Last revised: 5/21/2007
Joint Notice of Information 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.
UMass Memorial Health Care is an organized health care arrangement (OHCA).
This joint notice applies to the member organizations and physicians as listed
in this site.
Patient Privacy
At UMass Memorial, your privacy is a
priority.
We follow strict federal and state guidelines to maintain the confidentiality
of your medical (protected health) information.
Protected Health Information
Protected health
information (PHI) is any information about your past, present or future health
care, or payment for that care that could be used to identify you.
Members of our workforce and our business associates may only access the
minimum amount of PHI that they need to complete their assigned tasks.
Use and Disclosure of PHI
When you visit a UMass
Memorial facility, we use and disclose your PHI to treat you, to obtain payment
for services and to conduct normal business known as health care operations. We
may also share information with a contracted business associate who must meet
our privacy requirements. Examples of how we use and disclose your information
include:
- Treatment - We document each visit and/or admission. This documentation may
include your test results, diagnoses and medications, and your response to
medications or other therapies. This allows your doctors, nurses and other
clinical staff to provide the best care to meet your needs.
- Payment - We document the services and supplies you receive at each visit or
admission so that you, your insurance company or another third party can pay us.
We may tell your health plan about upcoming treatment or services that require
its prior approval.
- Health care operations - Medical information is used to improve the services
we provide, to train staff and students, and for business management,
performance improvement and customer service.
We may also use information to:
- Recommend treatment alternatives
- Tell you about health benefits and services
- Communicate with other UMass Memorial OHCA members or business associates
(e.g., transcription and billing services) for treatment, payment or health care
operations
- Send appointment reminders
- Communicate with family or friends involved in your care, with your
permission
- Include you on the inpatient list for callers or visitors if you are
admitted*
- Respond to media inquiries should they be made*
- Let clergy know if you are admitted*
- Contact you about support for the UMass Memorial Foundation (fundraising)*
Services followed by an asterisk (*) are optional. Tell the admitting clerk
or fundraiser (if contacted) that you do not wish to participate.
There are several circumstances when we are permitted or required to disclose
medical information without your signed permission. These situations may
include:
- For public health activities, such as tracking diseases or medical devices
- To protect victims of abuse or neglect
- For federal and state health oversight activities such as fraud
investigations
- For judicial or administrative proceedings
- If required by law or for law enforcement
- To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors
- For organ donation
- To avert serious threat to public health or safety
- For specialized government functions, such as national security and
intelligence
- To workers' compensation if you are injured at work
- To a correctional institution if you are an inmate
- For research following strict review to ensure protection of information
Other uses and disclosures not previously described may only be done with
your signed authorization. You may revoke your authorization, in writing, at any
time.
Our Responsibilities
UMass Memorial is required by law
to maintain the privacy of your medical information, provide this notice of our
duties and privacy practices, and abide by the terms of the notice currently in
effect.
We reserve the right to change privacy practices and make the new practices
effective for all the information we maintain. Revised notices will be posted in
our facilities and will be available from your health care provider.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Request that we restrict how we use or disclose your medical information (we
are not required to abide by your request)
- Request that we use a specific telephone number or address to communicate
with you
- Inspect and copy your medical information (fees will apply)*
- Request amendment to your medical information (reason required)*
- Receive an accounting of how your medical information was disclosed
(excludes disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations and some
required disclosures; fees may apply)*
- Obtain a paper copy of this notice even if you receive it electronically
- Register a complaint - see below
- Opt out of our inpatient list or fundraising requests
*Request must be in writing
To Contact Us
If you have questions about this notice,
contact the privacy officer.
If you would like to exercise your rights or if you feel your privacy rights
have been violated, contact the appropriate privacy office listed below:
- Central Massachusetts Magnetic Imaging Center Inc.
367 Plantation Street,
Worcester, MA 01605
508-754-6026
- Clinton Hospital
201 Highland Street, Clinton, MA 01510
978-368-3714
- Community Healthlink
72 Jacques Avenue, Worcester, MA
01610
508-860-1163
- HealthAlliance Hospital
60 Hospital Road, Leominster, MA
01453
978-466-2441
- Home Health and Hospice
650 Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA
01605
508-754-0052
- Marlborough Hospital
157 Union Street, Marlborough, MA
01752
508-486-5820
- UMass Memorial Health Care Inc.
Benefits Department - Group Welfare
Benefit Plan
15 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605
508-334-8511
- UMass Memorial Medical Center
22 Shattuck Street, Worcester, MA
01605
508-334-5551
- Wing Memorial Hospital
40 Wright Street, Palmer, MA
01069
413-284-5297
All complaints will be investigated and you will not suffer retaliation for
filing a complaint. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of Health
and Human Services in Washington, DC.
Members of Our Organized Health Care Arrangement (OHCA)
- UMass Memorial Medical Center
- Clinton Hospital
- Community Healthlink
- HealthAlliance Hospital
- Marlborough Hospital
- Wing Memorial Hospital
- UMass Memorial MRI - CMMIC Biotech
- UMass Memorial Medical Group
- Private, hospital-based physicians
- Other private physicians while working at our facilities
Each OHCA member is individually responsible for abiding by the privacy
practices, and for resolving its own privacy complaints or violations.
| Frequently Asked Questions
|
Why is a Notice of Information Practices being handed
out?
HIPAA, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal regulation that requires your medical
information be protected. The protection includes the systems that store, send
out and process the information. This regulation also requires that we notify
patients about their rights, how we use and share medical information, and who
to contact with questions or complaints.
What makes up my "medical (protected health)
information?"
Protected health information (PHI) is any information
about your past, present and future health care or payment for that care. It
also includes your name, address, telephone number, social security number,
medical record number, account number, health plan number and other information
that could identify you.
What is an organized health care arrangement?
An organized health care arrangement (OHCA) is where multiple organizations
jointly provide health care services. The UMass Memorial OHCA includes all
organizations listed in the notice and all service sites such as:
- Our Medical Center campuses: Hahnemann, Memorial and University
- Our community hospitals: Clinton, HealthAlliance, Marlborough and Wing
Memorial
- Our home health and hospice programs
- Our UMass Memorial Medical Group physician practices including those located
in community clinics and offices
- Our nursing homes and long-term care facilities
What do you mean by workforce?
The workforce
includes our employees as well as volunteers, students and trainees, physicians
and temporary employees.
What is a business associate?
A business
associate is a person or entity who needs/receives PHI to provide a service to
us. Business associates must agree to protect the information they receive.
How do I know that people who are not involved in my
health care are not looking up my medical information?
UMass Memorial
restricts access as much as possible and trains our workforce to only use the
information they need to do their job.
Can I ask that my medical information not be sent to the
public health agencies?
UMass Memorial is required by law to report
certain diseases and conditions to public health authorities.
If I want a copy of my medical record, what do I
do?
Call, write or visit Health Information Management/Medical
Records. You will need to fill out a form, and there may be a fee to cover the
cost of photocopying.
If I have a complaint that I believe my privacy has been
violated, what should I do?
You should contact the privacy officer at
the facility where you believe the violation occurred.