New Windsor Fire & Hose Co. 1 - NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
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.
Safeguarding Your Protected Health Information
The New Windsor Fire & Hose Co. 1 (NWFD) is committed to providing you with quality care and protecting your health information. This information includes, but is not limited to, your symptoms, examination and test results, impression of illness or injury, medical history, treatment, and other related information received from you or others. Your health information is legally regulated and may be used and disclosed in a variety of ways as we provide treatment and perform related health care operations, and it may be made part of your medical record. (NWFD) is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information, and to follow the privacy practices described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. (NWFD) reserves the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, and to apply the provisions of the revised notice to your health information that we obtained before revising the Notice. We will mail you a copy of the revised Notice at the most recent address that we have for you. You may obtain a copy of the (NWFD) Notice currently in effect by calling 410-635-6373 or 410-848-8223 and leaving a message for the EMS Captain.
How NWFD May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
(NWFD) employees and volunteers will only use your health information when doing their jobs. For uses and disclosures beyond those described in this Notice, (NWFD) must have your written authorization. If you give such authorization, you may revoke it by notifying the (NWFD) HIPAA Compliance Officer, the EMS Captain, in writing at (NWFD) EMS Captain, P. O. Box 247 New Windsor, MD 21776. This revocation shall apply except where we have already used or disclosed information in accordance with the authorization. The following are some examples of our possible uses and disclosures of your health information.
Uses and Disclosures Relating to Treatment or Health Care Operations:
For treatment: (NWFD) may use or share your health information to provide treatment and transportation services. For example, your health information may be shared among (NWFD) personnel who are treating you or involved in your treatment. It also may be shared with physicians and other medical professionals, by radio or telephone, who are providing us with consultation regarding your treatment before you arrive at a hospital. It also may be shared verbally and in writing with hospital staff who will be involved in your treatment, and via radio with our dispatch center.
For health care operations: (NWFD) may use and share your health information to evaluate the quality of services we provide and to help maintain the high quality of those services. For example, we may use your information to evaluate our treatment and services. This includes quality assurance activities, licensing, and training programs to ensure that our personnel meet our standards of care and follow established policies and procedures, conducting organizational planning, processing grievances and complaints, and creating reports that do not individually identify you for data collection purposes. We may combine health information about many individuals to research health trends, to determine what services should be offered, or for other similar uses. We also may share your health information with state or federal auditors, as required by law or regulation, or in order to improve the quality of our services.
Other Uses and Disclosures of health information required or allowed by law:
Required by law: (NWFD) will disclose health information when required to do so by Maryland Health General Title 4 Subtitle 3, or other applicable state or federal laws.
Subpoenas, Lawsuits, Disputes and Claims: If you are involved in a lawsuit, a dispute, or a claim, (NWFD) may disclose your health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, investigation of a claim filed on your behalf (including Workmens Compensation claims), or other lawful process. Subpoenas may also be received from other sources, including health licensing and disciplinary boards.
Public health activities: (NWFD) will disclose health information when (NWFD) is required to collect or report information about disease or injury, or to report vital statistics to the county or state health departments.
Health oversight activities: (NWFD) will disclose your health information to others for oversight activities required by law. Examples of these oversight activities are audits, inspections, investigations, and licensure.
Coroners, Medical Examiners: (NWFD) may disclose health information relating to a death to coroners or medical examiners.
Research purposes: In certain circumstances, and under supervision of a designated privacy board, (NWFD) may disclose health information to assist medical research.
Law Enforcement: (NWFD) may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes that are required by law or protocol, or in response to a subpoena. We may disclose information to law enforcement personnel, either at their request or upon our initiative, if it pertains to the possible commission and nature of a crime, the location of a crime, the victim(s) of a crime, and the identity, description, and location of the perpetrator of a crime. We also may do this to avert a potential or actual serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Abuse and Neglect: (NWFD) will disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or some other crime. (NWFD) may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.
Specific government functions: (NWFD) may disclose health information of military personnel and veterans in certain situations, to correctional facilities in certain situations, and for national security reasons, such as protection of the President.
Fund Raising: (NWFD) may use your information for fund raising activities including, but not limited to, written, in person, or telephoned fundraising requests and billing for services.
Families, friends or others: (NWFD) may share your health information with people as it is directly related to their relationship with you and/or involvement in your care. If you are unable to consent because you are disabled or not present, we may share some of your health information with family, friends or others. We may do this when, in the exercise of professional judgments, we determine that the disclosure is in your best interest. (NWFD) may also share health information with people to notify them about your location, general condition, or death.
You have a Right to:
Request restrictions: You have a right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information (NWFD) uses or discloses about you. (NWFD) may accommodate your request if possible but is not legally required to agree to the requested restriction. If (NWFD) agrees to a restriction, (NWFD) will follow it except in emergency situations.
Inspect and copy: You have a right to inspect or obtain a copy of your health information upon your written request. If you want copies of your health information, you will be charged a fee for copying. You have a right to choose what portions of your information you want copied and to have prior information on the cost of copying. In order to view or obtain copies of patient care reports you will be required to advise us of the date and time when we provided care. To view or obtain a copy your health information you may contact the (NWFD) Records Department at 410-635-6373 or 410-848-8223 and leaving a message for the EMS Captain, or by writing to the (NWFD) EMS Captain, P. O. Box 247 New Windsor, MD 21776..
Request amendment: You may request in writing that (NWFD) correct or add to your health record. (NWFD) may deny the request if (NWFD) determines that the health information is correct and complete, not created by us and/or not part of our records, or not permitted to be disclosed. If (NWFD) approves the request for amendment, (NWFD) will change the health information and inform you, and will tell others that need to know about the change.
Accounting of disclosures: You have a right to request a list of the disclosures made of your health information after April 14, 2003. Exceptions are health information that has been used for treatment and operations. In addition, (NWFD) does not have to list disclosures made to you, based on your written authorization, provided for national security, to law enforcement officials, or to correctional facilities. There will be no charge for up to one such list each year.
Notice: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice and/or an electronic copy by email upon request.
For More Information
If you have questions and would like more information, you may contact the (NWFD) HIPAA Compliance Officer, the EMS Captain, by calling 410-635-6373 or 410-848-8223 and leaving a message for the EMS Captain.
To Report a Problem about our Privacy Practices
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the (NWFD) HIPAA Compliance Officer, the EMS Captain, by calling 410-635-6373 or 310-848-8223 and leaving a message for the EMS Captain or writing to the (NWFD) EMS Captain, P. O. Box 247 New Windsor,MD 21776. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights. (NWFD) will take no retaliatory action against you if you file a complaint.
Effective Date: This Notice is effective on April 14, 2003.