment for our services. For example, we may send your insurance company or other payer a bill that may include your health information. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.
We are permitted by law to use your health information to perform our regular health care operations. For example, we may use your health information to assess the quality of care we provide in order to maintain our standards. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, and other hospital personnel for review and learning purposes.
We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or medical care at the hospital.
We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.
We may include limited information about you in the hospital directory while you are a patient. The information may include your name, location in the hospital, your general condition (e.g., fair, good, etc.) and your religious affiliation. This is so your family, friends and clergy can visit you in the hospital and generally know how you are doing.
We are permitted, and in some cases, required by law to make certain other disclosures of health information without your consent. We may disclose your health information, if appropriate, to the following entities under the following circumstances: - To public health agencies to satisfy certain reporting requirements, such as births, deaths, certain communicable diseases, child abuse, and other public health issues.
- To health oversight agencies, such as governmental auditors, the Ohio Department of Health, and other agencies when required.
- To contact you to raise money for the hospital and its operations. We would only release name, address, phone number, and dates you received treatment at the hospital. If you do not want the hospital to contact you for fundraising you must notify the Privacy Officer in writing.
- To any individual when ordered by a court or legal process to do so.
- To a coroner or medical examiner when necessary to enable them to perform their duties.
- In case of emergency.
- To a family member or friend who is involved in your medical care. To an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status and location.
- When required to do so by federal, state or local law.
- To prevent a serious threat to your health and safety, or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.
- To organizations that handle organ procurement, eye or tissue transplantation, or an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
- To workers' compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
We may disclose your information to researchers if their research has been reviewed by an institutional review board or privacy board and they take certain steps to protect your privacy.
We may refer to and use Ohio law when it provides more privacy protection to you.
We will not use your information for any other purpose without your written authorization. You have the right to revoke any authorization you provide us.
Your Rights Regarding Medical Information About You
You have certain rights regarding your health information.
These rights include: - The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice
- The right to inspect, request, and receive a copy of your health information (copies are available for a reasonable fee)
- The right to request amendments to your health information you believe to be inaccurate
- The right to obtain an accounting of our uses and disclosures of your health information unrelated to treatment, payment, or health care operations
- The right to request restrictions on our permitted uses and disclosures of your information (although we are not legally obligated to honor this request)
- The right to request that communications regarding your health information be sent by alternative means or at alternative locations.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, or if you have any questions regarding this notice, you may contact Sue Shepard, the Henry County Hospital Privacy Officer at (419) 591-3823. In addition, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. All complaints must be submitted in writing. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. |
