Joseph Valenti, MD, FACOG

Caren Reaves, MD, FACOG

Monica Popov, MD, FACOG

Laura Finger, MD, FACOG

Holly Groom, RN, CNM

Katherine Ellis, RN, CNM

Esther Fairchild, RNC, WHNP

PRIVACY POLICY

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY:

Our Practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your individually identifiable health information (IIHI).  In conducting our business, we will create records regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you.  We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies you.  We also are required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.  We realize that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:

How we may disclose your IIHI, Your privacy rights in your IIHI, Our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your IIHI

 

WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION (IIHI) IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

 

Treatment:

For lab work; such as blood or urine tests, For writing or ordering a prescription, To treat and assist in your care.

 

Payment:

To bill and collect payment for services and/or items received from our practice, To obtain payment from third parties, such as family members, To bill you directly for services and/or items, To assist other health care providers and entities in their billing and collection efforts.

 

Health Care Operations:

To operate our business, To evaluate the quality of care you received from our practice, To conduct cost-management and business planning activities for our practice, To assist other health care providers and entities in their health care operations.

 

Appointment Reminders:

To contact you and remind you of your scheduled appointment.

 

Treatment Options:

To inform you of potential treatment options or alternatives.

 

Health-Related Benefits and Services:

To inform you of health-related benefits that may be of interest to you.

 

Release of information to family/friends:

Our practice may release your IIHI to a family member or friend that is involved or assisting in your care.

 

Disclosures by law:

Our practice will disclose your IIHI when required by federal, state, or local law.

 

Thank you cards/Baby photos:

All thank you cards/baby photos given to our practice could possibly be displayed, unless otherwise noted by the patient, including those with names and dates of birth.

 

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR IIHI IN CERTAIN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

 

The following categories describe unique scenarios in which we may use or disclose your individually identifiable health information:

 

Public Health Risks:

Maintaining vital records, such as births and deaths, Reporting child abuse or neglect, Preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, Notifying a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease, Notifying a person regarding a potential risk for spreading or contracting a disease or condition, Reporting reactions to drugs or problems with products or devices, Notifying individuals if a product or device they may be using has been recalled, Notifying appropriate government agency(ies) and authority(ies) regarding the potential abuse or neglect of an adult patient (including domestic violence); however, we will only disclose this information if the patient agrees or we are required or authorized by law to disclose this information, Notifying your employer under limited circumstances related primarily to workplace injury or illness or medical surveillance.

 

Health Oversight Activities:

Investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensure, and disciplinary actions, Civil, administrative, and criminal procedures or actions, Or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance with civil rights laws and the health care system in general.

 

Lawsuits and Similar Proceedings:

In response to a court or administrative order, if you are involved in a lawsuit or similar proceeding., In response to a discovery request, subpoena, or other lawful process by another party involved in the dispute, but only if we have made an effort to inform you of the request or to obtain an order protecting the information the party has requested.

 

Law Enforcement:

Regarding a crime victim in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement, Concerning a death we believe has resulted from criminal conduct, Regarding criminal conduct at our office(s), In response to a warrant, summons, court order, subpoena, or similar legal process, To identify/locate a suspect, material witness, fugitive, or missing person, In an emergency, to report a crime (including location or victim(s) of the crime, or the description, identity or location of the perpetrator).

 

Deceased Patients:

To a medical examiner or coroner to identify a deceased individual or to identify the cause of death, If necessary, we also may release information in order for funeral directors to perform their jobs.

 

Organ and Tissue Donation:

To organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue procurement or transplantation, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation if you are an organ donor.

 

Research:

(We will obtain your written authorization to use your IIHI for research purposes except when an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board has determined that the waiver of your authorization satisfies the following):

The use or disclosure involves no more than minimal risk to your privacy based on the following: A) An adequate plan to protect the identifiers from improper use and disclosure. B) Adequate plan to destroy the identifiers at the earliest opportunity consistent with the research (unless there is a health or research justification for retaining the identifiers or such retention is otherwise required by law. (Adequate written assurances that the IIHI will not be re-used or disclosed to any other person or entity (except as required by law) for authorized oversight of the research study, or for other research for which the use or disclosure would otherwise be permitted, The research could not practicably be conducted without the waiver, The research could not practicably be conducted without access to and use of the IIHI.)

 

Serious Threats to Health or Safety:

When necessary to reduce or prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another individual or the public (Under these circumstances, we will only make disclosures to a person or organization able to help prevent the crime).

 

Military:

If you are a member of U.S. or foreign military forces (including veterans) and if required by the appropriate authorities.

 

National Security:

To federal officials for intelligence and national security activities authorized by law, To federal officials in order to protect the President, other officials or foreign heads of state, or to conduct investigations.

 

Inmates:

To correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official: For the institution to provide health care services to you, For the safety and security of the institution, To protect your health and safety or the health and safety of other individuals.

 

Workers’ Compensation:

For workers’ compensation and similar programs.

 

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR IIHI:

 

You have the following rights regarding the IIHI that we maintain about you:

 

Confidential Communications:

To request that our practice communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location.

 

Requesting Restrictions:

To request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your IIHI for treatment, payment or health care operations, To request that we restrict our disclosure of your IIHI to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as family members and friends.

 

Inspection and Copies:

(Our practice may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, labor, and supplies associated with your request.  Our practice may deny your request to inspect and/or copying certain limited circumstances, however, you may request a review of our denial.  Another licensed health care professional chosen by us will conduct reviews)

To inspect and obtain a copy of the IIHI that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records, but not including psychotherapy notes.

 

Amendment:

To ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may requests an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our practice.

 

You must provide us with a reason that supports your request for amendment.  Our practice will deny your request if you fail to submit your request (and the reason supporting your request) in writing.  Also, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that is in our opinion:

Accurate and complete, Not part of the IIHI kept by or for the practice, Not part of the IIHI which you would be permitted to inspect and copy, Not created by our practice, unless the individual or entity that created the information is not available to amend the information.

 

Accounting of Disclosures:

(An “accounting of disclosures” is a list of certain non-routine disclosures our practice has made of your IIHI for non-treatment, non-payment, or non-operations purposes.  Use of your IIHI as part of the routine patient care in our practice is not required to be documented).

To request an “accounting of disclosures”: All requests for an “accounting of disclosures” must state a time period, which may not be longer that six (6) years from the date of disclosure and may not include dates before April 14, 2003.  The first list you request within a 12-month period is free of charge, but our practice may charge you for additional lists within the same 12-month period.  Our practice will notify you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur any costs.

 

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice:

Receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy practices.  You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time.

 

Right to File a Complaint:

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our practice or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Right to Provide an Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures:

Our practice will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law.  Any authorization you provide to us regarding the use and disclosure of your IIHI may be revoked at any time in writing.  After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your IIHI for the reasons described in the authorization.  Please note, we are required to retain records of your care.

 

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your IIHI that are created or retained by our practice.  We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices.  Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our practice has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records that we may create or maintain in the future.  Our practice will post a copy of our current Notice in our offices in a visible location at all times, and you may request a copy of our most current Notice at any time.

If you have any questions about this notice, would like to request a type of confidential communication, to restrict your IIHI, or would like to file a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer, Pam Denison at: 940-591-6700 or at 2805 S. Mayhill Rd.  Denton, TX  76208.