• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 10 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

• If you have selected someone as your health care proxy, or if someone is your legal guardian or has been designated as your health care surrogate in the absence of a proxy, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take
  any action.

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting the Rochester Regional Health Call Center at 922-LINK (922-5465), toll free at 1-877-922-5465 or e-mail at [email protected]
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital directory
• 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

• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Some sharing of psychotherapy notes, mental health treatment records, chemical dependency treatment records and HIV-related information

• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

We can use your health information, including mental health, chemical dependency treatment records and HIV-related information, and share it with other professionals who are treating you. 

Some or all of your health information may be created and/or stored in an electronic format and accessed by providers with authority or need, or when permissible by law to do so.  

Some or all of your health information may be made available electronically through a record locator service and electronic health information exchange with other treatment providers.  Through the exchange, we may also be able to access prior treatment records and/or the location of those prior services.

Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition

We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

We can use and share your health information across all Rochester Regional Health clinical services, including services provided through the use of telecommunications and information technology.

Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

• Preventing disease
• Helping with product or device recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

We can use or share your information for health research

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

We can use and disclose such information with a valid authorization or court order and, in limited situations, we may release