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Privacy Policy

Christian Care Communities (Christian Care)

Notice of Privacy Practices - Effective Date: February 19, 2007

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.

Understanding Your Medical Record and Your Health Information

Each time you visit a Christian Care Communities facility or one of its affiliates (together affiliated covered entity), information about your visit is recorded in your medical record. Typically, this record consists of your medical history, symptoms, examination, observations, test results, diagnosis, treatment, and future care plans. Understanding your health information and how it is used helps to ensure that it is accurate, and that it is used and disclosed appropriately.

Your Health Information Privacy Rights

Although your medical record is in the custody of Christian Care, the information contained in the record belongs to you. You have legal rights regarding your health information, which are described below. To exercise any of these rights, a written request must be submitted to the Facility's Administration. Requests that do not follow these guidelines may be denied. Your legal rights include a:

• Right to Access.   With some exceptions, you have the right to review and copy your health information. Kentucky law provides that a patient is entitled to one free copy of his or her medical records.  Thereafter, we may charge a fee for the cost of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request.
• Right to Amend.   You have the right to request an amendment of your health information if you believe it contains incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete information. This right exists as long as we keep this information.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures.   You have the right to obtain a listing of those to whom we disclosed your health information. This right applies to disclosures other than those made for treatment, payment, health care operations; and those you specifically authorized. You can request an accounting for up to 6 years prior to the date of the request but not prior to April 14, 2003. The first request in a 12-month period is provided at no cost to you. There may be a charge for subsequent requests within the same 12-month period.
• Right to Request Restrictions.   You have the right to request restrictions on the use or disclosing of your health information. We will use our best efforts to comply with all approved requests except when the information is needed to provide emergency treatment. We will provide you with a written explanation for denied requests or when we revoke a previously agreed to restriction.
• Right to Request Alternate Communications.   You have the right to specify that communication with you be conducted in a particular manner or be directed to a certain location. We will attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests.
• Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice.   You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time.
• Right to Require Written Authorization.   Any uses or disclosures of your health information, other than those described below, will be made only with your advance written authorization, which you may grant or revoke at any time.

Use and Disclosure of Your Health Information

Federal privacy laws allow Christian Care to use and disclose your health information for the following reasons or to the following entities:

• Treatment - Members of Christian Care's workforce (including doctors, nurses, therapists, etc.) may use your health information to treat and care for you. We may disclose your health information to providers not affiliated with Christian Care, to facilitate the care they provide you. For example, we may disclose your health information to your personal physician during your stay at the Christian Care Facility.
• Payment - Members of Christian Care's workforce may use your heath information to request payment, for the treatment we provide. For example, we may disclose your health information to your health insurance plan, to a third party, or directly to you to request payment for the treatment we provide.
• Health Care Operations - Members of Christian Care's workforce may use your health information for health care operations of the Christian Care Facility. Examples of these activities are: state certification surveys, reviews of our services, determinations of the effectiveness of new treatments, evaluation of our performance, providing training to our staff, or to identify future services offerings and those no longer needed.
• Health Related Benefits and Services – We may use and disclose medical information about you to contact you about health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
• Facility Directory and Notification Purposes - Your name and location in the Facility may be included in the directory. This information may be released to people who ask for you by name. Your name may be included in a list of residents provided to clergy who offer spiritual services.
• Communication - We may contact you to provide appointment reminders, alternative treatments, and other health services that may be of interest.
• Individuals Involved in Your Care – We may disclose to a family member, other relative, a close personal friend, or any other person identified by you, medical information about you that is directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your care or payment related to your care.  We may also use or disclose medical information about you to notify, or assist in notifying, those persons of your location, general condition or death.
• Disaster Relief – We may use or disclose medical information about you to a public or private entity authorized by law or its charter to assist in disaster relief efforts.
• Business Associates - We may disclose your information to service providers with whom we have contracted to provide a service or raise money on our behalf. We must have written assurances in place, before disclosing your information to our Business Associates.
• Research - We may use and disclose your health information to researchers when permitted by law, for example, if the research has been approved by an Institutional Review Board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
• Law, Lawsuits, Disputes, Law Enforcement - We may disclose your information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, warrant, summons, discovery request, or as required by Law.  In the event of such requirement, we will make every effort to ensure that there is strict compliance with all rules applicable to matters before any such tribunal related to the disclosure and protection of health information.
• Funeral Directors, Coroners, Medical Examiners - We may disclose your health information in order for these individuals to carry out their duties.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Public Health Agencies, Health Oversight Agencies - We may disclose your information to: report adverse events with food, drugs, medical devices, dietary supplements, other products and product recalls; report births, deaths, child abuse, neglect, domestic violence; prevent or control disease, injury, disability; notify people possibly exposed to a disease or maybe spreading a disease; authorized organ donations; or as required by law.
• Workers' Compensation Programs - We may disclose your information as permitted or required by state law relating to workers' compensation programs.
• Correctional Institution - We may disclose your information when you are an inmate or under custody so the correctional institution can provide you health care, to protect your health and safety and that of others.
• Military Authorities - We may disclose your information when you are a member or veteran of the military.
• Mental Health or Chemical Dependency Records – If we receive health information about you from a health care provider, we will not redisclose or otherwise reveal any mental health or chemical dependency records contained in that information beyond the purpose of the disclosure to us, without first obtaining your written authorization or as required by law.
• Marketing Communications – We may use or disclose your information about you to communicate with you about a product or service to encourage you to purchase the product or service.  This may be to describe a health-related product or service; for your treatment; for case management or care coordination; to direct or recommend alternative treatments, therapies, health care providers or settings of care.
• Fundraising – We may use or disclose medical information about you to contact you and/or your family members to raise funds for Christian Care.
• Other Uses and Disclosures – We will obtain your written authorization for other uses and disclosures.

Our Responsibilities
It is our responsibility to:

• Provide reasonable safeguards in order to protect the privacy of your health information;
• Use or disclose the minimum amount of information required to reasonably provide necessary services;
• Provide and review this Notice with you regarding our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information and to make a good faith effort to obtain your signature acknowledging receipt of this Notice;
• Post the current Notice in the Christian Care Communities facility, as well as on our website; and
• Abide by the terms of this Notice.

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all health information we maintain. Such a Notice will specify the effective date on the first page.

Contacting the Facility Privacy Contact

If you have questions, or to exercise your rights, please contact the Christian Care Communities facility by phone or mail and request to speak to the Privacy Contact. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Privacy Contact or you may file a complaint using Christian Care's Compliance Hotline (1-866-654-6507). Additionally, you may file a written complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta Federal Center, Suite 3B70, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, GA 30303-8909. No retaliation will occur based on your filing a complaint.