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PRIVACY
NOTICE
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.
GENERAL
Bayada Nurses respects your confidentiality and privacy. We keep anything
we learn about you confidential, and we have policies and procedures
in place that protect your personal health information. In addition,
federal and state governments oversee home health care to be sure that
we furnish and you receive quality home health care services.
COLLECTION &
USE OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION
To provide services to you, we must collect information about you and
your health care needs from you and from others (e.g., insurance companies,
hospitals, physicians, family members, other caregivers). We may also
share information about you and your health care needs with the members
of our health care team, as well as with physicians, hospitals, other
healthcare providers, people involved directly in your care, insurance
companies, and so forth. Here are some examples of how we may use your
personal health information:
- To communicate
with your physician about your care to ensure that your care plan
is kept up-to-date and your needs are met.
- To share information
about your care with your insurer or health plan in order to receive
payment and authorization for your care.
- For review and
learning purposes within our company to help ensure we are providing
quality care.
For other disclosures
not related to your treatment, payment to Bayada Nurses, or our general
health care operations, we must have your signature on a specific authorization
form. For example, if you change physicians, we will need your authorization
to release your records to your new doctor. There are a few situations
in which we may release information about your care without seeking
your permission. These are all clearly defined in laws and government
regulations, which we must follow. For example:
- When a law enforcement
official presents us with a subpoena, warrant or court order to see
your records
- When an accrediting
body asks to see your records to ensure that we are providing quality
healthcare
- When a government
regulatory agency or oversight board asks to see your records to ensure
that we are conforming to laws and regulations, including the Health
Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA).
YOUR PRIVACY
RIGHTS
You have the right:
- To know and see
the information about your care in our files and to request copies
of your medical chart. You must give us reasonable time to prepare
for your visit to our office to see the records or to make copies
of your information. If you cannot see the records personally, you
may designate someone to do so on your behalf.
- To request that
certain people NOT have access to your personal health information.
We ask that you provide this information to our staff.
- To ask us to
amend information in our files that you think is incorrect or incomplete.
You may use our "Request to Amend My Personal Health Information
Form" for this purpose. Under some circumstances we may deny
your request.This may happen if :
- We did not
create the information
- The medical
information is not kept by us
- The information
we have is accurate and complete
- To request an
accounting of any disclosures that you did not authorize. This is
a list of any releases of your medical information that is not related
to treatment, payment or Bayada's health care operations. It may also
include releases to attorneys, law enforcement officials, and government
agencies. To request a copy of this list, please contact your Staff
or Nursing Supervisor or the local office Director.
VISUAL IMAGES
Photographs, videotapes, and digital or other images may need to be
recorded to document your care. Bayada Nurses retains ownership rights
to these photographs, videotapes, and digital or other images. We will
store them in a secure manner in order to protect your privacy. You
have the right to view these images or to obtain copies. You must give
us reasonable time to prepare for your visit to our office to see them
or to make copies. If you cannot see them personally, you may designate
someone to do so on your behalf.
E-MAIL
Bayada Nurses may occasionally communicate information about your care
via e-mail. There are a number of risks associated with e-mail.
- E-mail can be
circulated, forwarded and stored electronically.
- E-mail messages
can be printed.
- E-mail senders
can misaddress an e-mail.
- E-mail is easier
to falsify than handwritten or signed documents.
- Backup copies
of e-mail exist even after the sender or the recipient has deleted
the message.
- E-mail can be
intercepted, altered, forwarded or used without authorization and
often without detection.
- E-mail can contain
viruses, which may be introduced into computer systems.
Bayada Nurses uses
reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of e-mail
information that is sent and received. However, because of the risks
outlined above, Bayada cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality
of the information.
We take the following precautions with e-mail containing confidential
information.
- We will, where
possible, remove any detailed identifying information (e.g., refer
to you by first name and last initial or by our internal client number,
instead of by your full name).
- We will print
all e-mails about your health care treatment or payment and make them
part of your record.
- We will only
send e-mails from Bayada Nurses computer systems, which are password-protected
to help guard against unauthorized access and use.
- Bayada Nurses
employees who receive e-mail regarding your treatment and payment
may forward messages internally to other Bayada employees. However,
e-mail will not be forwarded to independent third parties without
your written authorization unless required by law.
Bayada does not
use e-mail to communicate sensitive medical information regarding sexually
transmitted diseases, AIDS/HIV, mental health, developmental disabilities
or substance abuse. If there are other types of information you do not
wish to be transmitted via e-mail, please notify us as soon as possible.
We recommend that
any e-mail you send or third parties send regarding your treatment by
Bayada Nurses should only be sent to an e-mail address at Bayada Nurses
(i.e., an address ending in 'Bayada.com').
Bayada Nurses employees
endeavor to read and respond to e-mails promptly. However, we recommend
that you avoid e-mail for emergencies or time-sensitive matters.
CHANGES TO THIS
NOTICE
On occasion we may need to update or change this Privacy Notice. Copies
of the updated Notice will be available in our local office and will
also be posted on our web site. If you would like to receive another
copy of this Notice, please ask your Staff or Nursing Supervisor at
any time.
QUESTIONS
If you feel your privacy rights have been violated or if you have any
questions or concerns regarding possible violations of your privacy,
please contact your local Bayada Nurses office or Bayada Nurses' Privacy
Officer using the methods listed below.
Toll Free Compliance
Hot Line: 1-866-665-4295
Compliance E-mail Address: hotline@bayada.com.
Confidential on-line Compliance Report Form
You may also file
a complaint with the Secretary of the United States Department of Human
Services or your State's Home Health Agency Hotline.
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