HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
At Diabetes & Endocrine Specialists of Southwest Ohio, we are committed to protecting the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI). This Notice describes our legal duties and privacy practices regarding your medical information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
1. Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your medical information for the following core purposes without requiring your explicit written authorization:
- Treatment: We may use your PHI to provide medical care and coordinate your endocrine treatments. For example, we may share information with laboratory technicians, pharmacists, or referring primary care physicians.
- Payment: We may use and disclose your information so that the medical services you receive can be billed and collected from you, an insurance company, or a third party.
- Healthcare Operations: We may use your PHI to run our clinical practice efficiently, ensure all patients receive quality care, and manage front-desk operational metrics.
2. Permitted Disclosures Without Authorization
Federal regulations allow or require us to share your health information in specific administrative situations without your consent:
- Public Health Risks: To prevent or control disease, injury, or disability reporting (such as reporting specific diabetic or metabolic medical trends under public health monitoring).
- Law Enforcement & Legal Proceedings: In response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or similar legal process.
- Health Oversight Activities: For audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure reviews necessary for the government to monitor the healthcare system.
3. Your Privacy Rights Regarding Your PHI
As a patient of our practice, you hold specific legal rights under federal law:
- Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to look at and get a digital or physical copy of your medical and billing records.
- Right to Amend: If you feel that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment in writing.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a tracking list of specific disclosures we have made of your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or medical operations.
- Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment or payment operations.
4. Breaches and Updates
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this notice of our legal duties, and notify you following a breach of unsecured protected health information. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices, and any new updates will apply to all medical records we maintain.
5. File a Privacy Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint directly with our practice administrative office or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Privacy Officer / Administrative Desk
Diabetes & Endocrine Specialists of Southwest Ohio
5250 Far Hills Avenue, Suite 150
Dayton, OH 45429
Phone: (937) 356-9966