Patient Privacy

We are dedicated to protecting your right to privacy of your medical information while providing the highest quality medical care. We want you to be aware of new regulations that affect how we use and disclose your medical information, and the rights you have regarding your medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establish standards for the release of medical information that personally identifies you.

Our Privacy Practices

We must provide you access to a Privacy Notice that explains how we may use or disclose your medical information. We will ask for you to acknowledge that you have received our privacy notice when you are first admitted to our hospital or clinic.

Asante Privacy Practices: (click a link to view/print)

English

Spanish

Your Permission

Once we have let you know about our privacy practices, we may release information about you for purposes of your treatment,billing for services, or for hospital operations such as quality assurance without further permission from you.

However:

• You may restrict to whom you want your medical information to be released. We will review your request on a case-by-case basis.
• You may revoke your permission to use and disclose your medical information at any time.

Authorization

You may be asked to sign an authorization form allowing release of information for other purposes not related to your treatment, billing for services or hospital operations. You are not required to sign an authorization form. We will not deny treatment if you elect not to sign the authorization form.

Facility Directory

Hospitals typically include your name, location in the hospital and your condition in the facility directory. You may exclude this information from the directory by telling the hospital not to include it.
The hospital may release information including the fact that you are in the hospital, where you are located and your general condition to inquiring family and friends, and in the some circumstances to the media. You may restrict this disclosure by telling the hospital you do not want that information released.

Your Rights Regarding Your Medical Records

The federal privacy regulations give you many rights regarding your medical records. They include:

• The right to an accounting of certain disclosures of your medical information in the six years prior to the date of your request.
• The right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical information.
• The right to receive confidential communications of your medical information by an alternative location.
• The right to request an amendment to your medical record.
• The right to submit a complaint to this hospital about how your medical information is used or disclosed.

If you have any questions about how we will use or disclose your medical information, or about your rights, please contact the Asante Privacy Officer at (541) 789-5668.