Effective Date: April 14, 2003
Last Revision Date: February 7, 2022
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.
I. WHO PRESENTS THIS NOTICE
This Notice describes the privacy practices of Keralty Hospital, including members of its workforce, as well as the physician members of the medical staff, and allied health professionals who practice at the Hospital. The Hospital and the individual healthcare providers together are sometimes called "the Hospital and Health Professionals" in this Notice. While the Hospital and Health Professionals engage in many joint activities and provide services in a clinically integrated care setting, the Hospital and Health Professionals each are separate legal entities. This Notice applies to services furnished to you at Keralty Hospital as a Hospital inpatient or outpatient or any other services provided to you in a Hospital-affiliated program involving the use or disclosure of your health information.
II. PRIVACY OBLIGATIONS
The Hospital and Health Professionals are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information ("Protected Health Information" or "PHI") and to provide you with this Notice of legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your Protected Health Information. When the Hospital and Health Professionals use or disclose your Protected Health Information, the Hospital and Health Professionals are required to abide by the terms of this Notice (or other notice in effect at the time of the use or disclosure). Special privacy obligations, described in Section IV.E, apply to you if you are admitted to the Hospital’s psychiatric unit.
III. PERMISSIBLE USES AND DISCLOSURES WITHOUT YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
In certain situations, which are described in Section IV below, your written authorization must be obtained to use and/or disclose your PHI. However, the Hospital and Health Professionals do not need any type of authorization from you for the following uses and disclosures:
A. Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations. Your PHI, but not your “Highly Confidential Information” (defined in Section IV.D below), may be used and disclosed to treat you, obtain payment for services provided to you and conduct “health care operations” as detailed below:
Treatment. Your PHI may be used and disclosed to provide treatment and other services to you, for example, to diagnose and treat your injury or illness. In addition, you may be contacted to provide you appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. Your PHI may be disclosed to other providers involved in your treatment.
Payment. Your PHI may be used and disclosed to obtain payment for services provided to you from Medicare, the Florida Medicaid program or another governmental program that arranges or pays the cost of some or all your health care or to verify that such program will pay for healthcare. Your authorization will be obtained to disclose PHI to your private health insurer, HMO, or other private payor.
Health Care Operations. Your PHI may be used and disclosed for healthcare operations, which include risk management, internal administration and planning and various activities that improve the quality and cost effectiveness of the care delivered to you. For example, PHI may be used to evaluate the quality and competence of physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other health care workers. PHI mat be disclosed to the Hospital Privacy Office to resolve any complaints you may have and ensure that you have a comfortable visit.
Your PHI also may be disclosed to your other health care providers when such PHI is required for them to treat you, receive payment for services they render to you, or conduct certain health care operations, such as quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the quality and competence of health care professionals, or for health care fraud and abuse detection or compliance. In addition, PHI may be shared with business associates who perform treatment, payment, and health care operations services on behalf of the Hospital and Health Professionals.
B. Use or Disclosure for Directory of Individuals in the Hospital. The Hospital may include your name, location in the Hospital, general health condition and religious affiliation in a patient directory without obtaining your authorization unless you object to inclusion in the directory or are located in a specific ward, wing or unit the identification of which would reveal that you are receiving treatment for (1) mental health and developmental disabilities; (2) HIV/AIDS; (3) child abuse and neglect; (4) domestic and elder abuse or (5) sexual assault. Information in the directory may be disclosed to anyone who asks for you by name or members of the clergy; provided, however, that your religious affiliation will only be disclosed to members of the clergy.