This notice describes how medical information about you can be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
If you have any questions, please contact our Privacy Officer at 573.632.5645.
Who will follow this notice?
The list below tells you who will follow the outlined practice for keeping your medical record private.
- All hospitals and clinics that are part of the Capital Region Medical Center (CRMC).
- Any CRMC healthcare professional that treats you at any of our locations.
- All CRMC employees, temporary or contract staff, students and volunteers.
What is this notice?
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We are also required by law to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding your health information. We are required to notify you if there is a breach of your unsecured protected health information. We are required to follow the terms of the current Notice of Privacy Practices.
How we may use and disclose your health information
We may use and disclose your health information for:
Treatment: We may use and disclose health information for your medical treatment and services. For example, we may disclose your health information to a physician or facility to provide you with continued medical treatment.
Payment: We may use and disclose health information to bill for and receive payment for the services provided to you. For example, we may send health information to your insurance company so they will pay for your treatment.
Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose health information for purposes of healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviews of the competence or qualifications of our healthcare providers, and business planning and development.
Appointment Reminders: To remind you that you have an appointment scheduled with us.
Treatment Alternatives: To inform you of treatment options available to you.
As required by Law: When required to do so by applicable law.
To prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: To prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of others.
Individuals Involved in your Care: We may release health information about you to a friend and/or family member who is involved in your care. We can tell that friend and/or family member of your condition and that you are in the hospital for treatment or services. We also can give this information to someone who will help or is helping to pay for your care.
Organ and Tissue Donation: Organ or tissue donation to organizations that handle organ procurement and transplant.
Decedents: Health records for patients deceased 50 or more years are no longer considered Protected Health Information.
Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, as required by military command authority.
Worker's Compensation: For worker's compensation purposes or similar programs providing benefits for work related injury or illness.
Public Health Activities: For public health activities such as preventing or control of disease, reporting births and deaths, and reporting child abuse and neglect.
Health Oversight Activities: To governmental agencies and boards as authorized by law such as licensing and compliance purposes.
Disaster Relief: We can disclose health information about you to a public or private entity that is authorized by law or its charter to assist in disaster relief efforts, i.e., the American Red Cross, for the purpose of notification of family and/or friends of your whereabouts and condition.
Lawsuits and Disputes: In response to a warrant, court order, or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement: Pursuant to process and as otherwise required by law.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors: As necessary to determine the cause of death or to perform their duties.
National Security and Intelligence Activities: To authorized federal officials for intelligence and other national security activities as authorized by law.
Protective Services for the President and Others: To federal officials to provide protection to the President and other authorized persons, or conduct special investigations.
Inmates or Individuals in Custody: If you are an inmate or in the custody of law enforcement, we may disclose to the correctional institution or law enforcement official as necessary to provide you with healthcare, to protect the health and safety of you and others, or for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Fundraising: We may use information about you to contact you in an effort to raise money for CRMC. A Foundation related to CRMC may receive contact information, which includes your name, address and phone number and the dates that you received services from CRMC. You will be provided a convenient opt-out opportunity upon contact by CRMC.
Other uses and disclosures
With certain exceptions, we are not allowed to use or disclose psychotherapy notes without your authorization. We are also not allowed to use or disclose your health information for marketing purposes or sell your health information without your authorization. Other uses and disclosures of your health information not described in this Notice of Privacy Practices or applicable laws will require your written authorization.
If you choose to permit us to use or disclose your health information, you can revoke that authorization by informing us of your decision in writing. If you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your health information as set forth in the authorization. However, any use or disclosure of your health information made in reliance on your authorization before it was revoked, will not be affected by the revocation.
Electronic Health Information Exchange
Capital Region participates in an electronic Health Information Exchange (HIE).The HIE facilitates the transmission of your health information among providers who are members of the HIE and providing medical treatment to you. The HIE stores your data in a secured repository for member providers who may treat you in the future, provided they have established a treatment relationship with you.
As our patient, your health information is automatically available in the HIE. If you do not wish to have your information shared in the HIE, you must opt-out of the HIE. To opt-out of the HIE, you will need to opt-out in writing by requesting completing and signing a form available from the Health Information Services department.
Use and disclosure for facility directory
We may use or disclose your health information in order to include you in CRMC's patient directory. Directory information includes your name, location in the hospital and your general condition. We may disclose this information to people that ask for you by name. In addition, a member of clergy may obtain your religious affiliation, even if they do not ask for you by name.
Your rights regarding your health information
In most cases, you may make a written request to look at, or get a copy of your health information. 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 have the right to have that denial reviewed by a licensed healthcare professional who was not directly involved in the denial of your request, and we will comply with the outcome of that review.
If your health information is maintained in electronic format, you have the right to request an electronic copy of your health information. If your health information is not readily producible in the format you request, it will be provided either in our standard electronic format or as a paper document. We may charge you a reasonable cost based fee for the labor associated with transmitting electronic health information.
Right to Request Amendment to PHI: You have a right to request that your health information be changed if you believe that it is incorrect or incomplete. You have a right to request changes for as long as the information is kept by CRMC. To request a change in your information, you must submit it in writing to our Privacy Officer. In addition, you must give the reason that you want the information changed, including why you think the information is incorrect or incomplete. We can deny your request if it is not in writing and if it does not include a reason why the information should be changed. We also can deny your request for the following reasons: (1) the information was not created by the Hospital, unless the person or entity that did create the information is no longer available; (2) the information is not part of the medical record kept by or for CRMC; (3) the information is not part of the information that you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (4) we believe the information is accurate and complete.
You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures we made of your health information, for a period of time up to six years prior to the date of your request. The first list you request in a 12 month period is free. If you make more requests during that time, you may be charged our cost to produce the list. We will tell you about the cost before you are charged.
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.
You have the right to request that your health information be given to you in a confidential manner. You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location, such as by mail or at your workplace. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
You have a right to ask that we not disclose your health information to your health plan if the disclosure is for the purpose of carrying out payment or healthcare operations and is not otherwise required by law. Such restricted disclosure must pertain solely to a healthcare item or service for which you, or someone on your behalf, have paid us in full.
You may request, in writing, that we not use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations; or to persons involved in your care; when required by law; or in an emergency. We are not required to agree with the requested restrictions.
You have the right to be notified if there is an unauthorized use or disclosure of your unsecured protected health information unless we determine that there is a low probability that your information has been compromised.
Complaints
If you believe that we have violated any of your privacy rights or have not adhere to this information contained in this Notice of Privacy Practices, you can file a complaint by putting it in writing and sending it to:
Privacy Officer
Capital Region Medical Center
P.O. Box 1128
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1128
573.632.5645
You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights at: hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html. The Office of Corporate Compliance can provide the mailing address. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Changes to this notice
If we change our policies regarding our use and/or disclosure of your protected health information, we will change our Notice of Privacy Practices and make the revised notice available to you on our website and our practice locations. You may also request a paper copy of the current Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.