A. Federal Register, Vol. 65, No. 250, December 28, 2000, Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information; Final Rule.

B. Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 157, August 14, 2002, Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information; Final Rule.

For Treatment. We may disclose your PHI to physicians, nurses, medical students, and other health care personnel who provide you with health care services or are involved in your care. For example, if you are
being treated for a knee injury, we may disclose your PHI to the physical rehabilitation department in order to coordinate your care.

For Payment. We may use and disclose your PHI in order to bill and collect payment for the treatment and services provided to you. For example, we may provide portions of your PHI to our billing department and your health plan to get paid for the health care services we provided to you.

For Health Care Operations. We may disclose your PHI in order to operate this Medical Center. For example, we may use your PHI in order to evaluate the quality of health care services that you received or to evaluate the performance of the health care professionals who provided health care services to you. We may also provide your PHI to our accountants, attorneys, consultants, and others in order to make sure we are complying with the laws that affect us.

As Required by Law. When a disclosure is required by federal, state or local law, judicial oradministrative proceedings, or law enforcement. For example, we make disclosures when a law requires that we report information to government agencies and law enforcement personnel about victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; when dealing with gunshot or other wounds; or when ordered in a judicial or administrative proceeding.

For Public Health Activities. For example, we report information about births, deaths, and various diseases, to government officials in charge of collecting that information. We may provide coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors necessary information relating to an individual's death.

For Health Oversight Activities. For example, we will provide information to assist the government when it conducts an investigation or inspection of a health care provider or organization.

For Purposes of Organ Donation. We may notify organ procurement organizations to assist them in organ, eye, or tissue donation or transplants.

For Research Purposes. In certain circumstances, we may obtain, create, and/or disclose PHI in order to conduct medical research.

To Avoid Harm. In order to avoid a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, we may provide PHI to law enforcement personnel or persons able to prevent or lessen such harm.

For Specific Government Functions. We may disclose PHI of military personnel and veterans in certain situations. And we may disclose PHI for national security purposes, such as protecting the president of the United States or conducting intelligence operations.

For Workers' Compensation Purposes. We may provide PHI to workers' compensation or similar agencies to determine if you are eligible for a work related injury or illness benefit.

Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Benefits or Services. We may use PHI to provide appointment reminders or give you information about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits we offer.

Fund-Raising Activities. We may use PHI to raise funds for our organization. The money raised through these activities is used to expand and support the health care services and educational programs we provide to the community. If you do not wish to be contacted as part of our fund-raising efforts, please contact our Foundation Office at 530-7065.

Patient Directories. If you are admitted to the Medical Center, we may include your name, location in the Medical Center, general condition, and religious affiliation, in our patient directory for use by clergy and visitors who ask for you by name, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

Disclosures to Family, Friends, or Others. We may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment of your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

In any other situation, not described in this notice, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing any of your PHI. If you choose to sign an authorization to disclose your PHI, you can later
revoke that authorization in writing to stop any future uses and disclosures (to the extent that we have not taken any action relying on the authorization).

The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask that we limit how we use and disclose your PHI. We will consider your request but are not legally required to accept it. If we accept your request, we will put any limits in writing and abide by them except in emergency situations. You may not limit the uses and disclosures that we are legally required or allowed to make.

The Right to Choose How We Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask that we send information to alternate address (for example, sending information to your work address rather than your home address)
or by alternate means (for example, e-mail instead of regular mail). We must agree to your request as long as we can reasonably provide it in the format you requested.

The Right to Inspect and Copy Your PHI. In most cases, you have the right to look at or get copies of your PHI that we have, but you must make the request in writing. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies and services associated with your request. In certain situations, we may deny your request. If we do, we will tell you, in writing, what our
reasons are for the denial and explain your right to have the denial reviewed.

The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures We Have Made. You have the right to get a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI. The list will not include uses or disclosures for:

treatment, payment or healthcare operations;

information which you have authorized us to disclose;
national security;

law enforcement as required by state or federal law;

information released prior to April 1, 2003.

We will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. e will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time, before any costs are incurred. To request this list, or accounting, you must submit your request on our designated form.

The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct the existing information or add the missing information. You must provide the request and your reason for the request in writing. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. We may deny your request in writing if the PHI is (1) correct and complete, (2) not created by us, (3) not allowed to be disclosed, or (4) not part of our records. Our written denial will state the reasons for the denial and explain your right to file a written statement of disagreement with the denial. Your rights allow you to have your request and our denial attached to all future disclosures of your PHI. If we approve your request, we will make the change to your PHI, tell you that we have done it, and tell others that need to know about the change to your PHI.

The Right to a Copy of this Notice. You have the right to a paper copy of this notice, at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.