This Notice of Privacy Practices is effective as of 9/01/2016.
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.
If you do not understand this Notice or what it says about how we may use your health information, please contact:
HIPAA Privacy Officer | 785-524-4403
When you go to a hospital, doctor, or other health care provider, a record is made that tells about your treatment. This record will have information about your illnesses, your injuries, signs of illness, exams, laboratory results, treatment given to you, and notes about what might need to be done at a later date. Your health information could contain all kinds of information about your health problems. The hospital keeps this health information and can use this information in many different ways. What we do with your health information and how we can use and share this information is what the rest of this Notice describes.
KANSAS—Hospital participates in electronic health information technology or HIT. This technology allows a provider or a health plan to make a single request through a health information organization or HIO to obtain electronic records for a specific patient from other HIT participants for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations. HIOs are required to use appropriate safeguards to prevent unauthorized uses and disclosures. You have two options with respect to HIT. First, you may permit authorized individuals to access your electronic health information through an HIO. If you choose this option, you do not have to do anything. Second, you may restrict access to all of your information through an HIO (except as required by law). If you wish to restrict access, you must submit the required information either online at http://www.KanHIT.org or by completing and mailing a form. This form is available at http://www.KanHIT.org. You cannot restrict access to certain information only; your choice is to permit or restrict access to all of your information. If you have questions regarding HIT or HIOs, please visit http://www.KanHIT.org for additional information. If you receive health care services in a state other than Kansas, different rules may apply regarding restrictions on access to your electronic health information. Please communicate directly with your out-of-state health care provider regarding those rules.
We have a Health Information Portal available through our electronic health record vendor. This is a secure website. If you choose to sign up, you will have access to a portion of your medical record, some of which may contain sensitive information. Validation of your identity is required to sign up for the Portal in order to protect the privacy and security of your health information. The Portal sends a sign up email to the email address you provide to the Hospital. There are security questions and login set up by you to protect the privacy and security of your health information. You will then be able to set up representatives within your portal if you would like to share your information with others. Patients younger than 13 years of age or those with a medical durable power of attorney will be set up with Proxy accounts via the Business Office at the Hospital to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. It will be your responsibility to notify the Business Office at the Hospital if your email address changes.
The law requires that this Hospital must do the following when it comes to handling your health information:
We will not give out your health information without your authorization except as described in this Notice. You must sign an authorization if we use or disclose your health information for certain marketing activities, if we are paid for your health information or if we are paid for making certain communications to you based upon your health information, if we sell your health information or if the use or disclosure involves psychotherapy notes. There are laws that say when we can give out your health information to others without your permission. The Hospital will follow these laws. The Hospital can give out your health information electronically (over computer networks, for example) or by facsimile.
Your health information is the property of the doctor or hospital that wrote it. The information contained in your health information belongs to you. You have certain rights concerning this health information. The following is a list explaining your rights:
How to make a request. If you want to restrict or limit the information in your health information that we give out, you must put your request in writing. Tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use of your health information, our giving out your health information, or both; and (3) whom should not receive the health information.
The Hospital can use and disclose your health information without your permission. The following is a list of when we can do this:
Except as stated in this Notice, in order for us to give out your information, you have to complete a written authorization form. If you want, you can later choose not to let us give out your health information. You can do this at any time. Your request to later stop permission to give out your health information must be in writing and sent to the Hospital. It is not possible for us to take back any information we have already given out about you that we made with your permission.
If you believe your right to privacy has been violated, you can write a complaint and give it to the Hospital or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To find out how exactly to file a complaint with either the Hospital or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ask the Hospital. THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR FILING A COMPLAINT.
We will make a copy of this Notice available to you the first time we treat you and whenever you request it. We have the right to change this Notice at any time without letting people know we are going to change it. We have the right to make the changed Notice apply to health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the newest Notice in the Hospital. You will find the date the Notice takes effect at the top of the first page below the title. You can get a copy of this Notice at any time by contacting the Contact Person listed above. You may get a copy of the current Notice each time you come to the Hospital for treatment.