Please note that this notice is required by Federal law and that those laws mandate the information it contains. Please contact our office if you have any questions about how your Protected Health Information (PHI) is used.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
WE HAVE A LEGAL DUTY TO PROTECT YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI)
We offer you this HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices because of the privacy regulations of a federal law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This notice will explain how Iroko Psychiatry handles information about you. It describes how we “use” this information internally, how and why we may sometimes share (“disclose”) it with other professionals, and how you can have access to it. Iroko Psychiatry must legally follow the privacy practices described in this notice. However, Iroko Psychiatry reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice and its privacy policies at any time. Any changes will apply to PHI on file with Iroko Psychiatry already. Before any changes are made, Iroko Psychiatry will promptly update this Notice and post a new copy in our office and on our website. You may request a copy of this Notice from our office anytime, or you can review it on our website at www.irokopsychiatry.com.
This Notice has been prepared to comply with federal and Texas state laws. Certain sections have been summarized for clarity. If you have any questions or want to know more about anything in this Notice, please ask Iroko Psychiatry or its staff for additional explanation and details.
Each time you visit our practice (or any other doctor’s office, hospital, clinic, or “healthcare provider”), information is collected about you regarding your physical and mental health. It may be information about your past, present, or future health or conditions; treatment and other services you received from us or others; or about payment for healthcare. The information we collect about you is called PHI, which stands for Protected Health Information. This information goes into your healthcare record at our office and may include all or some of the following:
The above list gives you an idea of the information that may go into your healthcare record at our office. We use this information for many purposes, including the following:
When Iroko Psychiatry reads or reviews your information internally, it is called ‘use’ under the law. When information is shared with or sent to others outside this office, this is called ‘disclosure’ under the regulations.
Except in special circumstances, when we use your PHI within the office or disclose your PHI to others, only the minimum necessary PHI needed for the purpose is shared or referenced. The law gives you the right to know about your PHI, understand how it is used, and have a say regarding how it is disclosed to others.
Iroko Psychiatry might use and disclose PHI for many reasons, most of which are routine. For other uses, we must obtain Consent to Release/Obtain Information from you unless the law requires us to use or disclose without your authorization. The law does permit us to make some use and disclosures without your consent or authorization, and these cases are explained in detail below.
Uses and Disclosures of PHI for Treatment, Payment, or Healthcare Operations (TPO) Do Not Require Your Prior Written Consent
We use your PHI to provide treatment, evaluation, intervention, and related services. Services may include individual, family, or group psychotherapy; psychological and neuropsychological testing; treatment planning and intervention; other associated services; and measuring the effects of service.
We may disclose your PHI to physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other licensed healthcare providers who provide healthcare services or are involved with your care. For example, we may share your information with your primary care physician to provide a continuity of care, including diagnosis, treatment recommendations, scheduling, etc.
We may refer you to other professionals or consultants for services we cannot offer, such as special testing or treatment. When we do this, we need to tell them some things about you so they can be aware of our reasons for referral.
We will often receive copies of the findings and opinions of other professionals, and that information will be entered into your healthcare record at our office. If you receive treatment in the future from other professionals, we may also share your PHI with them.
Iroko Psychiatry can use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for services provided to you. For example, we might send your PHI to a healthcare plan to receive payment for the health services provided.
You have the right to restrict the disclosure of PHI information to your insurance company if you have paid for the service in full out-of-pocket.
Iroko Psychiatry may use your PHI to evaluate and see where we can improve the healthcare services we provide to our patients.
Iroko Psychiatry may provide your PHI to our accountants, attorneys, consultants, and others to ensure Iroko Psychiatry complies with applicable laws.
We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, and disciplinary actions necessary for oversight of the health care system and compliance with applicable laws.
We may use and disclose your PHI to reschedule or remind you of appointments. We can usually arrange if you want us to call or write to you only at your home or work (or if you prefer that we reach you in another way). Please just let us know.
