Notice of Privacy Practices

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information, to provide individuals with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information, and to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect.

This notice takes effect April 24, 2026, and will remain in effect until we replace it. You may request a copy of this notice at any time.

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law, and to make new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. When we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this notice and post the new notice clearly and prominently at our practice location, and we will provide copies of the notice upon request.

You may request a copy of our notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.

 

Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information

We may use and disclose health information about you in the following scenarios:

We may use and disclose your health information for different purposes, including treatment, payment, and health care operations. For each of these categories, we have provided a description and an example.

Important Notice Regarding Specially Protected Information:
Some information, including substance use disorder (SUD) treatment records, HIV-related information, genetic information, and mental health records, may be entitled to special confidentiality protections under applicable federal and state law. We will comply with all applicable laws regarding the use and disclosure of such information.

Substance Use Disorder Records:
Records related to substance use disorder diagnosis, treatment, or referral for treatment are protected under federal law (42 CFR Part 2). In general:

• We will not use or disclose these records without your written consent, except as permitted by law.
• A general consent may allow us to use and disclose these records for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as permitted by applicable law.
• These records may not be used in legal proceedings against you without your explicit consent or a court order.
• Recipients of these records may be prohibited from redisclosing them without your permission.

• Treatment

We may use and disclose your health information for your treatment. For example, we may disclose your health information to a specialist providing treatment to you.

• Payment

We may use and disclose your health information to obtain reimbursement for the treatment and services you receive from us or another entity involved with your care. Payment activities include billing, collections, claims management, and determinations of eligibility and coverage.

• Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. For example, healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, conducting training programs, and licensing activities.

• Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care

We may disclose your health information to your family or friends or any other individual identified by you when they are involved in your care or in the payment for your care.

• Disaster Relief

We may use or disclose your health information to assist in disaster relief efforts.

• Required by Law

We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.