Joint Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical, dental and billing information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Commitment to Privacy

This Joint Notice of Privacy Practices applies to the privacy practices of medical and dental providers, medical and dental staff, professional staff and volunteers for Bethesda Health Clinic and Bethesda Pediatrics.

Bethesda knows that health information about you is personal, and we are committed to protecting the privacy of the information we create or receive about you. Protected Health Information (“PHI”) identifies you and includes your medical record and other information relating to your care.

The appropriate collection, use and disclosure of PHI is governed by Federal and State regulations. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of PHI of our patients is taken very seriously by all staff and volunteers of Bethesda.

How We Use and Share Protected Health Information

• Treat you and coordinate your care – we may use and share health information about you to doctors, dentists, nurses, medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacies, laboratories, healthcare professional students or other personnel involved in your care. This includes sharing your information when referrals are made on your behalf.
• Run our organization – we may use and share your health information to review our treatment and services to evaluate our performance in caring for you, determine services offered, assure the quality of the care we provide and for educational purposes.
• Send appointment reminders and other communications – we may use your personal information to contact you with a reminder that you need or have an appointment for care at the clinic using your telephone number or email address.
• Help with public health and safety issues – we may use or share your health information when cooperating with other agencies for purposes such as disease prevention, product recalls, adverse reactions to medications, and reporting suspected abuse or neglect.
• Comply with the law – we may be required to share information about you if responding to lawsuits or other legal actions.
• Schools (including childcare facilities and childhood programs) – We may share your immunization records with a school with a verbal authorization.

Your Rights

• Get an electronic or paper copy of this notice at any time – A paper copy can be provided directly to you by visiting a registration desk at any location.
• Get an electronic or paper copy of your health record – this can be provided directly to you or sent to another person/organization identified by your request in writing. Information will be provided within 30 days of your request and a reasonable/cost-based fee may be charged.
• Designate how your PHI is disclosed – your consent is required to share information with other providers or organizations, unless essential for public health issues as noted above, or to comply with the law.
• Request correction of your electronic health record if you find factual errors in your personal health information.
• Be notified of any breach in the security of any of your PHI.

How We Protect Your Protected Health Information

• Access to your PHI is authorized only for providers, employees and volunteers associated with the practice who require access in the performance of their duties.
• Our computer systems are password protected and only authorized individuals can access our secure systems.
• Bethesda does not sell or rent our patient personal information to any organization outside of Bethesda.

A Note About Calling, Texting and Emailing

We may contact you about your healthcare using the phone numbers and email addresses that you provided to us. This may include automated phone/pre-recorded phone messages, texts or emails. When we contact you in this manner, you are given the opportunity to opt out of receiving similar communications going forward.

Our messages may include, but are not limited to, information about appointment reminders or the need to contact the clinic.

Changes to 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 website at bethesdaclinic.org. This notice is effective November 1, 2024.

If you have questions or complaints regarding the protection of your Protected Health Information

We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have about the protection of your personal health information. If you believe your privacy rights have not been upheld, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS Privacy Division
P.O. Box 149030
Mail Code 1355
Austin, TX 78714
877-541-7905