Privacy Policy
WEST TEXAS DERMATOLOGY CENTER
Kris L. Howard, M.D., P.A
DERMATOLOGY & DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY
8141 Dorado Drive
Odessa, TX 79765
(432) 563-3113
FAX (432) 563-4206
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: August 20, 2013
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Purpose : West Texas Dermatology Center and its professional staff and employees and all of its affiliated entities, follow the practices described in this Notice. Our Office maintains your personal health information in records that will be maintained in a confidential manner, as required by law. This health information may include photographs obtained by authorized personnel at our Office for treatment purposes. Our Office must use and disclose your health information to the extent necessary to provide you with quality health care. To do this, our Office must share your health information as necessary for treatment, payment, and health care operations.
What are Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations? Treatment includes sharing information among health care providers involved in your care. For example, your physician may share information about your condition with the pharmacist to discuss appropriate medications or with pathologists or other consultants in order to make a diagnosis. Our Office may use your health information as required by your insurer to obtain payment for your treatment. We may also use and disclose your health information to improve the quality of care, e.g., for review and training purposes.
How Will West Texas Dermatology Center Use My Health Information? Your health information may be used for the purposes listed below, unless you ask for restrictions on a specific use or disclosure:
To share with your health care provider as needed for follow-up care.
Family members or close friends involved in your care or payment for your treatment.
Worker’s Compensation. (Your health information regarding benefits for work-related illnesses may be released as appropriate.)
To carry out health care treatment, payment, and operations functions through business associates, e.g., to install a new computer system.
Disaster relief agency if you are involved in a disaster relief effort.
Appointment reminders.
To inform you of treatment alternatives or benefits or services related to your health. (You will have an opportunity to refuse to receive this information.)
As required by law.
Public health activities, including disease prevention, injury or disability; reporting deaths; reporting child abuse or neglect; reporting reactions to medications or product problems, notification of recalls; infectious disease control; notifying government authorities of suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence (if you agree or as required by law).
Health oversight activities, e.g. audits, inspections, investigations, and licensure.
Lawsuits and disputes. (We will attempt to provide you advance notice of a subpoena before disclosing the information.)
Law enforcement (e.g. in response to a court order or other legal process; to identify or locate an individual being sought by authorities, about the victim of a crime under restricted circumstances, about a death that may be the result of criminal conduct; about criminal conduct that occurred on our Office’s premises; and in emergency circumstances relating to reporting information about a crime.)
Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.
Organ and tissue donation.
Certain research projects.
To prevent a serious threat to health or safety.
To military command authorities if you are a member of the armed forces or a member of a foreign military authority.
National security and intelligence activities.
Protection of the President or other authorized persons from foreign heads of state, or to conduct special investigations.
Inmates. (Medical information about inmates of correctional institutions may be related to the institution.)
Your Authorization is Required for Other Disclosures. Except as described above, we will not use or disclose your health information unless you authorize (permit) our Office in writing to disclose your information. You may revoke your permission, which will be effective only after the date of your written revocation.
You Have Rights Regarding Your Medical Information. You have the following rights regarding your health information, provided that you make a written request to invoke the right.
Right to request restriction. You may request limitations on your health information we use or disclose for health care treatment, payment or surgery (e.g. you may ask us not to disclose that you have had a particular surgery), but we are not required to agree to your request. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
Right to confidential communications. You may request communications in a certain way or at a certain location, but you must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
Right to inspect and copy: You have the right to inspect and copy your health information regarding decisions about your care; however, psychotherapy notes may not be inspected and copied. We may charge a fee for copying, mailing and supplies. Under limited circumstances, your request may be denied; you may request review of the denial by another licensed health care professional chosen by our Office. Our Office will comply with the outcome of the review.
Right to request amendment. If you believe that the health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment in writing. Our Office is not required to accept the amendment.
Right to accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of the disclosures of your health information that have been made to persons or entities other than for health care treatment, payment, or operations in the past six (6) years, but not prior to April 14, 2003.
After the first request, there may be a charge.Right to a copy of this Notice. You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have been provided with an electronic copy.
Right to Breach Notification. In certain instances, we may be obligated to notify you (and potentially other parties) if we become aware that your medical information has been improperly disclosed or otherwise subject to a “breach” as defined in and/or required by HIPAA and applicable state law.
Requirements Regarding This Notice. Our office is required by law to provide you with this Notice. We will be governed by this Notice for as long as it is in effect. Our Office may change this Notice and these changes will be effective for health information we have about you as well as any information we receive in the future.
Complaints . If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Office or with the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized or retaliated against in any way for making a complaint to our Office or the Department of Health and Human Services.
You may call the Privacy Officer at West Texas Dermatology Center at (432) 563-3113 if:
You have a complaint
You have any questions about this Notice
You wish to request restrictions on uses and disclosures for health care treatment, payment, or operations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA Complaint
7500 Security Blvd., C5-24-04
Baltimore, MD 21244
Privacy Officer
West Texas Dermatology Center
8141 Dorado Drive
Odessa, TX 79765
(432) 563-3113
Fax (432) 563-4206
E-mail: khoward8141@gmail.com