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.
This Notice of Privacy Practices (NOPP) applies to Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) and its facilities, programs and departments. This includes all employed physicians and other members of the medical staff and health professionals.
Shriners Hospitals for Children® has long been committed to protecting patient privacy. As part of this commitment, we follow federal and state law requiring us to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this notice of our privacy practices. When we use or disclose your health information, we are required to follow the privacy practices described in this NOPP. We must follow either federal or state law, whichever is more protective of your privacy rights. We reserve the right to change the privacy practices described in this NOPP at any time, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The NOPP will be available upon request, in our facility, and on our website. You may request a copy of our current NOPP at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the NOPP electronically. Please ask any Shriners Hospitals for Children associate and we will provide you with a copy.
What is “Protected Health Information” (PHI)?
PHI is information about a person’s health that can be related to that person concerning:
- The individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition.
- The provision of healthcare to the individual.
- The past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare to the individual.
Common individual identifiers of health information include names, social security numbers, addresses and birth dates.
It is our responsibility to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
- Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this NOPP.
- Give you a copy of this NOPP and be available to you if you have any questions or concerns.
- Use or share your information only as described here unless you tell us we can use or share it differently. If you tell us we can use or share it differently, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
- Notify you promptly if your information is compromised.
Your Health Information Rights
Access to Records
You can ask to receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. In rare circumstances, we may deny your request. If we deny your request, we will tell you why, in writing.
Amend Your Medical Records
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this. We may say “no” to your request, but if we do, we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request Restrictions
You can ask Shriners Hospitals for Children not to share your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You can also request a restriction of release to people involved in your care. For instance, you can request that we not share information about a procedure or treatment.
We are not always required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or health care item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Requests of Confidential Communications
We may communicate with you through email, text messages, phone calls, or our patient portal. Emails, text messages, or electronic communications outside of our portal may not be encrypted or secure and could be intercepted by another person or organization. We will assume you understand these risks if you provide us with a mobile phone number or email address to communicate with you. You can always ask us to contact you about health matters in the way that makes you comfortable. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Accounting of Disclosures
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, whom we shared it with, and why. We will include all the disclosures, except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We will provide one accounting a year for free but may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Personal Representatives
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
Using and Sharing Your PHI
We will not share your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:
We are allowed to use your PHI and share it with others without your authorization for several reasons. Those reasons are:
What about other uses of my health information?
Uses and disclosures of your health information not covered by this NOPP or federal or state laws will be made only with your written authorization.
Can I revoke my authorization to disclose information?
If you authorize us to use or disclose your health information, but then change your mind, you can revoke your authorization at any time by submitting your request to the SHC Privacy Office using the contact information below. We will stop sharing your information upon processing your request. However, we will be unable to recall or redact any information we have already shared.
How do I contact the Shriners Children’s Privacy Office?
If you have questions, you may contact the SHC Privacy Office at 813-281-0300, and ask for the SHC Corporate Privacy Officer. You can visit shrinerschildrens.org or call the SHC Compliance Hotline at 866-290-7637. You may also ask to speak to the Hospital Administrator, Clinic Director, or Privacy Officer at any SHC location.
If you believe we violated your privacy rights, you can file a complaint with the SHC Corporate Privacy Officer at 813-281-0300.
You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
What if my information is lost or stolen from Shriners Hospitals for Children?
SHC will contact you, informing you what information was lost and how best to protect yourself.
We will post a summary of the current notice in the facility; the notice will contain the effective date on the first page.
We Understand the Unique Medical Needs of Children
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