PRIVACY POLICY

Notice of Privacy Practices

UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEALTH RECORD/INFORMATION
Each time you visit a physician or other healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made. This
information often referred to as your health or medical record, services as a:

• Basis for planning your care and treatment
• Means of communicating among the health professionals who contribute to your care.
• Legal document describing the care you received
• Means by which you or a third party payer can verify that at the services were actually provided.

YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
Although your health record is the physical property of this healthcare practitioner or facility that
compiled it, the information belongs to you. It is your right to:

• Obtain a paper copy of your health record upon request.
• Request an opportunity to review your medical record.
• Amend your medical record (as allowed by law).
• Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information (as allowed by law).
• Revoke your authorization of disclosures of your health information except to the extent that
  action has already been taken.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Pioneer Valley Cardiology is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of your health information
• Provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information
  we collect and maintain about you.
• Abide by the terms of this notice.
• Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
• Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by
  alternative means or to alternative locations.

EXAMPLES OF USES AND DISCLOSURES:
We will use your health information for treatment, payment and regular health operation.
OTHER PERMITTED OR REQUIRED USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT MAY BE MADE WITH YOUR CONSENT:

• Authorization or Opportunity to Object: We may use and disclose your health information as set
  forth below. You have the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part
  of your health information in these instances. If you are not present or able to agree or object
  to the use or disclosure of the health information (such as in an emergency situation), then your
  physician using professional judgment determines whether the disclosure is in your best
  interest. In this case, only the information that is relevant to your health care will be disclosed.
• Covered Entities: Pioneer Valley Cardiology works with many providers and agencies. Examples
  include services in the emergency department, providers or x-ray or laboratory services and
  other physicians involved in managing your care. When these services are requested and
  provided, we may disclose your health information so that they can perform the job we’ve
  asked them to do on your behalf and to allow them to bill you or your third party payor for
  services rendered. These providers and agencies that participate in your care are called Covered
  Entities.
• For Payment: Pioneer Valley Cardiology may use and disclose medical information about your
  treatment and services to bill and collect payment from you. For example, we may need to give
  your insurance company information before it approves or pays for the health care services we
  recommend for you.
• Business Associates: Pioneer Valley Cardiology conducts business with many vendors who may
  from time to time have access to information in your health record. Examples include our
  answering service, support personnel for our practice computer or nuclear medicine vendors.
  To safeguard information, we require all Business Associates to sing a Business Associate
  Agreement which requires them to maintain the confidentiality of your information.
• Notification: We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family
  member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, and general
  condition. Pioneer Valley Cardiology also has a practice of appointment reminder calls to
  patients. These messages may be given directly to the patient, family member, or
  communicated via a phone message machine. On occasion, Pioneer Valley Cardiology may need
  to communicate your test results by telephone. If we do not reach your directly, a message may
  be left with a family member or communicated via a telephone message.
• Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care: Unless you object, we may release
  medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical
  care or who helps pay for your care. In addition, we may disclose medical information about
  you to an entity assisting in a disaster relief efforts so that your family can be notified about
  your condition, status and location.
• Worker’s Compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and
  necessary to comply with laws relating to Worker’s Compensation or other similar programs.