Notice Of Privacy Rights (HIPAA)
Niagara County
Department of Health
1001 11th Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
5467 Upper Mountain Road, Lockport, NY 14094
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Policy
The Notice of Privacy Practice will be offered to patients at each visit.
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Procedure
Patients will sign acknowledging that the Notice of Privacy Practices was offered to them. The acknowledgment form to be kept in the patient record.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
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.
Your Rights - You have the right to:
- Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
- Correct your paper or electronic medical record
- Request confidential communication
- Ask us to limit the information we share
- Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
- Get a copy of this privacy notice
- Choose someone to act for you
- File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
Your Choices You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
- Tell family and friends about your condition
- Provide disaster relief
- Include you in a hospital directory
- Provide mental health care
- Market our services and sell your information
- Raise funds
Our Uses and Disclosures We may use and share your information as we:
- Treat you
- Run our organization
- Bill for your services
- Help with public health and safety issues
- Do research
- Comply with the law
- Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
- Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
- Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
- Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you. |
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record |
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Ask us to correct your medical record |
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Request confidential communications |
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Ask us to limit what we use or share |
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Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information |
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Get a copy of this privacy notice |
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Choose someone to act for you |
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File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated |
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Your Choices |
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. |
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to: |
If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. |
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission: |
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In the case of fundraising: |
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Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.
Treat you |
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Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition. |
Run our organization |
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Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services. |
Bill for your services |
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Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services. |
How else can we use or share your health information? We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
Help with public health and safety issues |
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Do research |
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Comply with the law |
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Respond to organ and tissue donation requests |
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Work with a medical examiner or funeral director |
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Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests |
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Respond to lawsuits and legal actions |
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HIPAA will not supersede state laws that impose more stringent standards with respect to the privacy of individually identifiable health information; for example, confidentiality of HIV status and treatment.
We do not create or maintain psychotherapy notes.
Our Responsibilities
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html. Changes to the Terms of this Notice We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site. |
Effective February 14, 2022 |
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to the following organizations.
This notice describes the Niagara County Department of Health’s practices and that of:
- Any health care professional authorized to enter information into your* chart
- All divisions and units of the health department.
- All employees and staff.
- Any volunteer, student or individual group we allow to help you while you are in the care of the department.
- Any business associates, including billing agents.
- All entities, sites and locations of business associates will follow the terms of this notice. In addition, these entities, sites and locations may share medical information with each other for treatment, payment or heath care operation purposes described in this notice.
* Wherever “you” or “your” is used in this notice, it will refer to either the individual receiving Services or a child receiving services in one of our programs.
Privacy Officer:
Children with Special Needs (716) 439-7460
Nursing (716) 278-1900
Email: nchealth@niagaracounty.com