Privacy Policy
This privacy policy applies only to users of this website. This policy may be changed at anytime without advance notice.
Information Collected. We learn certain information about each visitor to this website. When you visit this website we collect the following information about you: the Internet domain from which you accessed this site, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the date and time you access the site, and the pages you visit most frequently (“Web Log Information”). Web Log Information is not considered personal information. Web Log Information is not linked to a user name unless you give us one. We use the information to measure the number of visitors to various portions of our service and to help us improve our service. Our site will use cookies if you have chosen the option on your browser. Cookies help us customize and improve the site for you. You do not have to accept cookies to this website; however, if you disable cookies, our website will not remember your customizations and cannot help you find what you want on the site most easily. If you accept cookies, you can delete them later by going to the preferences, tools or options menus of your browser.
If this website permits you and you do register and/or create a profile, create a user name and password, send us an e-mail, or use the chat rooms and forums or other products and services that are or will be available on this website, we will collect and store the information you enter. What we collect depends upon what you enter. You can edit your profile by the appropriate prompts. You can delete your profile by simply deleting all the data fields, which will cause our server to delete the information from its online form. We reserve the right to keep all information in an off-line form, for archival purposes or as otherwise required by law.
Uses of Information Collected. Information collected from visitors to this website is used to learn more about the interests and expectations of visitors to our website. We aggregate the data in order to make improvements to the site and to the services offered by Dr. Brouwer. We will not share information that personally identifies you (“personal information”) with third parties without your consent except as required by law, to protect the security and reliability of this website, to take precautions against liability, or to perform audits or other legally required operations. If you send Dr. Brouwer an e-mail that contains personal health information, Dr. Brouwer will use your personal health information in accordance with his HIPAA Privacy Notice which is posted below. You should be aware that links to other websites are operated by third parties. Dr. Brouwer has no control over these websites, the information you enter on these websites or the cookies your browser may accept while on such websites. You are solely responsible for examining the terms and conditions and the privacy policies of these other websites.
Security. When we use personal information gathered through this website, we will do so only subject to this Online Privacy Policy. When we share personal information with third parties, we will require the third parties to enter confidentiality obligations similar to this policy. We have implemented technology and security policies to protect the personal data that we have under our control from unauthorized access, improper use, and unlawful destruction. Personal health information received by Dr. Brouwer through this website will be kept in accordance with Dr. Brouwer’s HIPAA Policies. However, users of this site should remember that e-mail does not provide a means for secure and private communications. If you send us an e-mail, your e-mail, like most non-encrypted Internet e-mail communications, may be accessed and viewed without your knowledge or permission while in transit to us. If you consider the information you are communicating to be confidential, please do not use e-mail. As an alternative, you may contact us by telephone at the number provided on our website. If you choose to communicate confidential information to us via e-mail, by pressing the “send” button, you acknowledge that you are transmitting information to us which may be intercepted by third parties and are authorizing us to respond to you by e-mail.
Children’s Privacy. This website is designed and intended for use by adults, and is not intended for, nor designed to be used by children under the age of 18. We do not collect personally identifiable information from any person we know is a child under the age of 13. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to register or create a profile at this site. Children between the ages of 13 and 18 may only register at this site with the prior written consent of their parent or legal guardian, and then only under the direct supervision of that parent or guardian. The parent or guardian is responsible for all information on the child provided to this website.
Questions. If at any time you have a question or concern regarding this Online Privacy Policy, please e-mail us at receptionist@drbrouwerconcierge.com. We are continually trying to improve our site and welcome your suggestions about how we can better serve you in the future.
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 understand the importance of privacy and are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your medical information. We make a record of the medical care we provide and may receive such records from others. We use these records to provide or enable other health care providers to provide quality medical care, to obtain payment for services provided to you as allowed by your health plan and to enable us to meet our professional and legal obligations to operate this medical practice properly. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide individuals with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. This notice describes how we may use and disclose your medical information. It also describes your rights and our legal obligations with respect to your medical information. If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer listed on back.
