HIPAA – 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.

At our practice, we are committed to treating and using protected health information about you responsibly. This Notice of Privacy Policies 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 November 1, 2021, and applies to all protected health information as defined by federal regulations.

Understanding your health record

Each time you visit our practice, 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:

  • Basis for planning your care and treatment,

  • Means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care,

  • Legal document describing the care you received,

  • Means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided,

  • Tool in educating health professionals,

  • Source of data for medical research,

  • Source of information for public health officials charged to improve the health of the state and nation,

  • Source of data for our planning and marketing, and tool by which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and outcomes we

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

Your health information rights

Although your health record is the physical property of our practice, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:

  • Obtain a paper copy of this notice of privacy policies upon request,

  • Inspect and copy your health records as provided by 45 CFR 524,

  • Amend your health records as provided by 45 CFR 526,

  • Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided by 45 CFR 528,

  • Request confidential communications of your health information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522, and request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522 (our practice, however, is not required by law to agree to a request restriction).

Our responsibilities

Our practice is required to:

  • Maintain the privacy of your health information,

  • Provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you,

  • Abide by the terms of his notice,

  • Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, and

  • Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate your health

  • Business Associates – There are some services in our organization through contacts with business associates. Examples include physician services in the emergency department and radiology, certain laboratory test, and a transcription service we use to transfer dictated patient care into the medical record. Due to the nature of business associates services, they must receive your health information in order to perform the jobs we’ve asked them to do. To protect your health information, however, when these services are contracted we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your

  • 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

  • Funeral directors – We may disclose health information to funeral directors to carry out their duties consistent with applicable law

  • 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

  • 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

  • Workers Compensation- We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and necessary to comply with laws relating to worker’s compensation or other similar programs established by

  • Public Health- As required by law, we may disclose your health information to the public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or

  • Appointment Reminders – We may contact you or a family member at the phone number you have provided to us as a reminder that you have an appointment. We may leave a message on a answering device or voicemail

  • Marketing- We may contact you to provide information about treatment alternatives or other health- related benefits and services that may be of interest to

  • Directory – Unless you notify us that you object, we will use your name, location in the facility, and general condition for our directory purpose. This information may be provided to members of your family and to other people who ask for you by

  • Notification – We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member or personal representative (or other persons responsible for your care) of your location and general

  • Communication with Family – Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to family member, other relative, or close personal friend (or any other person you identify) health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your

  • Law Enforcement – We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid

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 one or more patients, workers, or the public.

We reserve the right to change our practice and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. We will keep a good posted copy of the most current notice in our facility containing the effective date in the top, right- hand corner. In addition, each time you visit our facility for treatment, you may obtain a copy of the current notice in effect upon request.

We will not use or disclose your health information in a manner other than described in the section regarding Examples Of Disclosures For Treatment, Payment, And Health Operations, without your written authorization, which you may revoke as provided by 45 CFR 164.508(b)(5), extend that action has already been taken.

Idaho health data exchange

This office has chosen to participate in the Idaho Health Data Exchange (IHDE). If you do not want to participate in the IHDE and you do not want to have your health care information shared with other medical providers involved in your care, you can opt out of the participation. To opt out, you must complete and sign the IHDE “Request to Restrict Disclosure of Health Information” form and mail or fax it to IHDE. You will receive a letter of confirmation upon completion of your request.

This will restrict your information from being released through the exchange only (you will need to contact direct any facility you wish to also restrict your information with). The IHDE form is available at the front desk. If you do not complete this form, we may share your protected health information with other participating healthcare providers involved in your care through the IHDE. This is a secure statewide internet-based health information exchange, with the goal of improving the quality and coordination of health care in Idaho.

Examples of disclosures for treatment, payment, and health operations

  • We will use your health information for treatment. For example: Information obtained by a nurse, physician, or other member of your health care team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. Your physician will document in your record his or her expectations of the members of your health care team. Members of your health care team will then record the actions they took and their observation. In the way, the physician will know how you are responding to treatment. We will also provide your other physician(s) or subsequent health care provider(s) (when applicable) with copies of various reports that should assist them in treating you.

  • We will use your health information for payment. For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.

  • We will use your health information for regular health operations. For example: Members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement manager, or member 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 healthcare and service we provide.

For more information or to report a problem

If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our practice’s Privacy Officer at (208) 992-4111.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can either file a complaint with our Privacy Officer, or with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (OCR). There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either our Privacy Officer or the OCR. The address for the OCR is as follows:

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