Privacy
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: April 14, 2003
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 have any questions please contact our Privacy Office at the address or phone number at the bottom of this notice.
WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE.
This Notice describes our organization’s practices and that of:
- All departments and units of our organization including:Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, PRISM, Long Term Care, Senior Care, Cardiac Rehab and Wellness, Ambulance Service, School Health Program, Montgomery Medical Clinic located in Natchitoches and surrounding parishes.
- All employed associates, staff or volunteers of our organization and our Business Associates.
- All individuals that may participate in an organized health care arrangement with Natchitoches Regional Medical Center including its medical staff and other healthcare providers based elsewhere who provide services at this facility.
OUR PLEDGE TO YOU:
We understand that information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting the privacy of medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive to provide quality care and to comply with legal requirements. This Notice applies to all of the records of your care that we maintain, whether made by facility staff or your personal doctor. Your personal care provider may have different policies or notices regarding the provider’s use and disclosure of your medical information created in the practice office or clinic. We are required by law to:
- keep medical information about you private.
- give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you.
- follow the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL AND BILLING INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
We may use and disclose medical information about you for treatment to doctors, nurses, healthcare technicians, healthcare professional students, or other personnel who are involved in taking care of you. We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the services you receive at our facility may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, or an insurance company or other third party. We may use and disclose medical information about you to support healthcare operations. For example, we may use medical information about you to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you.
All providers that participate in an organized health care arrangement with Natchitoches Regional Medical Center including the medical staff and other healthcare providers who may treat you at any of our locations will share protected health information with each other to carry out treatment, payment or health care operation relating to the organized health care arrangement.
We may use or disclose medical information about you without your prior authorization for several reasons. Subject to certain requirements, we may give out medical information about you without prior authorization for public health purposes, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight audits or inspections, research studies, funeral arrangements and organ donation, workers’ compensation purposes, and emergencies. We disclose medical information when required by law, or for law enforcement purposes, or in response to valid judicial or administrative orders to avert a serious threat to health of safety or for specialized government functions.
We also may contact you for appointment reminders, or to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options, alternatives, health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you, or to support fundraising efforts.
If admitted as a patient, unless you tell us otherwise, we will list in the patient directory your name, location in the hospital, your general condition (good, fair, etc.) and your religious affiliation, and will release all but your religious affiliation to anyone who asks about you by name. Your religious affiliation may be disclosed only to a clergy member, even if they do not ask for you by name. We may release medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care or to disaster relief authorities so that your family can be notified about your condition, and location.
Other uses and disclosures of medical information not covered by this Notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING MEDICAL AND BILLING INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
In most cases you have the right to inspect and copy medical information we use to make decisions about your care when you submit a written request. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes. If you request copies, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other related supplies. If we deny your request to inspect or copy, you may submit a written request for a review of the decision.
If you feel that information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information by submitting in writing a request that provides your reason for requesting the amendment. We may deny your request for an amendment if it was not created by us; or if we determine the information is accurate. You may appeal in writing, a decision by us not to amend a record.
You have the right to request a list of those instances we have disclosed medical information about you other than for treatment, payment, health care operations or where you specifically authorized a disclosure, when you submit a written request. The request must state a time period, which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the costs involved before any costs are incurred.
You have the right to request, in writing, that we not use or disclose medical information about you for treatment, payment or health care operations or to persons involved in your care except when specifically authorized by you, when required by law, or in an emergency. We are not required to agree to your request. If we cannot agree to your requested restriction, we will notify you.
You have the right to request in writing that medical information about you be communicated to you in a confidential manner. For example, you can ask that we contact you at a different phone number or address.
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice. If you received this Notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. You may obtain a copy of this Notice at our web site, http://www.natchitocheshospital.org. To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, contact our Privacy Officer at (318) 214-4293.
You have the right to revoke your consent or authorization to use and disclose health information. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that consent or authorization, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose medical information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization or consent. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required by law to retain our records of the care we provided to you.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We may change our policies at any time. Changes will apply to medical information we already hold, as well as new information after the change occurs. Before we make a significant change in our policies, we will change our notice and post the new notice in the Front Lobby, Emergency Room waiting room. The Notice will contain the effective date just below the title. In addition, each time you register at our facility for treatment or health care services as an inpatient or outpatient, we will offer you a copy of the current Notice in effect. You will be asked to acknowledge in writing your receipt of this notice. You may also obtain a copy of the current Notice by request to Privacy Officer, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, P. O. Box 2009, Natchitoches, Louisiana, 71457 or (318) 214-4293.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact our Privacy Office at (318) 214-4293. You may also contact the Christus Health Integrity Line, available 24-hours at 1-888-728-8383 or you may send a written complaint to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against or penalized for filing a complaint.
PRIVACY OFFICE
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
P. O. Box 2009
Natchitoches, LA 71457