A. How this Medical Practice May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
This medical practice collects health information about you and stores it in a chart and on a computer. This is your medical record. The medical record is the property of this medical practice, but the information in the medical record belongs to you. The law permits us to use or disclose your health information for the following purposes:
A1. Treatment. We use medical information about you to provide your medical care. We disclose medical information to our employees and others who are involved in providing the care you need. For example, we may share your medical information with other physicians or other health care providers who will provide services which we do not provide. Or we may share this information with a pharmacist who needs it to dispense a prescription to you, or a laboratory that performs a test. We may also disclose medical information to members of your family or others who can help you when you are sick or injured.
A2. Payment. We use and disclose medical information about you to obtain payment for the services we provide. For example, we give your health plan the information it requires before it will pay us. We may disclose information to our billing service and to other health care providers to assist in obtaining payment for services they have provided to you.
A3. Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose medical information about you to operate this medical practice. For example, we may use and disclose this information to review and improve the quality of care we provide, or the competence and qualifications of our professional staff. Or we may use and disclose this information to get your health plan to authorize services or referrals. We may also use and disclose this information as necessary for medical reviews, legal services and audits, including fraud and abuse detection and compliance programs and business planning and management. We may also share your medical information with our “business associates”, such as our billing service, that perform administrative services for us. We have a written contract with each of these business associates that contains terms requiring them to protect the confidentiality of your medical information. Although federal law does not protect health information which is disclosed to someone other than another healthcare provider, health plan or healthcare clearinghouse, under California law all recipients of health care information are prohibited from re-disclosing it except as specifically required or permitted by law. We may also share your information with other health care providers, health care clearinghouses or health plans that have a relationship with you, when they request this information to help them with their quality assessment and improvement activities, their efforts to improve health or reduce health care costs, their review of competence, qualifications and performance of health care professionals, their training programs, their accreditation, certification or licensing activities, or their health care fraud and abuse detection and compliance efforts. We may also share medical information about you to all the other health care providers and health plans who participate in any managed health care operations affiliated with this medical practice.
A4. Appointment Reminders. We may use and disclose medical information to contact and remind you about appointments. If you are not home, we may leave this information on your answering machine or in a message left with the person answering the phone.
A5. Sign in sheet. We may use and disclose medical information about you by having you sign in when you arrive at our office. We may also call out your name when we are ready to see you. Others who sign in may see your name.
A6. Notification and communication with family. We may disclose your health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care about your location, your general condition or in the event of your death. In the event of a disaster, we may disclose information to a relief organization so that they may coordinate these notification efforts. We may also disclose information to someone who is involved with your care or helps pay for your care. If you are able and available to agree or object, we will give you the opportunity to object prior to making these disclosures, although we may disclose this information in a disaster even over your objection if we believe it is necessary to respond to the emergency circumstances. If you are unable or unavailable to agree or object, our health professionals will use their best judgment in communication with your family and others.
A7. Marketing. We may contact you to give you information about products or services related to your treatment, case management or care coordination, or to direct or recommend other treatments or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you, or to provide you with small gifts. We may also encourage you to purchase a product or service when we see you. We will not use or disclose your medical information without your written authorization.
A8. Required by law. As required by law, we will use and disclose your health information, but we will limit our use or disclosure to the relevant requirements of the law. When the law requires us to report abuse, neglect or domestic violence, or respond to judicial or administrative proceedings, or to law enforcement officials, we will further comply with the requirement set forth below concerning those activities.
A9. Public health. We may, and are sometimes required by law to disclose your health information to public health authorities for purposes related to: preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability; reporting child, elder or dependent adult abuse or neglect; reporting domestic violence; reporting to the Food and Drug Administration problems with products and reactions to medications; and reporting disease or infection exposure. When we report suspected elder or dependent adult abuse or domestic violence, we will inform you or your personal representative promptly unless in our best professional judgment, we believe the notification would place you at risk of serious harm or would require informing a personal representative we believe is responsible for the abuse or harm.
A10. Health oversight activities. We may, and are sometimes required by law to disclose your health information to health oversight agencies during the course of audits,
investigations, inspections, licensure and other proceedings, subject to the limitations imposed by federal and California law.
A11. Judicial and administrative proceedings. We may, and are sometimes required by law, to disclose your health information in the course of any administrative or judicial proceeding to the extent expressly authorized by a court or administrative order. We may also disclose information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful.
A12. Law enforcement. We may, and are sometimes required by law, to disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes such as identifying of locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, complying with a court order, warrant, grand jury subpoena and other law enforcement purposes.
