Copyright © 2007 North Texas Heart Center. All Rights Reserved.
PRIVACY POLICY

North Texas Heart Center

Notice of Health 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.

 

Understanding Your Health Record/ Information

 

This notice describes the practices of  North Texas Heart Center (hereinafter “NTHC”) and that of its physicians with respect to your protected health information created while you are a patient at NTHC.  NTHC physicians and personnel authorized to have access to your medical chart are subject to this notice.  In addition, NTHC physicians may share medical information with each other for treatment, payment or health care operations described in this notice.

 

We create a record of the care and services you receive at NTHC.  We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal.  We are committed to protecting medical information about you. This notice applies to all of the records of your care at NTHC.

 

This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose medical information about you.  We also describe your rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information.

 

Your Health Information Rights

 

Although your health record is the physical property of NTHC, the information belongs to you.  You have the right to:

 

§     Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information for treatment, payment, health care operations and as to disclosures permitted to persons, including family members involved with your care and as provided by law.  However, we are not required by law to agree to a requested restriction;

 

§     Obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices;

 

§     Inspect and request a copy of your health record as provided by law;

§   Request that we amend your health record as provided by law. We will notify you if we are unable to grant your request to amend your health record;

 

§   Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided by law;

 

§   Request communication of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.  We will accommodate reasonable requests; and

 

§   Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on your authorization. 

 

You may exercise your rights set forth in this notice by providing a written request, except for requests to obtain a paper copy of the notice, to the NTHC Director of Health Information Management at 8440 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75231.

 

Our Responsibilities

 

In addition to the responsibilities set forth above, we are also required to:

 

§     Maintain the privacy of your health information;

 

§     Provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we maintain about you;

 

§     Abide by the terms of this notice;

 

§     Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction on certain uses and disclosures;

 

§     We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.   Should our information practices change we are not required to notify you, but we will have the revised notice available for you to request at any NTHC location.  The revised notice will also be posted at NTHC offices and on the NTHC web page at www.nthc.com; and

 

We will not use or disclose your health information without your written authorization, except as described in this notice.