Privacy Policy
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center provides its services without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, sex, or handicap.
Effective date of this Notice: July 1, 2011
Purpose
The Notice of Privacy Practices describes how medical information about a patient may be used and disclosed and how the patient can get access to this information.
Scope
This policy applies to all Cheyenne Regional Medical Center workforce members, including but not limited to, full-time employees, part-time employees, trainees, volunteers, contractors, and temporary workers.
Policy
We are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your medical information and are required by law to do so. This notice describes how we may use your medical information within CheyenneRegional and how we may disclose it to others outside Cheyenne Regional. This notice also describes the rights you have concerning your own medical information.Please review it carefully and let us know if you have questions. Please note that incarcerated patients do not have the right to notice under this section.
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to all Cheyenne Regional facilities, and all Cheyenne Regional personnel, volunteers, students, and trainees. The Notice also applies to Cheyenne Regional physicians, physician assistants, therapists, emergency service providers, medical transportation companies, medical equipment suppliers, and other healthcare providers not employed by Cheyenne Regional. These other healthcare providers may also give you their own Notice that describes how they will protect your medical information that may supersede this policy as it relates to those healthcare providers only.Cheyenne Regional may share your medical information with these other healthcare providers for their treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. This arrangement is only for sharing information and not for any other purpose. For example, you may receive a bill from a company that we use to handle our billing and collections process.
HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION
Treatment
- We may use your medical information to provide you with medical services and supplies. We may also disclose your medical information to others who need that information to treat you. This includes doctors, physician assistants, nurses, medical and nursing students, technicians, therapists, emergency service and medical transportation providers, medical equipment providers, and other healthcare facilities or personnel involved in your care. For example, we will allow your physician to have access to your medical record to assist in your treatment and for follow-up care.
- We also may use and disclose your medical information to contact you to remind you of an upcoming appointment, to inform you about possible treatment options or alternatives, or to tell you about health-related services available to you.
- Unless you object, we may use your medical information as part of our medical education for physicians, nursing, and other healthcare providers.
- You may be contacted by Cheyenne Regional nursing personnel to inquire about your recovery and to answer any questions you may have after your discharge from Cheyenne Regional.
- You may receive a survey after discharge from Cheyenne Regional requesting your evaluation of the care and other services provided to you while a patient at Cheyenne Regional.
Fundraising
Cheyenne Regional may disclose your name, address, phone number and dates of service for activities related to fundraising. All other fundraising information requires an authorization from you.
Fundraising material will include “opt out” for patients and/or their families to stop future fundraising material. Cheyenne Regional will make a reasonable effort to not send further fundraising materials to individuals/families who have opted out.
Payment
We may use and disclose your medical information to get paid for the medical services and supplies we provide to you. For example, your health plan or health insurance company may ask to see parts of your medical record before it will pay us for your treatment.
Hospital Operations
We may use and disclose your medical information if it is necessary to improve the quality of care we provide to patients. We may use your medical information to conduct quality improvement activities; to obtain audit, accounting business partners and/or legal services; or to conduct business management and planning. For example, we may look at your medical record to evaluate Cheyenne Regional personnel, your doctors, or other healthcare professionals provided you with excellence of service. We may also disclose your health information to facilitate disease management programs for chronic conditions or coordinate care you receive from other healthcare providers and business associates.
Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care
We may disclose your medical information to a family member or friend who is involved in your medical care or to someone who helps to pay for your care. We also may disclose your medical information to disaster relief organizations to help locate a family member or friend during or immediately after a disaster.
Also, if you are not able to approve or object to disclosure, we may make disclosures to a particular individual (such as a family member or friend) that we feel are in your best interest and that relate to that person’s involvement in your care. For example, we may tell someone who comes with you to the emergency room that you suffered a heart attack and provide updates on your condition.
If you do not want Cheyenne Regional to disclose your medical information to family members or others who will visit you, please inform the registration staff and mark the appropriate box on the form provided during registration.
Patient Directory
- In order to assist family members and other visitors in locating you while you are staying overnight in the hospital, we maintain a patient directory. This directory includes your name, room number, and your general condition (such as fair, stable, or critical). We will disclose this information to someone who asks for you by name.The patient directory also includes your religious affiliation (if any). We will disclose this information only to clergy members.Cheyenne Regional behavioral health facilities do not maintain a patient directory.
- If you do not want to be included in the patient directory or do not want your religious affiliation information given to the clergy, please inform the registration staff and mark the appropriate box on the form provided during registration.
- You may request to become a privacy patient at any time during your hospital stay.This means that you will not be listed in the patient directory for the current stay.
Research
We may use or disclose your medical information for research projects, such as studying the effectiveness of a treatment you received. These research projects must go through a special process that protects the confidentiality of your medical information.
Required by Law
Federal, state, or local law sometimes require us to disclose patient medical information.For instance, we are required to report child abuse or neglect, abuse of certain adults, and information regarding domestic violence cases.We also are required to give information to worker’s compensation programs for work-related injuries.
Public Health
We also may report certain medical information for public health purposes. For instance, we are required to report births, deaths, and communicable diseases to the state government.
We also may need to report patient problems with medications or medical products to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or may notify patients of recalls of products they are using.
