Privacy Policy
NOTICE OF PRIVATE PRACTICES
Last Updated 12/21/2023
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
OUR PLEDGE REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION: The privacy of your medical information is important to us. We understand that your medical information is personal, and we are committed to protecting it. We create a record of the care and services you receive at our organization, and we need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice will describe the ways we may use and share this information. It also describes your rights and our obligations with respect to such information. This notice applies to all use and disclosure of information about you that is made by health care professionals, staff, employees, students, trainees, volunteers and certain associates of Midwest Express Clinic at each facility in the Midwest Express Clinic system. It also applies to any sharing of information among Midwest Express Clinic facilities and locations. Your personal provider may have different policies regarding use and disclosure of protected health information about you. You should check with each of your personal providers and obtain a copy of the notice of privacy practices applicable to their respective use and disclosure of protected health information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. OUR USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
2. OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
3. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
OUR USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION:
Treatment. Your health information may be used by staff members or disclosed to other health care professionals for evaluating your health, diagnosing medical conditions, and providing treatment. For example, results of laboratory tests and procedures will be available in your medical record to all health professionals who may provide treatment or who may be consulted by our staff members. We will disclose personal health information of persons in the care and custody of a correctional institution or law enforcement to provide them health care, for the health and safety of others, or for the health, safety and good order of the correctional facility. An inmate of a correctional institution does not have all the rights listed in this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Reminders/Notifications. Our staff will use your health information to send you follow-up care, referral or appointment reminders. We may also send you information describing changes occurring at Midwest Express Clinic such as, address changes, new locations or changes in business hours.
Health Management. Your health information may be used to send you information that you may find interesting on the treatment and management of your medical condition. We may also send you information describing other health-related products and services that may be of interest to you.
Payment. We may use and disclose your medical information for payment purposes. We may need to give your health insurance plan information so that your health plan will pay us or repay you for services. Individuals involved in your care or payment for your care. We may use or disclose to a family member, other relative, close friend, or any other person you identify, protected health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care. We may exercise our professional judgment to determine if a disclosure is in your best interest and disclose only information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement with your health care. If you would like to restrict disclosures made to a family member, other relatives, close personal friends or any other person you identify, please contact your Midwest Express Clinic caretaker or the Privacy Officer listed below.
Healthcare Operations. Your health information may be used as necessary to support the day-to-day activities and management of Midwest Express Clinic. This might include measuring and improving quality, evaluating the performance of employees, conducting training programs and getting accreditation, certificates, licenses and credentials we need to serve you. We may combine protected health information about you with that about other patients to help us evaluate our performance and to determine necessary medical services in the community served. For example, we may use protected health information about you to review, assess, compare and improve the skills of individual Midwest Express Clinic staff members, the overall level of care provided at a Midwest Express Clinic facility, or the various levels of success achieved by a particular treatment among various Midwest Express Clinic facilities and the possible causes for such differences.
Your Personal Information. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES:
Disaster Relief Efforts. In certain cases, as permitted by law, we may release information to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that they may notify your family members of your location and general condition.
Research. Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose protected health information about you for research purposes. Before they begin, all research projects that are conducted at Midwest Express Clinic are carefully reviewed regarding the purpose and scope of the project itself and regarding their use and disclosure of protected health information. Except in very limited circumstances as permitted by applicable law, we will ask for your specific written permission if protected health information that identifies you will be used or disclosed in connection with a research project.
As Required by Law. Midwest Express Clinic will use and disclose protected health information about you when we are required to do so by federal, state or local law.
Serious Threats to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose protected health information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety, or the health and safety of other individuals or the public in general. For example, as further described below, we may be required to report cases of certain contagious or infectious diseases to public health authorities, or to report possible cases of child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities.
Health Oversight Activities. We may use and disclose protected health information about you to health oversight agencies for certain activities authorized by law for the appropriate oversight of the health care system, governmental benefit programs and regulatory or statutory compliance. For example, we may disclose information to facilitate and enable certain audits, investigations, inspections, licensing determinations and disciplinary actions.
Public Health. We may disclose protected health information for various public health activities and programs, authorized by law, to a number of different public entities or organizations, generally including the following:
To prevent or control disease, injury or disability;