Our website address is: www.irokopsychiatry.com
Protecting your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and disclose the personal information you may provide while using the Iroko Psychiatry website (the “Website”). It is always your choice whether or not to provide personal information through the Website. Any personal information you provide will be treated with care, and subject to this Privacy Policy will not be used or disclosed in ways to which you have not consented.
In this Notice, we describe the ways that we may use and disclose health information about our patients. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires that we protect the privacy of health information that identifies a patient, or where there is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify a patient. This information is called “protected health information” or “PHI”. This Notice describes your rights as our patient and our obligations regarding the use and disclosure of PHI. We are required by law to:
As permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, we reserve the right to make changes to this Notice and to make such changes effective for all PHI we may already have about you. If and when this Notice is changed, we will post a copy in our office in a prominent location. We will also provide you with a copy of the revised Notice upon your request made to our Privacy Officer.
You will be asked to sign a form to show that you received this Notice. Even if you do not sign this form, we will still provide you with treatment.
The following categories describe the different ways we may use and disclose PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations without your consent or authorization. The examples included in each category do not list every type of use or disclosure that may fall within that category.
We may use and disclose PHI about you to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services. We may consult with other health care providers regarding your treatment and coordinate and manage your health care with others. For example, we may use and disclose PHI when you need a prescription, lab work, an X-Ray, or other health care services. In addition, we may use and disclose PHI about you when referring you to another health care provider. If you are referred to another physician, we may disclose PHI to your new physician regarding whether you are allergic to any medications. In emergencies, we may use and disclose PHI to provide the treatment you need. Since we are a specialist practice, we may provide your primary care physician information about your particular condition so that he / she can take this into consideration in your general health care.
Our practice may use and disclose PHI to bill and collect payment for the treatment and services provided to you. We may use and disclose PHI to find out if your health plan will cover the cost of care and services we provide. We may use and disclose PHI for billing, claims management, and collection activities. We may disclose PHI to insurance companies providing you with additional coverage.
We may also disclose PHI to another health care provider or to a company or health plan required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule for the payment activities of that health care provider, company, or health plan. For example, we may allow a health insurance company to review PHI for the insurance company’s activities to determine the insurance benefits to be paid for your care.
We may use and disclose PHI in performing business activities that are called health care operations. Health care operations include doing things that allow us to improve the quality of care we provide and to reduce health care costs. We may use and / or disclose PHI when providing training programs for students, trainees, health care providers or non-health care professionals (e.g. billing personnel). Other examples where we may use PHI would be in business planning and development or other administrative activities related to complying with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and other legal requirements.
We may also disclose PHI for the health care operations of any “organized health care arrangement” in which we participate. An example of an organized health care arrangement is the joint care provided by a hospital and the physicians who see patients at the hospital.
We may contact you to remind you of appointments and to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Supplemental Telehealth Privacy Multistate for Iroko Psychiatry
(Applies to Iroko Psychiatry Telehealth Services)
Iroko Psychiatry provides psychiatric and mental health services through telehealth technologies, including but not limited to video conferencing platforms, secure patient portals, electronic messaging systems, and electronic health records. Telepsychiatry services may be delivered to patients located in multiple U.S. states, subject to clinician licensure, state law, and regulatory requirements.
Care is provided only in states where the treating clinician is appropriately licensed or legally authorized to practice, and services may be limited or unavailable based on patient location at the time of the encounter.
Telepsychiatry services are conducted using HIPAA-compliant platforms designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of protected health information (PHI). Despite these safeguards, no electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
By engaging in telepsychiatry services, you acknowledge and accept that:
Depending on your state of residence, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable state laws, including but not limited to:
Iroko Psychiatry complies with applicable state privacy laws, including those governing mental health records, substance use disorder information (42 CFR Part 2, where applicable), and telehealth-specific confidentiality requirements.
Your health information may be stored, processed, or accessed in systems located outside your state of residence, including cloud-based servers operated by third-party vendors. All such vendors are required to maintain HIPAA-compliant safeguards and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with Iroko Psychiatry.
Telepsychiatry services are not intended for emergency situations. If there is a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or to the health or safety of others, Iroko Psychiatry may disclose relevant PHI without your authorization to emergency services, law enforcement, or other appropriate parties as permitted or required by law.
Patients are encouraged to provide accurate emergency contact information and current physical location at the start of telehealth encounters.
When telepsychiatry services are provided to minors or individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, privacy and disclosure practices will comply with applicable state consent laws, parental access requirements, and guardianship rules, which may vary by jurisdiction.
Telehealth and privacy regulations continue to evolve at both the federal and state levels. Iroko Psychiatry reserves the right to update its privacy and telepsychiatry practices to remain compliant with applicable laws and professional standards. Updated notices will be made available upon request and/or posted on the Website.
For questions regarding telepsychiatry privacy practices, HIPAA rights, or state-specific privacy protections, please contact:
Iroko Psychiatry
Henry Onyeaka
📧 Irokopsychiatry@gmail.com
(469)-283-8031
