Notice of Privacy Practices

PLEASE   REVIEW   IT CAREFULLY.

Treatment. Your health information may be used by staff members or disclosed to other health care professionals for the purpose of evaluating your health, diagnosing medical conditions, and providing treatment. For example, results of laboratory tests and procedures will be available in your medical record to all health professionals who may provide treatment or who may be consulted by staff members.

Payment. Your health information may be used to seek payment from your health plan, from other sources of coverage such as an automobile insurer, or from credit card companies that you may use to pay for medical services. For example, your health plan may request and receive information on dates of service, the services provided, and the medical condition being treated.

Health care operations. Your health information may be used as necessary to support the day-to-day activities and management of Garrett Surgical Group, P.A. For example, information on the services you received may be used to support budgeting and financial reporting, and activities to evaluate and promote quality.

 Law enforcement. Your health information may be disclosed to law enforcement agencies, without your permission, to support government audits and inspections, to facilitate law-enforcement investigations, and to comply with government mandated reporting.

Public health reporting. Your health information may be disclosed to public health agencies as required by law. For example, we are required to report certain communicable diseases to the state's public health department.

Other uses and disclosures require your authorization. Disclosure of your health information or its use for any purpose other than those listed above requires your specific written authorization. If you change your mind after authorizing a use or disclosure of your information you may submit a written revocation of the authorization. However, your decision to revoke the authorization will not affect or undo any use or disclosure of information that occurred before you notified us of your decision.

Appointment reminders. Your health information will be used by our staff to send you  appointment reminders.

Information about treatments. Your health information may be used to send you information on the treatment and management of your medical condition that you may find to be of interest. We may also send you information describing other health-related goods and service that we believe may interest you.

You have certain rights under the federal privacy standards. These include:

·         The right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your protected health information

·         The right to receive confidential communications concerning your medical condition and treatment

·         The right to inspect and copy your protected health information

·         The right to amend or submit corrections to your protected health information

·         The right to receive an accounting of how and to whom your protected health information has been disclosed

·         The right to receive a printed copy of this notice

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices, at your request.

We also are required to abide by the privacy policies and practices that are outlined in this notice.

As permitted by law, we reserve the right to amend or modify our privacy policies and practices. These changes in our policies and practices may be required as a result of changes in federal and state laws and regulations. Whatever the reason for these revisions, we will provide you with a revised notice at the time of your next office visit. The revised policies and practices will be applied to all protected health information that we maintain.

As permitted by federal regulation, we require that requests to inspect or copy protected health information be submitted in writing, certain copying fees will apply. You may obtain a form to request access to your records by contacting Tamara Forrester.

If you would like to submit a comment or complaint about our privacy practices, you can do so by sending a letter outlining your concerns to:

Tamara Forrester, Office Manager

Garrett Surgical Group, P.A.

311 North Fourth Street

Oakland, MD 21550

If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you should call the matter to our attention by sending a letter describing the cause of your concern to the same address.

You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Effective Date : This notice is effective on or after January 01, 2003.

Consent to Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information

Use and Disclosure of Your
Protected Health Information

Your protected health information will be used by Garrett Surgical Group, P.A. or disclosed to others for the purposes of treatment, obtaining payment, or supporting the day-to-day health care operations of the practice.

Notice of Privacy Practices

You should review the Notice of Privacy Practices for a more complete description of how your protected health information may be used or disclosed.  You may review the notice prior to signing this consent.

Requesting a Restriction

Garrett Surgical Group, P.A. may not agree to restrict the use or disclosure of your protected health information. If Garrett Surgical Group, P.A. agrees to  your request, the restriction will be binding on the practice. Use or disclosure of protected information in violation of an agreed upon restriction will be a  violation of the federal privacy standards.  You may revoke this consent to the use and disclosure of your protected health information. You must revoke this consent in writing. Any use or disclosure that has already occurred prior to the date on which your revocation of consent is received will not be affected.

G     Garrett Surgical Group, P.A. reserves the right to modify the privacy practices outlined in the notice.

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