USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We use and disclose health information about you for treatment. payment and healthcare operations. For example:
Treatment
We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Your Authorization
In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment of healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this notice.
To Your Family and Friends
We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patients Rights Section of this Notice. We may disclose health information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment of your healthcare, but only if you agree that we may do so.
Persons Involved In Care
We may use or disclose health information to notify, or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, then prior to use of disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such use or disclosure, in the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on determination using our professional judgement disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your healthcare. We will also use our professional judgement and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays, or other similar forms of health information.
Marketing Health-Related Services
We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Required By Law
We may disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or Neglect
We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or possible victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your health or safety of others.
National Security
We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institution or law enforcement official having lawful custody or protected health information of inmate or patient under certain circumstances.
Appointment Reminders
We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voice mail messages, postcards or letters).