There are times when your PHI might be provided to associated businesses with Iroko Psychiatry, such as billing companies, claims processing companies, and others who process our claims. In addition, we sometimes use tests administered or scored by a computer program, and information is provided to the test publisher for these reasons. All our business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your data and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.
We may provide your PHI to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other healthcare services offered.
We may use or share your PHI to do research, such as comparing two treatments for the same disorder to see which one works better, faster, or costs less. (Note: In all such cases, your name, address, and other information that reveals who you are will be removed from the data given to researchers.)
Iroko Psychiatry can use and disclose some of your PHI without your consent or authorization in these situations:
If, based on professional judgment, Iroko Psychiatry or its staff suspects that a child has been abused or neglected, we must report suspicions to the authority or government agency vested to conduct child-abuse investigations. We are required to make such a report even if we do not see the child in a professional capacity. We are mandated to report suspected child abuse if anyone aged 14 or older tells us that they committed child abuse, even if the victim is no longer in danger. We are also mandated to report suspected abuse if anyone discloses that he or she knows of any child being abused. We are also required to report suspected elder abuse.
Iroko Psychiatry may be required to release your information to the county coroner. We may use or disclose PHI to public health authorities or other authorized persons to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; to report disease, injury, birth, or death; to report child abuse or neglect; to report adverse reactions to medications or problems with FDA-regulated products; to notify individuals exposed to a communicable disease; or to report information to an employer under limited circumstances related to workplace injuries or illnesses.
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a legal proceeding and receive a subpoena, court order, or discovery request, we may have to release some of your PHI. We may release PHI if asked to do so by law enforcement officials to investigate a crime or criminal offense. (Note: We will only do so after trying to tell you about the request, consulting your lawyer, or trying to get a court order to protect the information.) We may disclose PHI in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, provided that efforts have been made to notify you or to obtain a protective order.
Iroko Psychiatry may have to disclose some PHI to government agencies monitoring us to ensure we obey the privacy laws. We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, and disciplinary actions necessary for oversight of the health care system and compliance with applicable laws.
We may disclose the PHI of military personnel/veterans to government benefit programs for determination or eligibility and enrollment in Workers’ Compensation programs, to correctional facilities if you are an inmate for the health and safety of inmates or others, and for national security and intelligence reasons.
We may use and disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) about you in situations where you have the opportunity to agree or object to certain uses and disclosures. If you do not object, we may disclose PHI to a family member, close friend, or another person identified by you, if the information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment for your care.
If you are present and able to consent or object, we will provide you with the opportunity to object before such disclosures. If you are not present or unable to consent or object, we may use our professional judgment to determine whether disclosure is in your best interests.
If we believe you pose a serious threat to your health/safety or that of another person/public, we can disclose some of your PHI. However, we will only disclose such information to those who can prevent the danger from occurring. This includes impaired driving.
Certain Uses and Disclosures Require Your Written Authorization
If Iroko Psychiatry wants to use your information for any purpose besides TPO (described above), we need your written permission on a Consent to Release/Obtain Information form.
As mandated by recent federal guidance, we ensure additional protections for information related to reproductive health, including:
You have the following rights concerning your PHI:
You have the right to request that Iroko Psychiatry limit the use and disclosure of your PHI. Iroko Psychiatry is not required to agree to your requests unless you are asking to restrict the use and disclosure of your PHI to a health plan for payment or healthcare operation purposes, and such information you wish to restrict pertains solely to a healthcare item or service for which you have self-paid in full. If there is an agreement, Iroko Psychiatry will comply with your requests unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment. You may not limit the uses and disclosures that providers are legally required or allowed to make.
You have the right to ask Iroko Psychiatry to send information to you at an alternate address (e.g., sending information to your work address rather than your home address) or by alternate means (e.g., electronic format). However, Iroko Psychiatry must agree to your request so long as we can easily provide the PHI in your requested form.
