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Privacy Policy
This notice describes how medical information about
you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information.
Please review it carefully.
Effective Date: April 14, 2003
Privacy Notice [45CFR Section 164]
This notice describes your right to have protected
health information and the duties of the Visiting Nurse Association
Healthcare Partners of Ohio (VNAHPO) which includes Hospice & Palliative
Care Partners of Ohio (HPCPO), VNA of Cleveland, VNA CarePlus, and
VNA of Mid-Ohio with respect to your protected health information
under the Federal Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. Section 552a).
• You can expect confidentiality
of your personal health information (PHI)
and protection of your medical records.
• Your
PHI will be used only for purposes of treatment,
payment and health operations unless otherwise
authorized by you.
- An example
of the use of your PHI for the purpose
of treatment:
The nurse taking care of you reports
lab results to your doctor’s office.
- An example
of the use of your PHI for the purpose of payment:
The authorization nurse reports your
progress to your insurance company
to receive approval
for payment of visits.
- An example
of the use of your PHI for the purpose
of healthcare operations:
The nurse’s documentation must
be transmitted to the State of Ohio regulatory
body for data collection.
• An
authorization signed by you is required
before we can release your PHI for purposes
other than treatment, payment and health
operations. Exceptions that do not require
your prior authorization include public
health risks, audits and surveys, law enforcement,
serious threat to health and safety, military,
national security and workers= compensation.
If HPCPO deems it necessary to release
your PHI for any of these reasons, we will
notify you of the necessity to disclose
this information. This authorization may
be revoked in writing. The revocation will
not be in effect until receipt of such
revocation.
• HPCPO
may contact you to arrange for home visits,
to provide appointment reminders, or to
provide information to you about treatment
alternatives or other services that may
be of interest to you.
• As
an individual you have the right to access
and obtain a copy of your PHI unless otherwise
specified by Section 164.524 of the Federal
Register. This request to Hospice & Palliative
Care Partners of Ohio must be in writing.
• As
an agency HPCPO has the right to deny you
access to your PHI. The denial of access
must be made in writing and has a review
process.
• As
an individual you have the right to review
a decision to deny access to your PHI in
certain situations. Request for review
must be in writing.
• As an individual
you have the right to an accounting of
disclosures of your PHI other than for
treatment, payment and health operations.
The accounting will be provided to you
in writing within 60 days of your request.
Exceptions of disclosures to be accounted
for include 1) for purposes of treatment,
payment and healthcare operations, 2) disclosures
to you as an individual, 3) disclosures
to persons involved in your care, 4) national
security or intelligence purposes, 5) correctional
institutions or law enforcement officials,
6) disclosures prior to HIPAA compliance
date.
• As
an individual you have the right to request
restriction of use and disclosure of PHI.
HPCPO need not agree with the restriction.
If the restricted information is needed
to provide emergency treatment, HPCPO may
use it or disclose the restricted information
to a healthcare provider to provide such
treatment.
• As
an individual you have the right to receive
all communications about your PHI in a
confidential manner. You have the right
to request alternative ways for HPCPO to
contact you regarding your health care.
• As
an individual you have the right to request
amendment or correction of inaccurate or
incomplete PHI. If HPCPO agrees with the
amendment, HPCPO will amend the record
and notify others identified by you of
the amended information. HPCPO may deny
a request for amendment or correction if
the information 1) was not created by HPCPO,
2) is not available for inspection and
copying under Section 164.524 of the Federal
Register, or 3) is deemed accurate and
complete by HPCPO.
• As
an individual you have the right to complain
to HPCPO and to the Secretary of Health
and Human Services if you believe that
your privacy rights have been violated.
HPCPO will not retaliate against you in
any way if you do file a complaint. The
complaint must be in writing and may be
filed with:
Visiting Nurse Association Healthcare
Partners of Ohio
Sharon Jones, Chief Operating Officer
2500 East 22nd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 931-1380
OR
The Secretary of Health and Human Services
• A
written notice of disagreement or amendment
must accompany all further disclosures
of personal health information. The same
notice will be shared with persons identified
by you as having received your amended
health information.
• HPCPO
will apply sanctions against its employees
who fail to comply with our privacy policies
up to and including dismissal.
• As an agency, HPCPO
is required to abide by the terms of this
notice. HPCPO reserves the right to change
the terms of the provisions in this notice
as it applies to PHI. A revised Privacy
Notice will be mailed to all active patients
of HPCPO prior to the effective date of
the amended terms.
If you desire
a paper copy, please contact Hospice & Palliative
Care Partners of Ohio.
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