privacy policy
This Notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can obtain access to this information. Please review it carefully.
Your privacy is important to us. Our privacy policy is in compliance with all state and federal guidelines concerning privacy of health information. Please contact our Privacy Officer if you have any questions or concerns about our policy. The Privacy Office’s address and phone number are located at the end of this document.
who must follow these guidelines?
Bon Secours Baltimore Health System (BSBHS) provides health care to our patients, residents, and clients in partnership with physicians and other professionals and organizations.
The information privacy practices in this notice will be followed by:
- Any health care professional that treats you at any BSBHS location
- All departments and units of BSBHS
- All employed associates, staff or volunteers of BSBHS, including staff at our regional, national and international offices, with whom we may share information
- Any business associate or partner of BSBHS with whom we share health information
our pledge to you
We understand that medical information about you is personal. We are committed to protecting medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive to provide quality care and to comply with legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care that we maintain, whether created by facility staff or your personal doctor. 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.
We are required by law to:
- Keep medical information about you private
- Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you
- Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect
changes to this notice
We may change our policies at any time. Changes will apply to medical information we already hold, as well as new information after the change occurs. Before we make a significant change in our policies, we will change our notice and post the new notice in waiting areas and exa.m. rooms. You can receive a copy of the current notice at any time. The effective date is listed just below the title. You will be offered a copy of the current notice each time you register at one of our facilities for treatment. You will be asked to acknowledge in writing your receipt of this notice.
how we may use and disclose medical information about you
We may use and disclose medical information about you for treatment (such as sending medical information about you to a specialist as part of a referral); to obtain payment for treatment (such as sending billing information to your insurance company or Medicare); and to support our health care operations (such as comparing patient data to improve treatment methods.)
Subject to certain requirements, we may use or disclose medical information about you without your prior authorization in the following situations: public health purposes, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight audits or inspections, research studies, funeral arrangements and organ donations, workers’ compensation purposes, and emergencies. We also disclose medical information when required by law, such as in response to a request from law enforcement in specific circumstances, or in response to a valid judicial or administrative order.
We may also contact you for appointment reminders, or to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options, alternatives, health- related benefits or services that may be of interest to you, or to support fund raising efforts.
If you are admitted as a patient, unless you tell us otherwise, we may list in the facility directory your name, location in the hospital and your general condition (good, fair, etc.). This information may be released to anyone who asks for you by name.
We may disclose medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care, or to disaster relief authorities so that your family can be notified of your location and condition.
other uses of medical information
In any situation not covered by this notice, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing information about you. If you choose to authorize use or disclosure, you can later revoke that authorization by notifying us in writing of your decision.
your rights regarding medical information about you
When you submit a written request, in most cases you have a right to look at or get a copy of medical information that we use to make decisions about your care. If you request copies we may charge a fee for the cost of copying, mailing, or other related supplies. If we deny your request to review or obtain a copy, you may submit a written request for a review of that decision.
If you believe that information in your record is inaccurate or if important information is missing, you have a right to request that we correct the records. This request should be made in writing and should provide the reason that you are requesting an a.m.endment. We could deny your request to a.m.end a record if the information was not created by us; if it is not part of the medical information maintained by us; or if we determine that record is accurate. You may appeal, in writing, or decision not to a.m.end a record.
You may submit a written request for a list of those instances where we have disclosed medical information about you, other than for treatment, payment, health care operations, or where you have specifically authorized disclosure. The request must state the desired time period for the accounting, which must be less than a 6- year period starting after April 14, 2003. You may receive the list in paper or electronic form. The first disclosure list in a 12- month period is free; other requests will be charged according to our cost of producing the list. We will inform you of the cost before you incur any charges.
If this notice was sent to you electronically, you have a right to a paper copy of this notice. You have the right to request that medical information about you be communicated to you in a confidential manner, such as sending mail to an address other than your home. This request should be made in writing and should specify the way or location we should use to communicate with you.
You may request, in writing, that we not use or disclose medical information about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations or to persons involved in your care except when specifically authorized by you, when required by law, or in an emergency. We will consider your request but we are not legally required to accept it. We will inform you of our decision on your request. All written request or appeals should be submitted to our privacy office listed at the end of this notice.
complaints
If you are concerned that your privacy rights may have been violated, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your records, you may contact our Privacy Officer at 410-362-3231, or you may contact the Bon Secours Values Line at 1-800-880-1286. Finally, you may send a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Our Privacy Officer can provide you with the address. Under no circumstances will you be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Bon Secours Baltimore Health System Privacy Officer
Bon Secours Hospital
2000 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
Phone: 410-362-3231
Fax: 410-362-3119
If you have further questions or concerns about any facility within Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, you may contact:
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) at (800) 994-6610, www.jointcommission.org or complaint@jointcommission.org
