Understanding Your Health Record/Information
For the purposes outlined in this Notice, the term "you" and references to you means you and the person with legal authority to make health care decisions on your behalf
Each time you receive services from CHI and OSC, a record is made. Typically, this record includes a summary of your visit, the results of any tests or assessments that you were given, the interventions used to help you improve, and the progress your overall health. This information, often referred to as your client or patient record, serves as a:

• basis for planning your care and services;
• means of communication among the many health care professionals who contribute to your care;
• legal document describing the care you received;
• means by which you or a third party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided;
• a tool in education of health care professionals;
• a source of data for research;
• a source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of the nation;
• a source of data for facility planning and marketing;
• a tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve.

Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:

• ensure its accuracy;
• better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information;
• make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.

Your Health Information Rights
Although your record is the physical property of CHI and/or OSC, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:

• request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by the regulations supporting the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA);
• obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices;
• inspect and obtain a copy of your record as provided for in HIPAA and our Privacy Plan;
• amend your health record as provided in HIPAA;
• obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in HIPAA;
• request confidential communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations;
• revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken;
• receive a copy of this notice in a language you can understand and to have it explained to you by a staff member.

Our Responsibilities
We are required to:

• take reasonable efforts to maintain the privacy of your health information;
• provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you;
• abide by the terms of this notice;
• notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction;

For the purpose of this policy, your treatment team may include the following members: you; your parents/guardians; CHI and/or OSC staff nurse, health educator, case manager and other special persons involved in providing you with services.  We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.

For More Information or to Report a Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact Community Heath Interventions, Inc. or Operation Sickle Cell, Inc. at (910) 488-6118 or through the mail at 2409 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

• Performance improvement, outcomes evaluation, the development of clinical guidelines;
• Reviewing the competence of clinical staff, conducting training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills, accreditation, certification, licensing, or credentialing activities;
• Obtaining or maintaining risk insurance;
• Conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services, and auditing functions, including fraud and abuse detection and compliance;
• Business planning and development;
• Business management and general administrative activities;
• Creating de-identified health information, for which an individual authorization is not required, for the purposes of fundraising and marketing.

For example: Our staff members may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the services we provide.
In order to provide you with quality service, we may need to disclose relevant information to or for the following entities, manner, or reasons:
Business associates
Directory
Notification
Communication with family
Research
Marketing
Fundraising
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Workers Compensation
Public Health
Suspected abuse or neglect
Law Enforcement
Federal laws make provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority, or law enforcement agency, or in response to a valid request from a judicial or administrative proceeding.
Effective Date: January, 2003
Reference