Services

Services

Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical information about you (the client) may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer, listed at the bottom of this Notice.

WHAT THIS NOTICE MEANS TO YOU:
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected medical/health information to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations and of other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your protected health information. “Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.

WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE:
This notice describes Dunn Center practices and that of any programs associated with Dunn Center. Any health care professional authorized to enter information into your paper or electronic file or record, and all employees, staff, other personnel, volunteers, departments and units will follow the terms of this notice. In addition, these entities, sites and locations may share health information with each other for treatment, payment, or Dunn Center operation purposes described in this notice.

OUR PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:
We understand that health information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting health information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive at Dunn Center. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by Dunn Center. This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose health information about you. It also describes your rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of health information.

WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO:
·Make sure that health information that identifies you is kept private;
Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information about you; and
Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

HOW WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:

AS REQUIRED BY LAW:
We will disclose health information about you when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

TO AVERT A SERIOUS THREAT TO HEALTH OR SAFETY:
We will use and disclose health information about you when we have a “Duty to Report” under state or federal law, because we believe it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS:
We may disclose minimally necessary health information about you for public health activities. These activities generally include the following:

  • To prevent or control disease, injury or disability,
  • To report births or deaths,
  • To report child abuse or neglect,
  • To report reaction to medication or problems with products,
  • To notify people of recalls of products they may be using,
  • To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; or
  • To notify the appropriate government authority if we believe a client has been the victim of domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.

HEALTH OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES:
We will disclose health information as required by law, to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, accreditation, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

LAWSUITS AND DISPUTES:
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we will disclose health information about you when properly ordered to do so by a court.

LAW ENFORCEMENT:
We will release health information about you if asked to do so by a law enforcement official, and if permitted by law:

  • In response to a court order;
  • If required by state or federal law;
  • To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
  • About the victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstance, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;
  • About a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
  • About criminal conduct at a Dunn Center facility; and
  • In emergency circumstances to report a crime; the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR THE PRESIDENT AND OTHERS:
We will disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION:
The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose health information. Each category of uses or disclosures will be explained but not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories

FOR TREATMENT:
We may use health information about you to provide you with health treatment or services. We may disclose health information about you to doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, therapists, technicians, nurse practitioners, Support Staff, Clinical Staff, Accounts Receivable and Clinical Records Staff, Compliance staff or other Dunn Center personnel who are involved in taking care of you. Different departments of our organization also may share health information about you in order to coordinate the different things you need. We also may disclose health information about you to people outside Dunn Center, such as other health care providers involved in your health/medical treatment and to people who may be involved in your medical care, such a family members, clergy or others we use to provide services that are part of your care.

FOR PAYMENT:
We may use and disclose health information about you so that the treatment and services you receive at Dunn Center, or other health care providers from whom you receive treatment, may be billed to, and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company, or a third party. For example, we may need to give your health plan information about treatment you received so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.

FOR HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS:
We may use and disclose health information about you for Dunn Center operations, or to another health care provider or health plan, if you have a relationship with that health care provider or health plan. These uses and disclosure are necessary to operate Dunn Center and make sure that all of our clients receive quality care. For example, we may use medical information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you. We may also combine medical information about many clients to decide what additional services Dunn Center should offer, what services are not needed, and whether certain new treatments are effective. We may also disclose information to doctors, social workers, therapists, nurses, psychologists, technicians, medical students, and other personnel for review and learning purposes. We may also combine the medical information we have with medical information from other health care providers to compare how we are doing and see where we can make improvements in the care and services we offer. We may remove information that identifies you from this set of medical information so others may use it to study health care and health care delivery without learning who the specific clients are.


APPOINTMENT REMINDERS:
We may use and disclose health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment at one of our facilities.

TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES:
We may use and disclose health information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

HEALTH RELATED BENEFITS AND SERVICES:
We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES:
We may use health information about you to contact you in an effort to raise money for Dunn Center and its operations. We may disclose health information to a foundation related to Dunn Center so that the foundation may contact you in raising money for Dunn Center. We only would release contact information, such as your name, address and phone number and the dates you received treatment or services at Dunn Center. If you do not want Dunn Center to contact you for fundraising efforts, you must notify the Privacy Officer in writing.

FACILITY DIRECTORY:
We may include certain limited information about you in a facility directory while you are a client at a Dunn Center facility. This information may include you name, location, and your general condition. The directory information may also be released to people who ask for you by name.

INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE OR PAYMENT FOR YOUR CARE
We may release certain limited information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your health care. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. We may also tell your family or friends your condition. In addition, we may disclose medical information about you to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status and location.

RESEARCH:
Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose health information about you for research purposes. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all clients who received one medication to those who received another, for the same condition. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process. This process evaluates a proposed research project and its use of medical information, trying to balance the research needs with clients’ need for privacy. Before we use or disclose medical information for research, the project will have been approved through this research approval process, but we may, however, disclose medical information medical information about you to people preparing to conduct a research project, for example, to help them look for clients with specific medical needs, so long as the medical information they review does not leave Dunn Center. We may ask for your specific permission if the researcher will have access to your name, address or other information that reveals who you are, or will be involved in your care at Dunn Center.


SPECIAL SITUATIONS

MILITARY AND VETERANS:
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical information about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

CORONERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS:
We may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical information about clients of Dunn Center to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES:
We may release medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

INMATES:
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release medical information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:
You have the following rights regarding health information we maintain about you:

RIGHT TO INSPECT AND COPY:
You have the right to inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes health and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes.

To inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request to the Privacy Officer. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of retrieving, copying, mailing, and any other supplies associated with your request.

We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to health information, under some circumstances you may request that the denial be reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by Dunn Center will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.

RIGHT TO AMEND:
If you feel that any of the health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for Dunn Center.


TO REQUEST AN AMENDMENT:
You must make your request in writing and submit it to the Privacy Officer. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request.

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:
  • Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
  • Is not part of the health information kept by or for Dunn Center;
  • Is not part of the information you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
  • Is accurate and complete.

RIGHT TO AN ACCOUNTING OF DISCLOSURES:
You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.” This is a list of the disclosures we have made of your health information.

To request an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing, to the Privacy Officer. Your request must state a time period, which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, paper or electronically). The first accounting you request within a twelve-month period will be free. For additional accountings, we may charge you for costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.

RIGHT TO REQUEST RESTRICTIONS:
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the health information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a specific treatment session you had.

However, we are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. The request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Officer. In your request, you must tell us:
1. What information you want to limit;
2. Whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and
3. To whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.

RIGHT TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS:
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about health matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Officer. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.

RIGHT TO A PAPER COPY OF THIS NOTICE:
You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of the notice at any time. Contact any staff member or the Privacy Officer.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE:
We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice, including the effective date, in our facilities and offices. In addition, each time you register at or are admitted to Dunn Center for treatment or health care services as an inpatient or outpatient, we will offer you a copy of the current notice.

COMPLAINTS:
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Dunn Center or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with Dunn Center, contact our Privacy Officer. You must submit all complaints in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

OTHER USES OF HEALTH INFORMATION:
Other uses and disclosures of health information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose health information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose medical information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to you.

To ask a question, request a restriction or limitation, to file a compliant or receive a paper copy of this notice, your request must be made in writing and submitted to the Privacy Officer.

Send written requests to the Privacy Officer:
Bonita Dellinger
P.O. Box 487
Richmond, IN 47375
Telephone: 765/983-8120