Christ Hospital
has earned the Joint Commission's
Gold Seal of Approval
|
 |
|
|
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date April 14, 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.
Who will follow this notice?
Christ Hospital provides health care to our patients and clients in partnership with physicians and other healthcare professionals and organizations. The information privacy practices in this notice will be followed by:
- Any health care professional who treats you in the hospital or in your home.
- All departments and units of our organization.
- All employed associates, staff or volunteers of Christ Hospital.
- Any business associates of Christ Hospital with whom we share health information.
Our pledge to you:
We understand that medical information about you is personal. We are committed to protecting medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive to provide quality care and to comply with legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care that we maintain, whether created by hospital staff or your personal doctor. Your personal doctor may have different policies or notices regarding the doctor's use or disclosure of your medical information created in the doctor's office. We are required by law to:
- Keep medical information about you private.
- Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you.
- Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
Changes to this Notice
We may change our policies at any time. Changes will apply to medical information we already hold, as well as new information after the change occurs. Before we make a significant change in our policies, we will change our notice and post the new notice in all points of access and on our Web site at dev.christhospital.org. You will be offered a copy of the current notice when you register at our facility for treatment. You will also be asked to acknowledge in writing your receipt of this notice.
How we may use and disclose medical information about you.
- We may use and disclose medical information about you for treatment (such as sending medical information about you to a specialist as part of a referral); to obtain payment for treatment (such as sending billing information to your insurance company); and to support our health care operations (such as comparing patient data to improve treatment methods).
- We may use or disclose medical information about you without your prior authorization for several reasons. Subject to certain requirements, we may give out medical information about you without prior authorization for public health purposes, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight audits or inspections, research studies, funeral arrangements and organ donation, worker's compensation purposes, and emergencies. We may also disclose medical information when required by law, such as in response to a request from law enforcement in specific circumstances, or in response to valid judicial administrative orders.
- Unless you choose to opt-out of any of the following, we also may contact you for appointment reminders by telephone or mail, or to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options, alternatives, and health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you, or to support fundraising efforts.
- If admitted as a patient, unless you tell us otherwise or unless privacy exceptions in accordance with Federal or State laws apply, we will list in the hospital directory your name, location in the hospital, your general condition (good, fair, etc.) and your religious affiliation, and will release all but your religious affiliation to anyone who asks about you by name. Your religious affiliation may be disclosed only to a clergy member, even if they do not ask for you by name.
- We may disclose medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care, or to disaster relief authorities so that your family can be notified of your location and condition.
Special protections for HIV, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Genetic Information
Special privacy protections apply to HIV related information, alcohol and abuse treatment information, mental health information, and genetic information. Some parts of this general Notice of Privacy Practice may not apply to these types of information. If your treatment involves this information, you will be provided with separate authorization for release of your information.
Other uses of medical information
- In any other situation not covered by this notice, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing medical information about you. If you chose to authorize use or disclosure, you can later revoke that authorization by notifying us in writing of your decision.
Your rights regarding medical information about you
- In most cases, you have the right to look at or get a copy of medical information that we use to make decisions about your care, when you submit a written request. If you request copies, we may charge a fee for the cost of copying, mailing or other related supplies. If we deny your request to review or obtain a copy, you may submit a written request for a review of the decision.
- If you believe that information in your record is incorrect or if important information is missing, you have the right to request that we correct the records, by submitting a request in writing that provides your reason for requesting the amendment. We could deny your request to amend a record if the information was not created by us, if it is not part of the medical information maintained by us; or if we determine that record is accurate. You may appeal, in writing, a decision by us not to amend a record.
- You have the right to a list of those instances where we have disclosed medical information about you, other than for treatment, payment, health care operations or where you specifically authorized a disclosure, when you submit a written request. The request must state the time period desired for the accounting, which must be less than a 6-year period and starting after April 14, 2003. You may receive the list in paper or electronic form. The first disclosure list request in a 12-month period is free, other requests will be charged according to our cost or producing the list. We will inform you if there is a cost.
- If this notice was sent to you electronically, you may have the right to a paper copy of this notice.
- You have the right to request that medical information about you be communicated to you in a confidential manner, such as sending mail to an address other than your home, by notifying us in writing of the specific way or location for us to use to communicate with you.
- You may request, in writing, that we do not use or disclose medical information about you for treatment, payment or healthcare operations or to persons involved in your care except when specifically authorized by you, when required by law, or in an emergency. We will consider your request but we are not legally required to accept it. We will inform you of our decision upon request.
All written requests or appeals should be submitted to our Privacy Officer listed at the bottom of this notice.
Complaints
- If you are concerned that your privacy rights may have been violated, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your records, you may contact our Privacy Officer (listed below). You may also contact our Corporate Compliance Officer at (201) 795-8616 or the Christ Hospital Values Line, a 24-hour hotline, at 1-888-475-8376.
- Finally, you may send a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Our Privacy Officer can Provide you the address.
- Under no circumstances will you be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Privacy Officer
Gail McCarthy
176 Palisade Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 795-8616
gmccarthy@christhospital.org
|
|
|
