Torrington Emergency Medical Services HIPPA

Notice of Privacy 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.

We are committed to preserving the privacy and confidentiality of your health information whether created by us or maintained on our premises. We are required by certain state and federal regulations to implement policies and procedures to safeguard the privacy of your health information. Copies of our privacy policies and procedures are maintained in our office. We are required by state and federal regulations to abide by the privacy practices described in this notice including any future revisions that we may make to the notice as may become necessary or as authorized by law.

Individually identifiable information

Individually identifiable information about your past, present, or future health or condition, the provisions of health care to you, or payment for the health care services you received is considered Protected Health Information (PHI). As such, we are required to provide you with this Privacy Notice that contains information regarding our privacy practices explaining how, when, and why we may use or disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI). In specified circumstances, we must use or disclose only the minimum necessary PHI to accomplish the intended purpose.

We reserve the right to change this notice at any time and 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 about you. Should we revise/change this Privacy Notice, we will post a copy of the new/revised Privacy Notice in our office. You may also request and obtain a copy of any new/revised Privacy Notice from us.

Should you have questions concerning our Privacy Notice, the names and whom you should contact are available at our office and are listed on this document.

How We May Use & Disclose Your Protected Health Information

We use and disclose protected health information for a variety of reasons. We have a limited right to use and/or disclose your health information for purposes of treatment, payment, or for the operations of our company. For other uses, you may give us your written authorization to release your PHI unless the law permits or requires us to make the use or disclosure without your authorization.

Should it become necessary to release your PHI to an outside party other than those directly associated with your treatment, we will ask that party to extend the same degree of privacy protection to your information as we do.

The privacy law permits us to make some uses of disclosures of your PHI without your consent or authorization. The following are examples of the different ways that we may use or disclose your PHI where appropriate. These include:

• Use and Disclosures Related to Treatment: We may disclose your protected health information to outside entities performing other services relating to your treatment; such as those who are involved in providing medical and nursing care services and treatment to you. For example, we may release health information about you to the physician, nurses, nursing assistants, emergency room staff, ambulance personnel or the county coroner that is or was involved in your care.
• Use and Disclosures related to Treatment without consent or authorization: There are a number of disclosures of Protected Health Information that do not require a specific authorization from you. For example, we may disclose PHI for law enforcement purposes and in response to court orders or subpoenas.

Your Rights as a Patient

In accordance with HIPAA you have the following rights in relation to your protected health information:

• You may request, in writing, additional restrictions to the use or disclosure of your PHI; however, Torrington Ambulance Service is not required to agree to the request for restrictions.
• You have the right to obtain a copy of this Notice of Uses
• You have the right of access to obtain a copy of our reports involving your care and treatment, subject to certain limitations.
• You have the right to obtain an account of the disclosure of your records for purposes other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations.
• You have the right to revoke authorization to use or disclose your PHI except to the extent that action has already occurred. Such a request must be made in writing.

Responsibilities of Torrington Ambulance Service

In accordance with HIPAA, we are required to:

• Maintain the confidentiality of your PHI. Your state laws may provide more protection than the federal laws and, in that case, we will abide by the more restrictive statute.
• Provide, upon your request, a copy of our legal obligations and privacy practices regarding your PHI.
• Make every effort to accommodate reasonable requests for limits of information release, and to notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction.

For More Information or to Report a Problem

If you have any questions, would like additional information, or if you suspect misuse of your Protected Health Information and believe that your rights have been violated, you may contact:

• Torrington Emergency Medical Services
  c/o City of Torrington
  P.O. Box 250
  Torrington, WY 82240
  Phone: 307-532-7052
• The Office of Civil Rights
  U.S. Department of Health
  200 Independence Avenue SW
  Room 509F HHH Building
  Washington, D.C. 20201