NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
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.
Effective date of this Notice: February 6, 2026
We respect our legal obligation to keep health information that identifies you private. We are obligated by law to give you notice of our privacy practices. This Notice describes how we protect your health information and what rights you have regarding it.
TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
The most common reason why we use or disclose your health information is for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
Treatment: Examples include setting up an appointment, performing physical examinations, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications and faxing them to pharmacies, or referring you to a specialist or hospital for further diagnostic testing.
Payment: Examples include asking about your health insurance plan or other sources of payment; preparing and sending claims to your insurance provider; and collecting unpaid amounts.
Health Care Operations: These are administrative functions necessary to run our medical office. Examples include financial audits, internal quality assurance, personnel decisions, and business planning.
We routinely use your health information inside our office for these purposes without any special permission. If we need to disclose your health information outside of our office for these reasons, we usually will not ask you for special written permission.
Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Records
For patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders, federal law (42 CFR Part 2) provides additional protections beyond standard health information privacy.
We routinely use your health information inside our office for these purposes without any special permission. If we need to disclose your health information outside of our office for these reasons, we usually will not ask you for special written permission.
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR OTHER REASONS WITHOUT PERMISSION
In certain limited situations, the law allows or requires us to use or disclose your health information without your permission. These situations may include:
Unless you object, we may also share relevant information with family members or friends involved in your medical care.
NOTIFICATION OF DATA BREACHES
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
If a data breach occurs involving your unsecured health information, we will notify you promptly. Notification will be sent by first-class mail or email (if you have agreed to electronic communication). The notice will describe:
- What happened
- The types of information involved
- Steps we are taking to investigate and mitigate the issue
- Steps you may take to protect yourself
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
We may contact you to remind you about upcoming medical appointments or to notify you that it is time to schedule routine care. We may also inform you about medical services that may benefit your health.
Unless you request otherwise, we may send appointment reminders by phone, voicemail, mail, email, or text message.
TELEHEALTH / VIRTUAL VISITS AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Our clinic may provide telehealth or virtual medical visits using secure video platforms, patient portals, email, or text messaging.
Technology vendors may assist us in delivering these services. These vendors may receive limited protected health information necessary to provide the service and are required to protect your information.
You may request that we communicate with you in a confidential way using a preferred phone number, mailing address, email address, or secure patient portal.
Electronic communication carries certain risks, including possible interception or misdelivery. If you choose to communicate through unencrypted email or text messages, you acknowledge and accept these risks.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
We will not use or disclose your health information for other purposes unless you provide written authorization.
Sometimes we may request authorization from you to share your information. Other times, you may request that we send your information to another provider or organization.
You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing unless we have already relied on it.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
Certain uses of your health information require written authorization, including:
- Marketing communications
- Sale of protected health information
- Other disclosures not described in this Notice
- You may revoke authorization at any time in writing.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
The law gives you many rights regarding your health information. You can:
OUR NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
We are required to follow the terms of this Notice. However, we reserve the right to change our privacy practices at any time as allowed by law.
If we update this Notice, the revised version will apply to all health information we maintain. The updated notice will be posted in our clinic and on our website.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
You may submit complaints in writing, by phone, or in person to the clinic contact person listed at the beginning of this Notice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact the office using the contact information provided on our website or at our clinic.