We require our employees and business associates to respect the personal information of our patients. Dundy County Hospital has Policies and Procedures in place to help assure that our employees, health care providers and business associates carry out these practices and otherwise protect personal information about our patients. All persons with access to this information are subject to State and Federal laws and may also be subject to civil and criminal penalties at the discretion of the United States Attorney, Attorney General or the District Attorney. Disciplinary action will depend on the nature, severity and frequency of the violation and may result in termination.

We work to ensure information integrity and security. We use technology tools and design our business practices to help ensure that the personal information of our patients is properly gathered, stored and processed. We also work to maintain the security of, and internal and external access to, the personal information of our patients through the use of technology and our business practices.

◘ Dundy County Hospital will provide a copy of the notice to the patient at first encounter, not later than the date of the first delivery of the first service/treatment.

◘ This notice will be available to all patients/legal guardians in a form, which they can understand.

◘ A copy of the most current version of the notice will be posted and on the Dundy County Hospital Website. (www.bwtelcom.net/dch)

◘ In an emergency situation, the patient/legal guardian will be given the notice as soon as reasonably practical after the emergency.

If first delivery of service is not a face-to-face encounter (i.e. phone consultations), the notice will be provided to the patient by mail on that business day. If the encounter is on a weekend or evening, the notice will be mailed the next business day or may be accessed on our web site at www.bwtelcom.net/dch/.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY

 

Dundy County Hospital will safeguard, according to strict standards of security and confidentiality, any information we collect, receive or maintain about Dundy County Hospital patients. Dundy County Hospital maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of our patient information and records, to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of, such information or records.

Internally, Dundy County Hospital limits the access to our patients’ information to only those employees who need access to the information to perform their job functions. Employees who misuse information are subject to disciplinary actions. Externally, we do not disclose patient information unless we have been authorized to do so by the patient, or are required or permitted to make the disclosure by law or our regulatory agencies.

Each time you receive care at Dundy County Hospital, a record is made of your visit. Your medical record may include your symptoms, exam findings, test results, diagnoses, treatment given and a plan for the future treatment. Your financial record may include facts about your bill and insurance. Together your medical records and financial records are called your Protected Health Information.

◘ Any healthcare professional authorized to enter information into your medical record

◘ All Departments and units of the hospital

◘ Any member of a volunteer group we allow to help you while you are in the hospital

◘ All employees, staff, and other hospital personnel

All these entities, sites and locations follow the terms of this notice. In addition, these entities, sites and locations may share medical information with each other for the treatment, payment and hospital operations described in this notice.

◘ Basis for planning your care and treatment

◘ Means of communication among many health professionals who have a role in your care

◘ Legal document describing the care you received

◘ Record by which you or your insurance company can check that services billed were provided

◘ Source of information to:

Educate health professionals

Provide data for medical research

Improve public health

Plan and market the hospital

Improve the care we give

◘ Ensure accuracy

◘ Follow the agreed-upon treatment plan

◘ Know who, what, when, where and why others may use all or part of your protected health information

◘ Make a more informed decision when giving permission to share information with appropriate companies, agencies and healthcare workers

Your Protected Health Information Rights

Although your medical records and financial records are property of Dundy County Hospital, the information belongs to you. Dundy County Hospital complies with all federal and state laws and regulations that apply to this topic. We have policies that give you the right to request in writing your desire to:

◘ Restrict with whom we may share your protected health information

◘ Look at and/or obtain a copy of all or part of your protected health information

◘ Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information

◘ Request to amend your protected health information

◘ Have us communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location

◘ Change your mind about sharing your protected health information except for what has already been shared

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dundy County Hospital is required to:

◘ Protect the privacy of your protected health information

◘ Provide you with a current copy of the Notice of Privacy Rights and Practices

◘ Abide by the rules and regulations of this notice

◘ Display the most current copy of this notice on the website: (www.bwtelcom.net/dch/)

◘ Dundy County Hospital will honor patient requests whenever possible, but will notify you if we are unable to grant your written request

We will use and share your protected health information only with your permission, except as described in this notice or as required by state or federal regulations, and we will retain your acknowledgement in your medical record for no less than six years.

We have the right to change this notice and apply it to any protected health information already existing or received in the future. Any updates to this notice will be posted at admissions for review and a copy may be obtained upon request.

We will use your protected health information for Treatment.

◘ Information obtained by a nurse, doctor or other member of your healthcare team will be written in your medical record and used to determine the treatment that should work best for you.

◘ We will provide any facility or provider involved in your care with information that may assist in your treatment.

