Innovative Nurses
and Sitters
5959 West Loop South,
Suite 215
Bellaire TX 77401
voice: 713-523-2329
fax: 713-523-0718
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MEDICAL INFORMATION Privacy Policy
Effective: Sept. 7,2003
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.
At IN&S, we are committed to treating and using protected health information about you responsibly.
This Notice of Privacy Policy describes the personal information we collect, and how and when we use or disclose that information. It also describes your rights as they relate to your protected health information. This Notice applies to all protected health information as defined by federal regulations.
STATE AND FEDERAL PRIVACY LAWS
This Notice of Privacy Policy is provided to you as a requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Other Texas privacy laws also apply. These laws have not been superseded and you have been taken into consideration in developing our policies and this notice of how we will use and disclose your protected health information.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEALTH RECORD
Each time we visit you, a record of the visit is made. This record, or "Sitter Tasks Form", contains a list of the services we are authorized to provide for you, and the hours and date those services were provided. This information, often referred to as your health record, serves several purposes:
- A means of communication among the many health professionals who may contribute to your care
- A legal document confirms the care you received
- A means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
- A source of information for public health officials charged to improve the health of the state and nation - e.g. Texas Department of Human Services
- A source of data for our planning and marketing
- A tool by which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and outcomes we achieve
Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:
- ensure its accuracy;
- better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information;
- and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
Although your health record is the physical property of IN&S, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
- Obtain a paper copy of this notice of privacy policies upon request,
- Inspect and copy your health record as provided by 45 CFR 164.524,
- Amend your health record as provided by 45 CFR 164.526,
- Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided by 45 CFR 164.528,
- Request confidential communications of your health information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522, and
- Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522 (our practice, however, is not required by law to agree to a requested restriction).
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
IN&S is required to:
- Maintain the privacy of your health information,
- Provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you,
- Abide by the terms of this notice,
- Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, and
- Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate your health information.
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. We will keep a posted copy of the most current notice in our facility containing the effective date in the top, right-hand corner. You may obtain a copy of the current notice in effect upon request.
We will not use or disclose your health information in a manner other than described in the section regarding Examples Of Disclosures For Treatment, Payment, And Health Operations, without your written authorization, which you may revoke as provided by 45 CFR 164.508(b)(5), except to the extent that action has already been taken.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REPORT A PROBLEM
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact IN&S at 713-523-2329.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can either file a complaint with IN&S or with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OCR). There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint. The address for the OCR is as follows:
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
EXAMPLES OF DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH OPERATIONS
We will use your health information for your care.
For example: Information obtained from family members or other member of your health care team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the level of care for you. Members of your health care team will then record the actions they took to comply with your your request for that care.
We will use your health information for your care.
For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, and the services we provided.
We will use your health information for regular health operations.
For example: Members of the agency, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the service we provide.
- Business Associates - There may be some services provided in our organization through contacts with business associates. Due to the nature of business associates’ services, they must receive your health information in order to perform the jobs we’ve asked them to do. To protect your health information, however, when these services are contracted we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
- Workers Compensation - We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.
- Public Health - As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
- Appointment Reminders - We may contact you or a family member at the phone number you have provided to us as a reminder that you have an appointment.
- Marketing - We may contact you to provide information about health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
- Notification - We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member or personal representative (or other person responsible for your care) of your location and general condition.
- Communication With Family - Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, or close personal friend (or any other person you identify) health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
- Law Enforcement - We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority, or attorney, provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers, or the public.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF THIS NOTICE
At the start of services, you will be asked to provide a signed acknowledgement of receipt of this notice, except when you are unable to in which case a family member/guardian may sign for you. Our intent is to make you aware of the possible uses and disclosure of your protected health information and your privacy rights. The delivery of your health care services will in no way be conditioned upon your signed acknowledgement. If you decline to provide a signed acknowledgement, we will continue to provide your services.
If you have any questions about this privacy statement or IN&S Privacy Policy, you can contact Innovative Nursing Systems, Inc. in several ways:
- You can use our online Contact form located at http://www.innovativenursing.com/contactquery.php
- You can send email to CustomerService@innovativenursing.com
- You may call us at: 713-523-2329
- You can fax us at: 713-523-0718
- You can send mail to the following postal address:
Customer Service:
C/O Innovative Nursing Systems, Inc.
5959 West Loop South,
Suite 215
Bellaire, Tx 77401
USA
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