Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Uses and Disclosures

Treatment. Your health information may be used by staff members or disclosed to other health care professionals for the purpose of evaluating your health, diagnosing medical conditions, and providing treatment. For example, results of laboratory tests and procedures will be available in your medical record to health professionals and staff who may be involved with your care.

Payment. Your health information may be used to seek payment from your health plan or other sources of coverage. For example, your health care plan may request and receive information on dates of service, the services provided, and the medical condition being treated.

Health care operations. Your health information may be used as necessary to support the activities and management of our office. For example, information on the services you receive may be used to support budgeting and financial needs, and to evaluate and promote quality of care.

Law enforcement. Your health information may be disclosed to law enforcement agencies to support government audits and inspections, and to comply with government-mandated reporting.

Public health reporting. Your health information may be disclosed to public health agencies as required by law. For example, we are required to report certain communicable diseases to the state's public health department.

Other uses and disclosures may require your authorization. Disclosure of your health information or its use for any purpose other than those listed above may require your specific written authorization. You may submit a written revocation of the authorization, however, this would not undo or affect any disclosure that occurred before your decision to revoke authorization.

Additional Uses of Information

Appointment and treatment reminders. Our office may use your health information for purposes related to your care such as reminders of appointments, to send you information about treatment that you may find interesting, or information describing other health -related products and services that we believe may be of value to you.

Individual Rights

You have certain rights under the federal privacy standards. These include:

1) The right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your protected
health information

2) The right to receive confidential communications concerning your medical
condition and treatment

3) The right to inspect and copy your protected health information

4) The right to amend or submit corrections to your protected health
information

5) The right to receive an accounting of how and to whom your protected
health information has been disclosed

Official Duties

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with this notice of privacy practices.

We are also required to abide by the privacy policies and practices that are outlined in this notice.

Right to Revise Privacy Practices

As permitted by law, we reserve the right to amend or modify our privacy policies and practices. These changes in our policies and practices may be required by changes in federal and state laws and regulations. Upon request, we will provide you with the most recently revised notice on any office visit. The revised policies and practices will be applied to all protected health information we maintain.

Requests to Inspect Protected Health Information

You may generally inspect or copy the protected health information that we maintain. As permitted by federal regulation, we require that requests to inspect a copy of protected health information be submitted in writing. You may obtain a form to request acess to your records by contacting our privacy official. Your request will be reviewed and will generally be approved unless there are legal or medical reasons to deny the request.

Complaints

If you would like to submit a comment or complaint about our privacy practices, you can do so by sending a letter outlining your concerns to:

Privacy Official
Steven V. Silverstein, MD
801 W. 5th #404
Spokane, WA 99204

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you should call the matter to our attention by sending a letter describing the cause of your concern to the same address.

You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Contact Person

The name and address of the person you may contact for further information concerning our privacy practice is:

Privacy Official
Steven V. Silverstein, MD
801 W. 5th Avenue, #404
Spokane, WA 99204

Effective Date
This notice is effective on or after 4/14/03. NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES 4.8.03