CARESOUTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Effective April 14, 2003

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

CareSouth Carolina uses health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, for administrative purposes, and to evaluate the quality of care that you receive.  Your health information is contained in a medical record that is the physical property of CareSouth Carolina.

How CARESOUTH CAROLINA May Use or Disclose Your Health Information:

For Treatment.  CareSouth Carolina may use your health information to provide you with medical treatment or services.  For example, information obtained by a health care provider, such as a physician, nurse, or other person providing health services to you, will record information in your record that is related to your treatment.  This information is necessary for health care providers to determine what treatment you should receive.  Health care providers will also record actions take by them in the course of your treatment and note how you respond to the actions.

For Referrals to Other Providers and Health Care Entities:  CareSouth Carolina may use and disclose your health information to promote continuity of care with other healthcare and enabling services.

For Payment. CareSouth Carolina may use and disclose your health information to others for purposes of receiving payment for treatment and services that you receive.  For example, a bill may be sent to you or a third-party payor, such as an insurance company or health plan.  The information on the bill may contain information that identifies you, your diagnosis, and treatment or supplies used in the course of treatment.

For Health Care Operations.  CareSouth Carolina may use and disclose health information about you for operational purposes.  For example, your health information may be disclosed to members of the medical staff, risk or quality improvement personnel, and others to:

·         evaluate the performance of our staff;

·         assess the quality of care and outcomes in your cases and similar cases;

·         learn how to improve our facilities and services; and

·        determine how to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care we provide.

Appointments. CareSouth Carolina may use your information to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Fundraising. CareSouth Carolina may use certain information (name, address, telephone number, dates of service, age and gender) to contact you in the future to raise money through CareFirst Carolina Foundation, Inc. our institutionally related foundation.  The money raised will be used to expand and improve the services and programs CareSouth Carolina provides to the community.

Required by law. CareSouth Carolina may use and disclose information about you as required by law. For example, CareSouth Carolina may disclose information for the following purposes:

·         for judicial and administrative proceedings pursuant to legal authority;

·        to report information related to victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence; and

·         to assist law enforcement officials in their law enforcement duties;

Public Health.  Your health information may be used or disclosed for public health activities such as assisting public health authorities or other legal authorities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability, or for other health oversight activities.

Decedents. Health information may be disclosed to funeral directors or coroners to enable them to carry out their lawful duties.

Organ/Tissue Donation.  Your health information may be used or disclosed for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes.

Research.  CareSouth Carolina may use your health information for research purposes when an institutional review board or privacy board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information has approved the research.

Health and Safety.  Your health information may be disclosed to avert a serious threat to the health or safety of you or any other person pursuant to applicable law.

Government Functions.  Your health information may be disclosed for specialized government functions such as protection of public officials or reporting to various branches of the armed services.

Workers’ Compensation.  Your health information may be used or disclosed in order to comply with laws and regulations related to Workers’ Compensation.

Neonatal Testing.  Information regarding neonatal testing to detect inborn metabolic errors and hemoglobin apathies may be released only to the parents of the child, the child’s physician and the child, when 18 years of age or older.

Other uses. Other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization and you may revoke the authorization except to the extent CareSouth Carolina has taken action in reliance on such.

Exception to Use and Disclosure of Your Health Information:

Psychotherapy Notes.  Psychotherapy notes are notes recorded (in any medium) by a health care provider who is a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during counseling session.  Psychotherapy notes are separated from the rest of your     medical record and do not include medication prescription and monitoring, counseling session start and stop times, the modalities and frequencies of treatment furnished, results of clinical tests, and any summary of the following items: diagnosis, functional status, the treatment plan, symptoms, prognosis, and prognosis to date.  CareSouth Carolina may use or disclose psychotherapy notes in the following instances without obtaining authorization:

1. Carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations

·        use of psychotherapy notes by the originator for treatment

·       use or disclosure by CareSouth Carolina in training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners in mental health learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling

·        use or disclosure by CareSouth Carolina to defend itself in a legal action or other proceeding brought by the individual

2. Use or disclosure that is required for the enforcement of the regulations by HHS
3. Use or disclosure that is required by law
4. Use or disclosure if needed for oversight of the creator of the notes (counselor/therapist)
5. Use or disclosure if needed to avert a serious and imminent threat to health and safety

Your Health Information Rights

You have the right to:

·        request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information; however, CareSouth Carolina is not required to agree to a requested restriction;

·        obtain a paper copy of the notice of information practices (this document) upon request;

·        inspect and obtain a copy of your health record;

·        request that your health record be amended;

·        request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations; and

·        receive an accounting of disclosures made of your health information.

Complaints

You may complain to CareSouth Carolina and to the Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.  You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or complaints, please contact the site manager on site or:

Joy Gandy, Privacy Officer
P.O. Box 1090
Hartsville, South Carolina 29550
Phone: (843)857-0111

CareSouth Carolina reserves the right to change its information practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information it maintains.  Revised notices will be made available to you by written and posted communications.