Notice of Privacy Policy

Protecting your private information is our priority. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.  In addition, it describes how is used on this website. By using our website and applications, you consent to the data practices described in this notice.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY. 

We are dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (PHI). In conducting our business, we will create records regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you. We are required by law (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA) to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies you. We also are required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain in our practice concerning your PHI. By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of the notice of privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.

We would like to provide you with the following important information:
•    How we may use and disclose your PHI
•    Your privacy rights concerning your PHI
•    Our obligation concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI

The terms of this notice apply to any records containing your PHI that are created or retained by our practice. We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our practice has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records that we may create or maintain in the future. You may request a copy of our most current Notice at any time.

We do not collect any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us. However, you may be required to provide certain personal information to us when you elect to use certain products or services. These may include: (a) registering for an account; (b) sending us an email message; (c) submitting your credit card or other payment information when ordering and purchasing products and services. To wit, we will use your information for, but not limited to, communicating with you in relation to services and/or products you have requested from us. We also may gather additional personal or non-personal information in the future.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
For Treatment
We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose medical information about you to various third parties or other health care providers who are involved in taking care of you now or in the future.
We may also use health information about you to call you or send you a letter to remind you about an appointment, to follow up with test results, or to provide you with information about other treatment and care that we believe could benefit your health.

For Payment
We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and services you receive may be billed and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party.

For Healthcare Operations
Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to operate our business. As examples of the ways in which we may use and disclose your information for our operations, our practice may use your PHI to evaluate the quality of care you received from us, or to conduct cost-management and business planning activities for our practice. We will exercise reasonable efforts to ensure anonymity.

OTHER DISCLOSURES

Communication With Others Involved With Your Care
Our health professionals may, in the event you are incapacitated or in an emergency circumstance, using their judgment, disclose to a family member, or other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Electronic Information Exchange
We may share PHI between other providers and facilities as necessary to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations relating to the services rendered and as otherwise permitted and consistent with this notice. Where we may share your PHI between other providers and facilities, we may do so by means of an electronic information exchange.

Required By Law
We may use or disclose your PHI to the extent that the use or disclosure is requested or required by law, rules or regulations. The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements or requests. You will be notified, as required by law, of any such disclosures.

Public Health Risks
Our practice may disclose your PHI to public health authorities that are authorized by law to collect information for the purpose of:
•    Maintaining important records, such as births and deaths
•    Reporting child abuse or neglect
•    Preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability
•    Notifying a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease
•    Notifying a person regarding a potential risk for spreading or contracting a disease or condition
•    Reporting reactions to drugs or problems with products or devices
•    Notifying individuals if a product or device they may be using has been recalled or withdrawn, needs repairs or replacement
•    Notifying appropriate government agencies and authorities regarding the potential abuse or neglect of an adult patient (including domestic violence); however, we will only disclose this information if the patient agrees or we are require or authorized by law to disclose this information
•    Notifying your employer under limited circumstances related primarily to workplace injury or illness or medical surveillance
Health Oversight Activities: Our practice may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. Oversight activities can include, for example, investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensure and disciplinary actions; civil, administrative, and criminal procedures or actions; or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance with civil rights laws and the health care system in general.

Legal Proceedings
We may disclose your PHI in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, in certain conditions in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful purpose.

Law Enforcement
We may release PHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:
•    Regarding a crime victim in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement
•    Concerning a death we believe has resulted from criminal conduct
•    Regarding criminal conduct at our offices
•    In response to a warrant, summons, court order, subpoena or similar legal process
•    To identify/locate a suspect, material witness, fugitive or missing person.
•    In an emergency, to report a crime (including the location or victim(s) of the crime, or the description, identify or location of the perpetrator)

Deceased Patients
Our practice may release PHI to a medical examiner or coroner to identify a deceased individual or to identify the cause of death. If necessary, we also may release information in order for funeral directors to perform their jobs.

Organ and Tissue Donation
Our practice may release your PHI to organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue procurement or transplantation, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation if you are an organ donor.

National Security
Our practice may disclose your PHI to federal officials for intelligence and national security activities authorized by law. We also may disclose your PHI to federal officials in order to protect government officials or foreign heads of state, or to conduct investigations.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI

You have the following rights regarding the PHI that we maintain about you:
1. Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that our practice communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location. In order to request a type of confidential communication, please use the contact information below to make an appointment to complete the form. Our practice will accommodate reasonable requests. You do not need to give a reason for your request.

2. Requesting Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment or health care operations. Additionally you have the right to request that we restrict our disclosure of your PHI to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for your care. We are not required to agree to your request; however, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required or requested by law, in emergencies, or when the information is necessary to treat you. In order to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI, you must make your request in writing using the contact information below. Your request must describe in a clear and concise fashion:
(a) the information you wish restricted;
(b) whether you are requesting to limit our practice’s use, disclosure or both; and
(c) to whom you want the limits to apply.

3. Inspection and Copies. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records. However, you may not obtain psychotherapy notes or information compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding. You must submit your request in writing using the contact information below in order to inspect and/or obtain a copy of your PHI. Our practice may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, labor and supplies associated with your request. Our practice may deny your request to inspect and/or copy in certain limited circumstances; however, you may request a review of our denial. Another licensed health care professional chosen by us will conduct reviews.

4. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by our practice. To request an amendment, your request and reason for the request must be made in writing using the contact information below. You must provide us with a reason that supports your request for amendment. Our practice will deny your request if you fail to submit your request (and the reason supporting your request) in writing. Also, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that is in our opinion: (a) accurate and complete; (b) not part of the PHI kept by or for the practice; (c) not part of the PHI which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (d) was not created by our practice, unless the individual or entity that created the information is not available to amend the information.

5. Accounting of Disclosures. All of our patients have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures”. An “accounting of disclosures” is a list of certain non-routine disclosures our practice has made of your PHI for non-treatment or operations purposes. Use of your PHI as part of the routine patient care in our practice is not required to be documented. For example, the doctor sharing information with the nurse; or the billing department using your information to file your insurance claim. In order to obtain an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing using the contact information below. All requests for an “accounting of disclosures” must state a time period, which may not be longer than six (6) years from the date the “accounting of disclosures” is requested and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. The first list you request within a 12-month period is free of charge, but our practice may charge you for additional lists within the same 12-month period. Our practice will notify you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur any costs.

6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You are entitled to receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy practices. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time by contacting us utilizing the contact information below.

7. Right to File a Complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our practice or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with our practice, use the contact information below.

8. Right to Provide an Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures. Our practice will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law. Any authorization you provide to us regarding the use and disclosure of your PHI may be revoked at any time in writing. After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your PHI for the reasons described in the authorization. Please note: We are required to retain records of your care.

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY
In addition to our general Notice of Privacy Practices we are committed to maintaining these additional policies for our website visitors:

1. We collect information from you when you register on our site, register for our Patient Portal, respond to a survey or fill out a form. When registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.    

2. Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:

• To personalize your experience (your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs)
• To improve our website (we continually seek to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you)
• To improve customer service (your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer service requests and support needs)    

3. We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you enter, submit, or access your personal information.
   
   4. We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.
   
   5. This online website privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline.    
   
   6. By using our site, you consent to our website’s privacy policy.

 If you have any questions, Please contact us at 271 S New Prospect Rd, Unit 104B, Jackson, NJ 08527 or call 732-554-0420.