The VIP Medical Group offers a comprehensive
range of services for patients with acute or chronic
pain. As a medical practice, the VIP Medical Group conforms
to the strict regulations of Federal law, as detailed
below. Our organization will protect your privacy to
the fullest extent required by law.
Privacy Practices of the VIP
Medical Group
The VIP Medical Group will protect your privacy, including
any health-related information, to the fullest extent
of the law. We will not disclose any such information
to any third party — not even your name and address
— for any purpose.
Legal rights regarding the website?
These electronically-transmitted pages belong to the
VIP Medical Group, and are offered for your personal
use. All rights are reserved. These pages may not be
duplicated or reproduced without the express written
consent of the VIP Medical Group, except in the form
of brief excerpts or quotations for the purposes of
review. The information contained here is for personal
use of the reader. Specific medical advice should be
obtained from the reader’s personal healthcare
professional. Making copies of these pages or any portion
for any purpose other than your personal use is a violation
of United States copyright laws.
Disclaimer regarding the website?
The VIP Medical Group and its employees and affiliates
have used their best efforts in preparing this website.
The VIP Medical Group and its employees and affiliates
make no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied,
with regard to the pages or the information contained
here.
The information contained in this website is not intended
to serve as a substitute for regular, in-person, professional
medical care.
Limits of liability regarding
the website?
The VIP Medical Group and its employees or contractors
shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential
damages in connection with, or arising out of, the provision
of information offered here.
Advertising?
The VIP Medical Group website does not accept paid endorsements
of products or display banner advertising of any kind.
Notice of privacy practices regarding
the VIP Medical Group
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.
If you have any questions about this Notice please contact
our office.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may
use and disclose your protected health information to
carry out treatment, payment or health care operations
and for other purposes that are permitted or required
by law. It also describes your rights to access and
control your protected health information. “Protected
health information” is information about you,
including demographic information, that may identify
you and that relates to your past, present or future
physical or mental health or condition and related health
care services.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice
of Privacy Practices. We may change the terms of our
notice, at any time. The new notice will be effective
for all protected health information that we maintain
at that time.
Understanding your health record/information?
Each time you visit a healthcare provider, a record
of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains
your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses,
treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment.
This information, often referred to as your health or
medical record, serves as a:
- basis for planning your care and treatment;
- means of communication among the many health 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 educating heath professionals;
- source of data for medical research;
- source of information for public health officials
charged with improving the health of the nation;
- 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 health record is the physical property
of the healthcare practitioner or facility that compiled
it, the information belongs to you. You have the right
to:
- request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures
of your information;
- obtain a paper copy of the notice of information
practices upon request;
- inspect and obtain a copy of your health record
- amend your health record;
- obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health
information;
- request 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.
Our responsibilities?
This organization is required to:
- maintain the privacy of your health information;
- provide you with a 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;
- accommodate reasonable requests you may have to
communicate health information by alternative means
or at alternative locations.
We will not use or disclose your health information
without your authorization, except as described in this
notice.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated,
you can file a complaint with our office or with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be
no retaliation for filing a complaint.
Examples of disclosures for treatment
and payment
We will use your health information
for treatment.?
For example: Information obtained by a therapist or
other member of your healthcare team will be recorded
in your record and used to determine the course of treatment
that should work best for you. We may provide your physician
or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of various
reports that should assist him or her in treating you.
We will use your health information
for payment.?
For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party
payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may
include information that identifies you, as well as
your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
Notification: We may
use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying
a family member, personal representative, or another
person responsible for your care, your location, and
general condition.
Communication with family:
Health professionals, using their best judgment, may
disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal
friend or any other person you identify, health information
relevant to that person’s involvement in your
care or payment related to your care.
Research: We may disclose
information to researchers when their research has been
approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed
the research proposal and established protocols to ensure
the privacy of your health information.
Workers’ Compensation:
We may disclose health information to the extent authorized
by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating
to Workers’ Compensation or other similar programs
established by law.
Public health: As required
by law, we may disclose your health information to public
health or legal authorities charged with preventing
or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Correctional institution:
Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution,
we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof
health information necessary for your health and the
health and safety of other individuals.
Law enforcement: We
may disclose health information for law enforcement
purposes as required by law or in response to a valid
subpoena.
Federal law makes provision for your health information
to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency,
public health authority or attorney, provided that a
work force member or business associate believes in
good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct
or have otherwise violated professional or clinical
standards and are potentially endangering one or more
patients, workers or the public.
This notice was published and becomes effective on February
23, 2008.
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