HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
East Cooper Plastic Surgery/The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction
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.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations (TPO) and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your protected health information. “Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.
1. Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information
Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of the physician’s practice, and any other use required by law .
Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party. For example, we would disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to a home health agency that provides care to you. For example, your protected health information may be provided to a physician to whom you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.
Payment: Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services. For example, obtaining approval for a hospital stay may require that your relevant protected health information be disclosed to the health plan to obtain approval for the hospital admission.
Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as-needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of your physician’s practice. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review activities, training of medical students, licensing, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to medical school students that see patients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when your physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment. We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your authorization. These situations include: as Required By Law, Public Health issues as required by law, Communicable Diseases: Health Oversight: Abuse or Neglect: Food and Drug Administration requirements: Legal Proceedings: Law Enforcement: Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: Research: Criminal Activity: Military Activity and National Security: Workers’ Compensation: Inmates: Required Uses and Disclosures: Under the law, we must make disclosures to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of Section 164.500.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures Will Be Made Only With Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object unless required by law.
You may revoke this authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that your physician or the physician’s practice has taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.
Your Rights
Following is a statement of your rights with respect to your protected health information.
You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information. Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records; psychotherapy notes; information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, and protected health information that is subject to law that prohibits access to protected health information.
You have the right to request a restriction of your protected health information. This means you may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your protected health information for the purposes of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You may also request that any part of your protected health information not be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved in your care or for notification purposes as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your request must state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.
Your physician is not required to agree to a restriction that you may request. If physician believes it is in your best interest to permit use and disclosure of your protected health information, your protected health information will not be restricted. You then have the right to use another Healthcare Professional.
You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location. You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us, upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this notice alternatively i.e. electronically.
You may have the right to have your physician amend your protected health information. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made, if any, of your protected health information.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and will inform you by mail of any changes. You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this notice.
Complaints
You may complain to Gail Lanter, CPC, 1300 Hospital Drive, Suite 120, Mount Pleasant, S.C. 29464 or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our privacy contact of your complaint. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
This notice was published and becomes effective on/or before April 14, 2003.
Disclosures
Welcome to the practice, which is owned by Richard M. Kline Jr., M.D. & James E. Craigie M.D.
Your Surgeon/Physician: We would like you to know that our surgeons are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and licensed in the State of South Carolina.
The Team: Our team is made up of competent individuals that will assist in providing safe patient care. Our Nurse Practitioner is Lindsey Weaver, FNP-C and our Physician Assistant isAudrey Rowen, PA-C. Both are licensed within the State of South Carolina.
Should you have a problem: Please be advised that if you have a grievance or concern ask for the grievance form from the receptionist.
Make a suggestion: If you have a suggestion, please place this is writing and hand to the receptionist or mail it to the office.
Play a part in your care: We encourage all patients to be actively involved in their care, so please speak up and ask questions of anyone in this organization. Additionally, please be advised that this organization does not recognize Do Not Resuscitate orders or Living Wills. If you have any questions, please see the receptionist.
Infection Control: This practice educates staff upon hire and annually thereafter in hand hygiene and we follow the CDC guidelines for hand hygiene. We encourage staff to stay home when they are sick. We provide tissues and garbage cans throughout the facility and encourage everyone to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing and then wash their hands.
Should you have a procedure or surgery in this organization we want you to know that we value patient safety. Therefore you may hear us performing certain tasks or asking certain questions that may surprise you. Even though we may know you we will ask you identifying information such as your date of birth or your address besides asking you to tell us your name. We take a pause or a “time out” before we actually start your procedure to assure one again that we have everything that we need and the entire team is in agreement. Only the physician performing your procedure will mark your surgical site. This organization adheres to strict infection control measures before during and after your procedure including but not limited to: procedural technique, the environment of care, care of equipment and instruments, and education of all staff in the most up to date infection control measures.
If anyone has concerns about patient care and safety in the organization, that the organization has not addressed, you are encouraged to contact the organization’s management by emailing glanter@ecplasticsurgery.com.
