Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: February 16, 2026
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.
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
- Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record: You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. (Note: Under 2026 guidelines, we strive to provide this access as soon as possible). We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
- Ask us to correct your medical record: You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
- Request confidential communications: You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or to send mail to a different address. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
- Ask us to limit what we use or share: You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations.
- Out-of-Pocket Payments: If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, we must agree to your request not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer, unless a law requires us to share it.
- Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information: You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask. We will include all disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures.
- Get a copy of this privacy notice: You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time.
- Choose someone to act for you: If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
- Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
- Share information in a disaster relief situation.
- Include your information in a hospital directory.
In these cases, we NEVER share your information unless you give us written permission:
- Marketing purposes or the sale of your information.
- Most sharing of psychotherapy notes.
- Reproductive Health Care: We will not disclose your PHI for the purpose of investigating or imposing liability on any person for the mere act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive health care.
Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
- Treat you: We can use and share your health information with other professionals who are treating you.
- Run our organization: We can use and share your information to run our practice and improve your care.
- Bill for your services: We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
How else can we use or share your health information? We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways—usually in ways that contribute to the public good. We must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes:
- Public health and safety issues: Preventing disease, helping with product recalls, or reporting suspected abuse/neglect.
- Research: We can use or share your information for health research.
- Comply with the law: We will share information if state or federal laws require it.
- Law enforcement and government requests: For workers’ compensation claims, law enforcement purposes, or with health oversight agencies.
- Note: Under the 2026 Privacy Rule, we will require a signed Attestation before disclosing PHI potentially related to reproductive health care for any law enforcement or administrative oversight request.
- Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Records: If we maintain records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, we will obtain your written consent before disclosing that information for treatment, payment, or health care operations, except as permitted by law.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. You may change your mind at any time by notifying us in writing.
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