◘ When you are no longer receiving care at Dundy County Hospital, we will provide information to any healthcare provider that cares for you. These copies of your medical record help them to continue your plan of care after discharge.

We will use your protected health information for Payment.

◘ We will send a bill to you and/or your insurance company. The information may include your name, diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.

◘ We will provide needed information to other healthcare providers for their billing purposes. For example, if you are brought in by ambulance, the information collected will be given to the ambulance provider for their billing purposes.

◘ Your billing information may be released to a collection agency in the event that your bill is not satisfactorily met.

We will use your protected health information for the Operation of Dundy County Hospital.

◘ Dundy County Hospital staff members may use information in your medical record to assess the results of your care. This information is used to improve the services we provide.

◘ Dundy County Hospital may share your protected health information with other healthcare providers for their operations if they have or have had a relationship with you.

We will allow our business associates to use your protected health information if needed.

◘ People or companies, known as business associates, who are not employed by us, but provide some services and are required to protect patient’s health information.

We may provide information about you in the hospital directory.

◘ Unless you tell us not to, we may include certain limited information about you in the hospital directory while you are a patient. This information may include your name, location and general condition in terms that do not communicate specific medical information about you. The directory information may also be released to people who contact the hospital and ask for you by name.

We may give your protected health information to individuals involved in your care or payment for your care:

◘ We may release protected health information about you to a friend, family member or any other person identified by you as being involved in your medical care or who is involved in the payment of your care. We will only release this information if you agree to the disclosure and you will be given the opportunity to object to such disclosure.

7. We may call you about appointments or treatment.

◘ To speed up your registration, we may call ahead for information and/or to remind you of appointments.

◘ Provide treatment alternatives or other health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

◘ Unless you object, copies of your reports may be mailed to you, at your healthcare provider’s discretion, to convey results of testing. You may also be contacted by telephone with this information.

We may use your protected health information for fund raising activities.

◘ We may contact you as part of a fund raising effort.

We may use your protected health information for research purposes, but only as permitted by law.

 

 

 

 

 

We will provide your protected health information to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors consistent with the law.

We will provide your protected health information to organ transplant organization groups that manage, bank, or transplant organ and tissue donations.

We will share protected health information about you to assist public health activities or as required by law to accomplish these things:

◘ Prevent or control disease, injury, or disability.

◘ Report births, deaths and child abuse and neglect.

◘ Report reactions to medications or problems with faulty products.

◘ Notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for getting or spreading a disease or condition.

◘ Notify an appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

◘ We may disclose to the FDA your protected health information relating to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, products and product defects, or post- marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs or replacements.

We will use your protected health information for Worker’s compensation.

If you are injured on the job, we will share medical information about you for

worker’s compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related

injuries or illness.

If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents there of, your protected health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

We may disclose your protected health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law, such as when required by a court order, or in cases involving felony prosecutions, or to the extent an individual is in the custody of law enforcement.

We may provide your protected health information to Armed Forces personnel to assure the proper execution of a military mission or to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of determining eligibility of benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

We may provide your protected health information to authorized federal officials to conduct intelligence, counter-intelligence, or other national security activities authorized by the National Security Act.

 

 

 

 

Dundy County Hospital entities who act under affiliated status must be able to share protected health information freely for treatment, payment and health care operations. Under the ACE, each entity will:

◘ Use of the adopted notice of privacy practices (this notice) for all inpatient, outpatient and clinic visits

◘ Obtain a single signed acknowledgement of receipt

◘ Share protected health information from inpatient, outpatient hospital and clinic visits with eligible providers so that they can help the hospital with its health care operations

◘ Follow the privacy and information practices described in this notice. Each participant is individually responsible to follow the practices in this notice

Dundy County Hospital medical staff members who act in the position of active, affiliated, consulting or courtesy status, must be able to share protected health information freely for treatment, payment and health care operations. Therefore, each eligible provider on the Hospital’s medical staff has entered into an "Organized Health Care Arrangement," or OHCA. Under the OHCA, each provider will:

◘ Use the adopted notice of privacy practices (this notice) for all inpatient, outpatient and clinic visits

◘ Obtain a single signed acknowledgement of receipt

◘ Share protected health information from inpatient, outpatient hospital and clinic visits with eligible providers so that they can help the hospital with its health care operations

◘ Follow the privacy and information practices described in this notice. Each participant is individually responsible to follow the practices in this notice

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint in writing with the Secretary of Health and Human Services at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Office of Civil Rights; 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20201; phone # 202-619-0257 or 877-696-6775.

Nothing will be held against you for filing a complaint.