Privacy Policy


Notice of Privacy Practices

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

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Privacy Officer at 270-831-7850.

OUR PLEDGE REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION: We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required by law to abide by the terms of the current Privacy Notice. Your personal doctor may have different policies or notices regarding the doctor's use and disclosure of your medical information created in the doctor's office or clinic.

We will not use or disclose your medical information without your authorization except as provided in this notice. If you provide us written authorization, you may revoke your authorization at any time in writing. However, the revocation will not be effective as to any medical information disclosed prior to the revocation.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU: The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose medical information. For each category of uses or disclosures we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. Information may be disclosed in writing, orally, or electronically.

For Treatment

* We may use your medical information to provide you with treatment or services.

* We may disclose your medical information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other personnel who are involved in your care.

* For example, a doctor treating you for a broken leg may need to know if you have diabetes because diabetes may slow the healing process. Different departments may share medical information about you in order to coordinate the different things you need. We also may disclose medical information about you to people outside our facilities who may be involved in your medical care.


For Payment

* We may use and disclose your medical information so that we or any of your physicians can bill and collect payment for the treatment and services you receive.

* For example we may give your health information to your insurance company about treatment you received so they will pay us or reimburse you. We may also tell your insurance company about treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or find out whether they will pay for the treatment.


For Health Care Operations

* We may use and disclose medical information about you for our delivery of care. These uses and disclosures are necessary to operate our facilities and ensure that all of our patients receive quality care.

For example

(1) We may use medical information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate our performance.

(2) We may combine medical information about patients to decide what additional services we should offer, what services are needed, and whether certain new treatments are effective.

(3) We may disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students and other personnel for review and learning purposes.

(4) We may combine the medical information we have with medical information from other hospitals to compare how we are doing and see where we can make improvements in the care and services we offer or provide.

(5) We may remove information that identifies you from your medical information so others may use it to study health care and health care delivery without identifying you.


Business Associates: We contract with outside organizations, called business associates, to perform some operational tasks for us. Examples would include billing agencies and a copy service we use when making copies of your health record. When these services are performed, we disclose the necessary health information to these companies so that they can perform the tasks we have asked them to do and bill you or your third-party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.

Appointment Reminders: We may use and disclose some medical information to remind you of appointments, annual exams, prescription refills, or other services.

Treatment Alternatives: We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you. For example, this may include specific brand name or over the counter pharmaceuticals.

Health-Related Benefits and Services: We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about health-related benefits or services. For example, this may include a new heart care program that we offer.

Fund Raising Activities: We may use medical information to contact you in an effort to raise money. We may disclose medical information to a foundation related to our facilities so that the foundation may contact you in raising money. We only release contact information, such as your name, address and phone number and the dates you received treatment or services. If you do not want to be contacted for fund raising efforts, you must notify the Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center Wellness Planning Department, in writing.

Hospital Directory: We may include certain limited information about you in the hospital directory while you are a patient. This information may include your name, location in the hospital, or your general condition (e.g. fair, stable, etc.) This information may be disclosed to the media and/or members of the clergy or your church. If you do not want this information shared, please let us know.

Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care: Unless you object, we and our physician staff members, including surgeons, may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, your health information that directly relates to that person's involvement in your health care or payment related to your care. If you are unable to agree or to object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment. Finally, we may use or disclose your health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and to coordinate uses and disclosures to family or other individuals directly involved in your health care.

Research: Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose medical information about you for research purposes. For example:

* We may release information about you to researchers preparing to conduct a research project who need to know how many patients have a specific health problem.

* We may also use and disclose medical information about you for research purposes if the research has been subjected to a careful review process conducted by a specially selected and trained committee and received this committee's approval. This process evaluates a proposed research project and its use of medical information, and balances the potential benefit of the research against individual patient's need for privacy of their medical information.

* A research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all patients who received one medication to those who received another for the same condition. In that situation, you would not be identified or contacted, but your medical information may be used but kept confidential.

* In other studies, if a doctor caring for you believes you may be interested in, or benefit from , a research study, your doctor and the committee will approve someone to contact you to see if you are interested in the study. At that time, you would be contacted with more information and you would have the right to authorize continued contact or refuse further contact.


THE FOLLOWING USES AND DISCLOSURES ARE REQUIRED OR PERMITTED BY LAW

To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: We may use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

Health-Related Benefits and Services: We may use and disclose medical information about you to tell you about health related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

Organ and Tissue Donation: If you are an organ donor, we may release medical information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical information about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

Workers' Compensation: We may release medical information about you for workers' compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Public Health Risks and Patient Safety Issues: We may disclose medical information about you for public health purposes to Public Health Authorities, child abuse agencies, companies under the Food and Drug Administration, persons who may be at risk of contracting or spreading disease and employers under certain circumstances:

* to prevent or control disease, injury or disability;

* to report births and deaths;

* to report reactions to medications or problems with projects;

* to notify people of recalls of products they may be using;

* to notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition;

* to notify and/or report the appropriate government authority an actual or suspected child or adult abuse has occurred, we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.


Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose medical information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute.

Law Enforcement: We may release medical information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:

* In response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;

* To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person;

* About the victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person's agreement;

* About a death we believe may be the result of a criminal conduct;

* About criminal conduct at the hospital; and

* In emergency circumstances to report a crime; the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.


Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors: We may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical information about patients of the hospital to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

National Security and Intelligence Activities: We may release medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others: We may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.

Inmates: To correctional facilities when treating inmates. The rights listed in this notice will not apply to inmates of a correctional institution.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION

Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about your care. This includes medical and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes.

To inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request in writing to Health Information Management. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of locating, copying, mailing and/or costs for supplies associated with your request.

We may deny your request to inspect and copy in some limited circumstances. If you are denied access to medical information, you may request that the denial be reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by our facilities will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.

Right to Amend: If you feel that medical information we have about you is incorrect, you have the right to request an amendment.

To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to the Health Information Management Department. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request.

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request, if you ask us to amend information that:

* Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;

* Is not part of the medical information kept by our facilities;

* Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or

* Is accurate and complete.


Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures." This is a list of people who received your medical information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, as authorized by you to see your medical records.

The accounting will not disclose disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosure made directly to you; disclosures authorized by you pursuant to a signed authorization; disclosures made for national security or intelligence purposes; and disclosures to correctional institutions and for other law enforcement purposes. This list will not include disclosures made before April 14, 2003.

To request this list or accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Health Information Management Department. Your request must state a time period which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. The first list you request within a 12 month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.

Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the ways medical information is used. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery you had.

We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to the Health Information Management Department. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse. We will not be bound by these restrictions unless agreed to by us in writing

Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail.

To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to the Health Information Management Department. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice in all of our facilities. The notice will contain the effective date. In addition, each time you register at or are admitted for treatment or health care services we will make a copy of the current notice available to you.

COMPLAINTS:

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Privacy Officer for Community United Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center Wellness, Inc. or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint, contact the Privacy Officer at (270)831-7850. All complaints must be submitted in writing the attention of Privacy Officer, at Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center Wellness, 230 Hospital Plaza, Weston, WV 26452 (304) 269-8000.

YOU WILL NOT BE PENALIZED FOR FILING A COMPLAINT

Any and all requests or exercise of rights shall be made in writing and addressed to the Director of Health Information Management, Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center Wellness, 230 Hospital Plaza, Weston, WV 26452 (304) 269-8000.

Effective Date: April 14, 2003