Notice of Privacy Practices
TOTAL HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
This notice describes how your health care information may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to it. Please review it carefully.
Total Health Medical Center cares about you – our patient – and aims to provide you with medical care that centers on your individual need. We also care about your privacy. We understand that your medical information is personal and protecting that information is important. We create records of the care and services you receive here so that we can continue to provide you with quality care and so that we can comply with the compliance and accreditation requirements initiated by the passage of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). State and Federal law require us to maintain the privacy of your health information and to inform you about our privacy practices by providing you with this Notice, which takes effect on July 1, 2005 and will remain in effect until amended or replaced by us.
How your Health Information may be used
Total Health Medical Center will keep your information confidential, using it only for the following purposes:
Treatment: We will use your information to provide you with the best health care possible. This may include administrative and clinical office procedures designed to optimize scheduling and coordination between physicians and business office staff.
Disclosure: Your information may be disclosed to other health care professionals providing you treatment. It may also be disclosed to your family, friends and/or other persons you choose to involve in your care, only if you agree that we may do so. In an emergency, where you are unable to tell us what you want, we will use our judgment to provide only that information directly relevant to your care.
Payment: We may include your health information to collect payment for treatment you receive in our office. This involves our business office and may include other businesses that may be involved in mailing statements and/or collecting unpaid balances.
Required by Law: We may disclose your Information in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful order from a court or when requested by national security, intelligence and other State and Federal officials and/or if you are an inmate or otherwise under custody of law enforcement.
Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or of other crimes. The information will be disclosed only to the extent necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety or that of others.
Public Health Responsibilities: We will disclose your information to report problems with products, reactions to medications, product recalls. disease/infection exposure and to prevent and control disease, injury and/or disability.
Appointment Reminders: We may use your information to send you appointment reminders including, but not limited to, voicemail, postcards or letters.
Patient Rights
You have the following rights related to your health information:
Restrictions: You have the right to request additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We do not have to agree to these
additional restrictions but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in emergencies).
Access: You have the right to read, review and have copies of your health information and that of an individual for whom you are a legal guardian. You must submit a request in writing to the Practice Administrator in order to inspect or receive copies of your medical records. We may charge you a fee in accordance with Virginia state law for the costs associated with the assembling and mailing of this information.
Amendment: You have the right to amend your healthcare information, if you feel it is inaccurate or incomplete. Please provide us with your request in writing and describe your reason for change. Your request may be denied if the medical record in question was not created by our office, is not part of our records or if the records containing your health information are determined to be accurate and complete.
Non-routine Disclosures: You have the right to ask for a description of how and where your health information was used by our office for reasons other than treatment, payment or health care operations.
Complaints: You have the right to file a complaint if you feel your privacy rights have been violated. Your complaint, in writing, should be directed to our Privacy Officer. You will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint with us or with the US Department of Health and Human Services.
How to contact us
Total Health Medical Center
Attn: Privacy Officer
46169 West Lake Dr, Suite 230
Sterling, VA 20165
