HIPAA

JOINT NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Jefferson County Health Department

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 Jefferson County Health Department (HD) works with other practitioners in delivering services to you. The practitioners include physicians and a physicians assistant who are not part of the HD's workforce. All of these practitioners will follow this Joint Notice of Privacy Practices in delivering service to you.

The HD and the practitioners involved in your care create a medical record of your health information in order to treat you, receive payment for services delivered, and to comply with certain policies and laws. The uses and disclosures described in this Notice are applicable to the health department and all of the practitioners (collectively "we") who are part of this Joint Notice of Privacy Practices while they are delivering services at the health department facility or on behalf of the health department. This Joint Notice does not apply to service providers who are not part of the health department when they deliver services elsewhere or only on their own behalf.

We are required by federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your PHI. We are also required by law to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. In addition, the law required us to ask you to sign an Acknowledgment that you received this Notice.

This is a list of some of the types of uses and disclosures of PHI that may occur:

• Treatment: We obtain medical information about you in treating you. This medical information is called "protected health information" or "PHI". Your PHI is used by us to treat you. For example, we refer to PHI in treating you at the health department. We may also send your PHI to another physician or counselor to which we refer your for treatment. We may also use your PHI to contact you to tell you about alternative treatments, or other health-related benefits we offer. If you have a friend or family member involved in your care, we may give them PHI about you.
• Payment: We use your PHI to obtain payment for the services that we render. For example, we send PHI to Medicaid, Medicare, or to obtain payment for our services.
• Health Care Operations: We use your PHI for our operations. For example, we may use your PHI in determining whether we are giving adequate treatment to our clients. From time-to-time, we may use your PHI to contact you to remind you of an appointment.

Legal Requirements: We may use and disclose your PHI as required or authorized by law.