Public Safety
We may disclose medical information for public safety purposes in limited circumstances. We may disclose medical information to law enforcement officials in response to a search warrant or a grand jury subpoena. We also may disclose medical information to assist law enforcement officials in identifying or locating a person, to prosecute a crime of violence, to report deaths that may have resulted from criminal conduct, and to report criminal conduct within Cheyenne Regional. We also may disclose your medical information to law enforcement officials and others to prevent a serious threat of health or safety.
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose medical information to a government agency that oversees Cheyenne Regional or its personnel. This includes theState Department of Health Services, the federal agencies that oversee Medicare, the Board of Medical Examiners, or the Board of Nursing.These agencies need medical information to monitor Cheyenne Regional’s compliance with state and federal laws.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may disclose information concerning deceased patients to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors to assist them in carrying out their duties.
Military, Veterans, National Security, and Other Government Purposes
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release your medical information as required by military command authorities or to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Cheyenne Regional may also disclose medical information to federal officials for intelligence and national security purposes or for presidential protective services.
Organ and Tissue Donation
We may disclose medical information to organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue donation or transplantation.
Judicial Proceedings
Cheyenne Regional may disclose medical information if ordered to do so by a court or if a search warrant is served on us. You will receive advance notice about this disclosure in most situations so that you will have a chance to object to sharing your medical information.
Information with Additional Protection
Certain types of medical information have additional protection under state and federal law. For instance, medical information about communicable diseases and HIV/AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, genetic testing, and evaluation and treatment for a serious mental illness is treated differently than other types of medical information. For this type of information, Cheyenne Regional is required to get your permission before disclosing it to others in many circumstances.
Other Uses and Disclosures
If Cheyenne Regional wishes to use or disclose your medical information for a purpose that is not discussed in this Notice, we will seek your permission. You may revoke that permission at any time, acknowledging that we may have already relied on your authorization to use or disclose information. If you would ever like to revoke your permission, please notify the hospital’s Health Information Management Department in writing.
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?
Right to Request Your Medical Information
You have the right to look at your own medical information and to get a copy of that information. Please note that exceptions may apply as provided by law. This includes your medical record, your billing record, and other records we use to make decisions about your care. To request your medical information, call or write our Health Information Management Department (contact information at the end of this Notice). If you request a copy of your information, we may charge you for our costs to copy the information. We will tell you in advance what this copying will cost.
Right to Request Amendment of Medical Information You Believe is Erroneous or Incomplete
If you examine your medical information and believe that some of the information is wrong or incomplete, you may ask us to amend your record by submitting a written request to the Health Information Management Department.
We may deny your request to amend your record if the information was not created by us; if it is not part of the medical information we maintained; if it is not part of the information you would be permitted to review or copy; or if we determine that the record is accurate. You may appeal this denial, in writing.
Right to Get a List of Certain Disclosures of Your Medical Information
You have the right to request a list of many of the disclosures we make of your medical information. If you would like to receive such a list, submit a written request to the Health Information Management Department. We will provide the first list to you free, but we may charge you for any additional lists you request during the same year. We will tell you in advance what this list will cost.
Right to Request Restrictions on How Cheyenne Regional Will Use or DiscloseYour Medical Information for Treatment, Payment, or Healthcare Operations
You have the right to ask us NOT to make uses or disclosures of your medical information to treat you, to seek payment for care, or to operate the system. We are not required to agree to your request, but if we do agree, we will comply with that agreement. If you want to request a restriction, write to the Chief Compliance Officer and describe your request in detail.
Right to Request ConfidentialCommunications
You have the right to ask us to communicate with you in a way that you feel is more confidential. For example, you can ask us not to call your home or to communicate only by mail. To do this, please discuss this with your caregiver or submit a written request to the Chief Compliance Officer. You can also ask to speak with your healthcare providers in private outside the presence of other patients – just ask them.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
From time to time we may change our practices concerning how we use or disclose patient medical information, or how we will implement patient rights concerning their information. We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the provisions in any new notice effective for all medical information we maintain. If we change these practices, we will publish a revised Notice of Privacy Practices. You can get a copy of our current Notice of Privacy Practices at any time at any Cheyenne Regional facility or by requesting one from the Chief Compliance Officer.
DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS?
Please tell us about any problems or concerns you have with your Privacy Rights or how
Cheyenne Regional uses or discloses your medical information. If you have a concern, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer.
If for some reason Cheyenne Regional cannot resolve your concern, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
We will not penalize you or retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint with the federal government.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
Cheyenne Regional is required by law to give you this notice and to follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect. If you have any questions about this notice, or have further questions about how Cheyenne Regional may use and disclose your medical information, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer.
Address for the Chief Compliance Officer
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center
Attn: Chief Compliance Officer
214 East 23rd Street
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Address for the Health Information Management Department (MedicalRecords)
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center
Attn: Health Information Management
214 East 23rd Street
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Phone for the Health InformationManagement Department
(307) 633-7925
Responsibilities
All individuals identified in the scope of this policy are responsible for meeting the requirements of this policy. The Cheyenne Regional Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for maintaining this policy and communicating this policy to members of the workforce.
References
HIPAA Final Privacy Rule, 45 CFR Part 164.520,
Department of Health and Human Services,
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/privacyrule/privrulepd.pdf
August 14, 2002.