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.
About Us
In this Notice, we use terms like “we,” “us” or “our” to refer to Svetlana Malinsky, DPM, P.C, its physicians, employees, staff and other personnel. All of the sites and locations of Svetlana Malinsky, DPM, P.C., follow the terms of this Notice and may share health information with each other for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes as described in this notice.
Purpose of this Notice
This Notice describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. This Notice also outlines our legal duties for protecting the privacy of your health information and explains your rights to have your health information protected. We will create a record of the services we provided you, and this record will include your protected health information. We need to maintain this information to ensure that you receive quality care and to meet certain legal requirements related to providing you care. We understand that your health information is personal and we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your health information is not used inappropriately.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and provide you notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. We will abide by the terms of this notice
How We May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
The following categories describe examples of the way we use and disclose health information:
For Treatment: We may use your health information to provide you with medical treatment or services. For example, your health information will be disclosed to the providers who participate in your care. We may also disclose your health information to another healthcare provider to be sure those parties have all the information necessary to diagnose and treat you.
For Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to others so they will pay us or reimburse you for your treatment. For example, a bill may be sent to you, your insurance company or a third-party payer. The bill may contain information that identifies you, your diagnosis, and treatment or supplies used in the course of treatment.
For Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose you heath information in order to support our business activities. For example, we may use your health information for quality assessment activities, training of medical students, necessary credentialing, and for other essential activities.
We may ask you to sign your name to a sign-in sheet at the registration desk and we may call your name in the waiting room when we call you for your appointment.
We may disclose your health information to a third party that performs services, such as billing and collection, on our behalf. In these cases, we will enter into a written agreement with the third party to ensure they protect the privacy of your health information.
Appointment Reminders: We may use and disclose your health information in order to contact you and remind you of an upcoming appointment for treatment or health care services.
Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care: We may release your health information, including information about your condition, to a family member or friend who is involved in your medical care or who helps pay for your care. If you would like us to refrain from releasing your health information to a family member or friend, please notify the front desk. We may also disclose your health information to disaster-relief organizations so that your family can be notified about your condition, status and location.
We are also allowed by law to use and disclose your health information without your authorization for the following purposes:
As Required by Law: We may use and disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state or local law.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: If you are involved in a legal proceeding, we may disclose your health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also release your health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Health Oversight Activities: We may use and disclose your health information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law. Theses oversight activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government benefit programs, compliance with the government regulatory programs and compliance with civil rights laws.
Law Enforcement: We may disclose your health information, within limitation, to law enforcement officials for several different purposes:
· To comply with a court order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or other similar process;
· To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
· About the victim of a crime, if unable to obtain the victim’s agreement;
· About a death we suspect may have resulted from criminal conduct;
· About criminal conduct we believe in good faith to have occurred on our premises; and
· To report a crime, the location of a crime, in an emergency situation.
Public Health Activities: We may use and disclose your health information for public health activities, including the following:
· To prevent or control disease, injury, or disability;
· To report births or deaths;
· To report child/ adult abuse or neglect;
· To report adverse events, product defects or problems;
· To track FDA-regulated products;
· To notify people and enable product recalls; and
· To notify a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition
Serious Threat to Health or Safety: If there is a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person, we may use and disclose your health information to someone able to help prevent the threat.
Organ/Tissue Donation: If you are an organ donor, we may use and disclose your health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye, or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank.
Coroners, Medical Examiner, and Funeral Directors: We may use and disclose health information to a coroner or medical examiner. This disclosure may be necessary to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also disclose health information, as necessary, to funeral directors to assist them in performing their duties
Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your health information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: We may disclose your health information to the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree, or when required or authorized by law.
Military and Veterans Activities: If you are a member of the Armed Forces, we may disclose your health information to military command authorities. Health information about foreign military personnel may be disclosed to foreign military authorities.
National Security and Intelligence Activities: We may disclose your health information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
Protective Services for the President and Other: We may disclose your health information to authorized federal officials so they may provide protective services for the President and others, including foreign heads of state.
Inmates: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of the law enforcement official, we may disclose your health information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official to assist them in providing you health care, protecting your health and safety or the health and safety of others or for safety of the correctional institution.
Research: We may use and disclose your health information for certain limited research purposes. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process. This process evaluates a proposed research project, assesses a number of specific issues, and determines that appropriate privacy safeguards are in place to allow the use of health information in the research project; for example, to help them look for patients with specific medical needs, so long as the health information they review does not leave the practice.
Other Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information: Other uses and disclosures of your health information not covered by this Notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your authorization. If you authorize us to use or disclose you health information, you may revoke that authorization, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your health information as specified by the revoked authorization, except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance on your authorization.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding health information we maintain about you:
Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request restriction on how we use and disclose your health information for treatment, payment or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing and submit it to our Privacy Officer, 6201 Greenbelt Road, Suite M-8A, College Park, MD 20740 (301) 474-1933.
Rights to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain manner or at a certain location regarding the services you receive from us. For example, you may ask that we only contact you at work or only by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing and submit it to our Privacy Officer, 6201 Greenbelt Road, Suite M-8A, College Park, MD 20740 (301) 474-1933.
Rights to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes or information that is compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding. To inspect and copy your health information, you must make your request in writing by filling out the appropriate form provided by us and submitting to our office. If you request a copy of your health information, we may charge a fee for the cost of copying, mailing or preparing the requested documents.
We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to your health information you may request that the denial be reviewed by a licensed health care professional chosen by us. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the to a paper copy of this Notice at any time. To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer, 6201 Greenbelt Road, Suite M-8A, College Park, MD 20740 (301) 474-1933.
Right to Complain: If you have any questions about this Notice or would like to file a complaint about our Privacy Practices, please direct your inquiries to: 6201 Greenbelt Road, Suite M-8A, College Park, MD 20740 (301) 474-1933. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health Services. You will not be retaliated against or penalized for filing a complaint.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the new Notice provisions effective for all health information we currently maintain, as well as any health information we receive in the future. If we make material or important changes to our privacy practices, we will promptly revise our Notice. We will post a copy of the current Notice in at the front desk. Each version of the Notice will have an effective date listed on the first page.
We have chosen to participate in the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our patients (CRISP), a regional health information exchange serving Maryland and D.C. As permitted by law, your health information will be shared with this exchange in order to provide faster access, better coordination of care and assist providers and public health officials in making more informed decisions. You may “opt-out” and disable access to your health information available through CRISP by calling 1-877-952-7477 or completing and submitting an Opt-Out form to CRISP by mail, fax or through their website at www.crisphealth.org. Public health reporting and Controlled Dangerous Substance information, as part of the Maryland Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), will still be available to providers.