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.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, are kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant new rights to understand and control how your health information is used. "HIPAA" provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.

As required by "HIPAA", we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose this information.

*  We may use and disclose your medical records only for each of the following purposes: treatment and payment.

*  Treatment means providing or managing health care and related services by one or more health care providers .

*  Payment is due at the time services are rendered. Statements will be provided upon request for your insurance or personal needs.


*  We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.


*  Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.

*  You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a written request:

*   The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, other relatives, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you.

*  The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of protected health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations.

*  The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.

*  The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us upon request.

*  We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.

*  This notice is effective as of April 16, 2003 and we are required to abide by the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notices of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. We will post and you may request or down load a written copy of a current Notice of Privacy Practices from this office. Down load