Notice of Health Information Practices

At Dr. Finkel’s office, we are committed to treating and using protected health information about you responsibly.  This Notice of Health Information Practices describes the personal information we collect, and how and when we use or disclose that information.  It also describes your rights as they relate to your protected health information.  This Notice is effective April 14, 2003, and applies to all protected health information as defined by federal regulations.

Each time you visit Dr. Finkel’s, a record of your visit is made.  Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment.  This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:

Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to: ensure its accuracy, better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information, and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosures to others.

Although your health record is the physical property of Dr. Finkel, the information belongs to you.  You have the right to request a copy of your chart, with a release to do so.  This copy may be for you or to be sent to another health official (doctor).

Dr. Finkel’s office is required to:

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.  Should our information practices change, we will mail a revised notice to the address you’ve supplied us, or if you agree, we will email the revised notice to you.

We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.  We will also discontinue using or disclosing your health information after we have received a written revocation of the authorization according to the procedures included in the authorization.

We participate in an organized health care arrangement consisting of greater Phoenix metropolitan area hospitals as well as physicians who have medical staff privileges at one or more of these hospitals.  Participants in this arrangement work together to improve the quality and efficiency of the delivery of healthcare to their patients.  As a participant in this arrangement, we may share your PHI with other members of the arrangement for purposes of treatment, payment or the health care operations of this organized health care arrangement.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.  The address for the OCR is listed below:

Office for Civil Rights                                                                                                                            

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services                                                                                     

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.                                                                                                                      

Room 509F, HHH Building                                                                                                                   

Washington, D.C. 20201

 

Example of Disclosures: