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St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors:
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date:
April 14, 2003
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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. |
Additionally,
this notice serves as the ongoing corporate compliance effort of St.
Andrew's Resources for Seniors, hereafter referred to as
"Organization", to assure quality care and services to the
individuals we serve.
Understanding
Your Health Record/Information
Each time you have a stay or visit with us, 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:
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basis
for planning your care and treatment
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means
of communication among the many health professionals who contribute
to your care
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legal
document describing the care you received
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means
by which you or a third party payer can verify that services billed
were actually provided
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a
tool in educating heath professionals and a source of data for
medical research
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a
source of information for public health officials who oversee the
delivery of health care in the United States
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a
source of data for organizational planning and marketing
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a
tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the
care we render and the outcomes we achieve
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 disclosure to others.
Our
Responsibilities
Our organization is required to:
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maintain
the privacy of your health information
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provide
you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with
respect to information we collect and maintain about you
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abide
by the terms of this notice
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notify
you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
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accommodate
reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information
by alternative means or at alternative locations.
We
reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions
effective for all protected health information we maintain. We will post
a copy of the current notice in the Organization. The notice will
contain on the first page, the effective date. In addition, each time
you have a stay with us, we will offer you a copy of the current notice
in effect.
We
will not use or disclose your health information without your
authorization, except as described in this notice.
How
We Will Use or Disclose Your Health Information
The following categories describe different ways that we use
and disclose medical information. For each category, we will explain
what we mean and give examples. Not every use or disclosure in a
category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to
use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.
(1)
Treatment. We will use your health information for treatment. For
example, information obtained by a nurse, physician, or other member
of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to
determine your course of treatment. Your physician will document in
your record his or her expectations of the members of your healthcare
team. Members of your healthcare team will then record the actions
they took and their observations. In that way, the physician will know
how you are responding to treatment. We will also provide your
physician or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of various
reports that should assist him or her in treating you once you're
discharged from our Organization.
(2)
Payment. We will use your health information for payment. For example,
a bill may be sent to you or a third party payer, including Medicare
or Medicaid. The information on or accompanying the bill may include
information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis,
procedures, and supplies used.
(3)
Health care operations. We will use your health information for
regular health operations. For example, members of the medical staff,
the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality
improvement team may use information in your health record to assess
the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This
information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the
quality and effectiveness of the health care and service we provide.
Additionally,
regular health care operations may require periodic disclosures of
your health information to Private and State or Federally governed
agencies for any licensing, credentialing, accreditation and/or
certification process by which our community is licensed. For example,
the state licensing body may conduct annual surveys to renew our
operating license.
(4)
Business associates. There are some services provided in our
organization through contacts with business associates. Examples
include our accountants, consultants and attorneys. When these
services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to
our business associates so that they can perform the job we've asked
them to do. To protect your health information, however, we require
the business associates to appropriately safeguard your information.
(5)
Directory. Unless you notify us that you object, we may use your name,
location in the facility, general condition, and religious affiliation
for directory purposes. This information may be provided to members of
the clergy and, except for religious affiliation, to other people who
ask for you by name. We may also use your name on a facility
directory.
(6)
Notification. We may use or disclose information to notify or assist
in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another
person responsible for your care, of your location, and general
condition. If we are unable to reach your family member or personal
representative, then we may leave a message for them at the phone
number that they have provided us, e.g., on an answering machine.
(7)
Communication with people involved in your care or payment for your
care. Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to
a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other
person your identify, health information relevant to that person's
involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
(8)
Research. We may disclose information to researchers when their
research has been approved by an institutional review board that has
reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the
privacy of your health information.
(9)
Coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors. We may disclose health
information to funeral directors and coroners to carry out their
duties consistent with applicable law.
(10)
Organ procurement organizations. Consistent with applicable law, we
may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or
other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation
of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.
(11)
Marketing. We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or
information about treatment alternatives or other health related
benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
(12)
Fund raising. We may contact you as part of a fund raising effort.
(13)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We may disclose to the FDA health
information relative to adverse events with respect to food,
supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing
surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or
replacement.
(14)
Workers' compensation. We may disclose health information to the
extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws
relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established
by law.
(15)
Public health. As required by law, we may disclose your health
information to public health or legal authorities charged with
preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
(16)
Correctional institution. Should you be an inmate of a correctional
institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof
health information necessary for your health and the health and safety
of other individuals.
(17)
Law enforcement. We may disclose health information for law
enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid
subpoena.
(18)
Lawsuits and disputes. If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we
may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or
administrative order. We may also disclose medical information about
you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful
process by someone else in the dispute.
(19)
Reports. Federal law makes provision for your health information to be
released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health
authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business
associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful
conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards
and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the
public.
(20)
Required by Law. We may disclose your health information as may be
required by state and federal law.
(21)
National Security. We may disclose your health information to federal
and state officials as may be required for national security.
Your
Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of the
Organization, the information in your health record belongs to you. You
have the following rights:
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You
may request that we not use or disclose your health information for
a particular reason related to treatment, payment, the
Organization's general health care operations, and/or to a
particular family member, other relative or close personal friend.
We ask that such requests be made in writing on a form provided by
our facility. Although we will consider your request, please be
aware that we are under no obligation to accept it or to abide by
it. For more information about this right, see 45 Code of Federal
Regulations ("C.F.R.") § 164.522(a).
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If
you are dissatisfied with the manner in which or the location where
you are receiving communications from us that are related to your
health information, you may request that we provide you with such
information by alternative means or at alternative locations. Such a
request must be made in writing, and submitted to the Privacy
Officer. We will attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests. For
more information about this right, see 45 C.F.R. § 164.522(b).
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You
may request to inspect and/or obtain copies of health information
about you, which will be provided to you in the time frames
established by law. Usually this includes medical and billing
records, but does not include psychotherapy notes. To inspect or
copy your medical records, please contact the Privacy Officer. If
you request copies, we will charge you a reasonable fee. We may deny
your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited
circumstances. If you are denied access to medical information, you
may request that the denial be reviewed. Another licensed health
care professional chosen by the Organization will review your
request and denial. The person conducting the review will not be the
person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of
the review. For more information about this right, see 45 C.F.R. §
164.524.
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If
you believe that any health information in your record is incorrect
or if you believe that important information is missing, you may
request that we correct or amend the existing information or add the
missing information. Such requests must be made in writing to the
Privacy Officer, and must provide a reason to support the amendment.
We ask that you use the form provided by our Organization to make
such requests. For a request form, please contact the Privacy
Officer. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in
writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In
addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend
information that: (1) was not created by us; (2) is not part of the
medical information kept by the organization; (3) is not part of the
information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (4)
is accurate and complete. For more information about this right, see
45 C.F.R. § 164.526.
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You
may request that we provide you with a written accounting of all
disclosures made by us during the time period for which you request
(not to exceed 6 years). We ask that such requests be made in
writing on a form provided by our Organization. Please note that an
accounting will not apply to any of the following types of
disclosures: disclosures made for reasons of treatment, payment or
health care operations; disclosures made to you or your legal
representative, or any other individual involved with your care;
disclosures to correctional institutions or law enforcement
officials; and disclosures for national security purposes;
disclosure made before April 14, 2003. You will not be charged for
your first accounting request in any 12 month period. However, for
any requests that you make thereafter, you will be charged a
reasonable, cost based fee. For more information about this right,
see 45 C.F.R. § 164.528.
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You
have the right to obtain a paper copy of our Notice of Information
Practices upon request.
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You
may revoke an authorization to use or disclose health information,
except to the extent that action has already been taken. Such a
request must be made in writing.
For
More Information or to Report a Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may
contact our Privacy Officer at (314) 726-0111.
If
you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a
complaint with us. These complaints must be filed in writing on a form
provided by our Organization. The complaint form may be obtained from
contacting the above number, and when completed should be returned to
the Privacy Officer. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of
the federal Department of Health and Human Services. There will be no
retaliation for filing a complaint.
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