A13. Coroners. We may, and are often required by law, to disclose your health information to coroners in connection with their investigations of deaths.
A14. Organ or tissue donation. We may disclose your health information to organizations involved in procuring, banking or transplanting organs and tissues.
A15. Public safety. We may, and are sometimes required by law, to disclose your health information to appropriate persons in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or the general public.
A16. Specialized government functions. We may disclose your health information for military or national security purposes or to correctional institutions or law enforcement officers that have you in their lawful custody.
A17. Worker’s compensation. We may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with worker’s compensation laws. For example, to the extent your care is covered by workers’ compensation, we will make periodic reports to your employer about your condition. We are also required by law to report cases of occupational injury or occupational illness to the employer or workers’ compensation insurer.
A18. Change of Ownership. In the event that this medical practice is sold or merged with another organization, your health information/record will become the property of the new owner, although you will maintain the right to request that copies of your health information be transferred to another physician or medical group.
B. When This Medical Practice May Not Use or Disclose Your Health Information
Except as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices, this medical practice will not use or disclose health information which identifies you without your written authorization. If you do authorize this medical practice to use or disclose your health information for another purpose, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time.
C. Your Health Information Rights
C1. Right to Request Special Privacy Protections. You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information, by a written request specifying what information you want to limit and what limitations on our use or disclosure of that information you wish to have imposed. We reserve the right to accept or reject your request, and will notify you of our decision.
C2. Right to Request Confidential Communication. You have the right to request that you receive your health information in a specific way or at a specific location. We will attempt to comply with all reasonable requests submitted in writing which specify how or where you wish to receive these communications. However, we utilize a variety of automated systems which may restrict our ability to comply with certain requests. For example, patient statements from our automated billing system will always be sent to your home address.
C3. Right to Inspect and Copy. You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, with limited exceptions. To access your medical information, you must submit a written request detailing what information you want access to and whether you want to inspect it or get a copy of it. We will charge a reasonable fee, as allowed by California law. We may deny your request under limited circumstances. If we deny your request to access your child’s records because we believe allowing access would be reasonably
likely to cause substantial harm to your child, you will have a right to appeal our decision. If we deny your request to access your psychotherapy notes, you will have the right to have them transferred to another mental health professional.
C4. Right to Amend or Supplement. You have a right to request that we amend your health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. You must make a request to amend in writing, and include the reasons you believe the information is inaccurate or incomplete. We are not required to change your health information, and will provide you with information about this medical practice’s denial and how you can disagree with the denial. We may deny your request if we do not have the information, if we did not create the information (unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment), if you would not be permitted to inspect or copy the information at issue, or if the information is accurate and complete as is. You also have the right to request that we add to your record a statement of up to 250 words concerning any statement or item you believe to be incomplete or incorrect.
C5. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have a right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your health information made by this medical practice, except that this medical practice does not have to account for the disclosures provided to you or pursuant to your written authorization, or as described in paragraphs A1 (treatment), A2 (payment), A3 (health care operations), A6 (notification and communication with family) and A16 (specialized government functions) of Section A of this Notice of Privacy Practices or disclosures for purposes of research or public health which exclude direct patient identifiers, or which are incident to a use or disclosure otherwise permitted or authorized by law, or the disclosures to a health oversight agency or law enforcement official to the extent this medical practice has received notice from that agency or official that providing this accounting would be reasonably likely to impede their activities.
C6. You have a right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices. If you would like to have a more detailed explanation of these rights or if you would like to exercise one or more of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer listed at the bottom of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
D. Changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices
We reserve the right to amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time in the future. Until such amendment is made, we are required by law to comply with this Notice. After an amendment is made, the revised Notice of Privacy Protections will apply to all protected health information that we maintain, regardless of when it was created or received. We will keep a copy of the current notice posted in our reception area, and will offer you a copy at each appointment.
E. Complaints
Complaints about this Notice of Privacy Practices or how this medical practice handles your health information should be directed to our Privacy Officer listed below. If you are not satisfied with the manner in which this office handles a complaint, you may submit a formal complaint to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Washington DC. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
Privacy Officer: Ibis Pedrosa 949-574-4004
Effective Date: April 14, 2003