Although your health record is the physical property of the healthcare practitioner or facility that collected it, it belongs to you. You have a right to inspect, see, or receive a copy of your PHI or designate a third party who may receive such information (with written authorization). However, it is Iroko Psychiatry’s policy that you make this request in writing, and we will respond to you within 30 days of receiving your written request. You cannot see everything in your record in some very unusual situations. If there is a question or concern about releasing your PHI, Iroko Psychiatry may deny your request and will do so in writing, explaining the reasons for the denial and the steps you can take. If you request copies of your PHI, Iroko Psychiatry will charge you for physical copies (and postage if you want them mailed) according to the current fee schedule. There is no fee if you request a digital copy of these records for personal use. Iroko Psychiatry maintains “treatment” or “progress notes” for psychotherapy, which are a regular part of your PHI. We do not keep “psychotherapy process notes,” which are separate records and are generally not accessible to patients.
You have the right to receive a list of instances in which Iroko Psychiatry has disclosed your PHI. This list will not include uses or disclosures you have readily consented to, such as those made for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, directly to you or your family. The list also will not include uses and disclosures made for national security purposes, to corrections or law enforcement personnel, or disclosures made before April 15, 2003. Iroko Psychiatry will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your written request. The list will include disclosures made in the last 6 years unless requested for a shorter time. The list will consist of the date of the disclosure, to whom PHI was disclosed, a description of the information disclosed, and the reason for the disclosure.
This list will be provided to you at no charge; however, if you make more than one request in the same year, Iroko Psychiatry will charge a reasonable fee for additional requests.
If you believe there is an error or mistake in your PHI or that a piece of important information is missing, you have the right to request that Iroko Psychiatry correct the existing information or add the missing information. You must provide this request in writing. Iroko Psychiatry or a staff member will respond within 60 days of receiving your request to correct or update your PHI. Your request may be denied in writing if the PHI is (1) complete and correct, (2) not created by Iroko Psychiatry, (3) not allowed to be disclosed, or (4) not part of the healthcare record maintained by Iroko Psychiatry. If your request is denied, a written statement will be provided explaining the reason for the denial and your right to file a written statement of disagreement with the denial. If you do not file a written statement of disagreement, you have the right to request that your request and Iroko Psychiatry’s denial be attached to all future disclosures of your PHI. If we approve such a request, the change will be made to your PHI, and we will provide information to you that it has been completed, and we will tell others that need to know about the change to your PHI.
You have the right to receive a copy of this notice by email. Even if you have agreed to receive the notice via email, you have the right to request a paper copy.
If a breach of your PHI occurs, we will notify you promptly in accordance with federal law. Notifications will include details about the breach, the information involved, and the steps you can take to protect yourself. A breach refers to information released without authorization or legal authority unless Iroko Psychiatry can show that there was a low risk that the PHI has been compromised because the unauthorized person did not review the PHI or it was de-identified.
Any authorization you provide for uses or disclosures of your PHI may be revoked at any time in writing, except to the extent that action has already been taken based on your authorization.
If you need more information or have questions about the privacy practices described above, please speak directly to Iroko Psychiatry or a staff member. If you have any concerns or a problem with how your PHI has been handled or believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact Dr. Henry Onyeaka. You also have the right to file a complaint with us and the Secretary of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services.
We promise not to limit your care at our office or take any action against you if you complain. If you have any questions regarding this notice or our health information privacy policies, please contact our Administrative Office at 469-283-8031.
If you think we have violated your privacy rights, or if you want to discuss or file a complaint with us about our privacy practices, please ask to speak with our HIPAA Compliance Officer/Henry Onyeaka.
By providing your phone number, you consent to receive text messages from Iroko Psychiatry.
You can STOP messaging by sending STOP and get more help by sending HELP.
For assistance, reply “HELP” or contact us via email at Irokopsychiatry@gmail.com.
You may contact Iroko Psychiatry’s Privacy Officer for questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Email: Irokopsychiatry@gmail.com
Website: www.irokopsychiatry.com
The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services,
200 Independence Avenue, S.
W., Washington, D.C. 20201.
20201
Telephone: 202-619-0257
Toll Free: 1-877-696-6775
