Privacy Statement

Please review carefully. This notice describes the information privacy practices followed by our employees, staff, volunteers and other office personnel.  This notice is available in multiple languages.

Our Privacy Requirements

Wallace Medical Concern is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information.  This notice will tell you about how we may use or disclose you health information.  We are required by law to give you this notice and required to follow the terms of this notice that are now in effect.

How we may use and disclose your health information without your authorization

1. In regards to treatment
   We may use or disclose health information about you to provide you with treatment or services. For example, information may be shared with health professionals and personnel to create and carry out a plan for your treatment.  We may also share information with caregivers outside of our system if they need to be consulted to improve your care.
2. In regards to billing
   We may use your health information to get reimbursement from other health agencies.
3. Health Care Operations
   We may use and disclose health information from your visit that does identify you by name or any of your personal health information to help us provide and improve our health care operations.  Ex. We may use your information to review the quality of services you receive.  Also, information about you and your visit may be compiled so we can look at population based activities and improve healthcare access.
4. Appointment Reminders
   Unless you have informed us not to, we may call you to remind you about an upcoming appointment.
5. Treatment alternatives
   We may use your health information to tell you about services that may interest you.
6. Individuals involved in your care
   We may disclose health information to your family or other person who are involved in your health care. You have the right to deny us to share this information.
7. Public Health Activities
   We may disclose information about you as is required by law.  If we suspect abuse, neglect, or domestic violence we may be required to report this.  We may be required to disclose information about you to public health authorities for certain medical conditions as is required by law. We also may give your information to health oversight agencies as is pertinent to public health systems.
8. Law enforcement
   We may disclose health information about you in response to a court order.  We may disclose health information when required or permitted by federal or state law.  We may disclose your health information to coroner, medical examiner or funeral director as is authorized by law. This includes providing information to  health agencies involved in organ, eye or tissue procurement, banking  or transplantation.
9. Research
   We may use and disclose your health information for research purposes under certain circumstances.  We will obtain your authorization or we will obtain a waiver of authorization from an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board.
10. Health or Safety
    We may disclose your health information to law enforcement in order to avoid a serious threat to the health and safety of a person or the public.
11. Worker’s Compensation
    We may disclose your health information as authorized by law to worker’s compensation or similar programs.
12. Specialized Government Functions
    We may disclose your health information to government agencies with special functions as required or permitted by law. This includes if you are an inmate of a jail or prison or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may give health information about you to that person or jail as required or permitted by law.

Disclosures That Require Your Written Consent

1. Marketing
   We may inform you of products or services relating to your treatment, case management or care coordination.  However, we must first ask for your authorization before we would send you any marketing materials.
2. Other Laws Protecting Health Information
   Other laws may require your written authorization to disclose certain mental health, alcohol and drug abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS testing or treatment, and genetic testing information.

Protected Health Information Privacy Rights for our Patients

1. You have the right to look at or get copies of your records. You must make the request in writing. You may be charged a fee for copying of your records.
2. You have the right to request that we amend health information maintained in your medical record. Your request must be in writing. We may deny your request in certain circumstances.
3. You have the right to ask for a list of certain disclosures made after May 1, 2010. You must make the request in writing. This list will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations. The list will not include information provided directly to you or your family.  The list will not include information provided directily to you or your family.  The list will not include information that was sent with your authorization. If you request a list more than once during a year, we may charge you a fee.
4. You have the right to request restrictions on how your information is used or disclosed. We are not required to grant your request. Your request must be in writing.
5. You have the right to request to receive communications from us in a certain way or in a certain place. We will accommodate any reasonable request.
6. You have a right to revoke your authorization of disclosures of your health authorization. Even in the case where you have given us written authorization to disclose, you will have the right to revoke future disclosures except to the extent that we have already undertaken an action in reliance on your authorization. In some cases, individuals in the criminal justice system may not be able to cancel an authorization until the end of their correctional supervision or a similar event.
7. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice at any time.
8. You have the right to file a complaint with Wallace Medical Concerns Privacy Official at (503) 489-1760 if you do not agree with how we have used or disclosed information about you. You may also file written complaints with Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint with us or the Secretary.

Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN)

Wallace Medical Concern is part of an organized health care arrangement including participants in the Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN).  A current list of OCHIN participants is available at http://www.community-health.org/partners.html.  As a business associate of Wallace Medical Concern, OCHIN supplies information technology and related services to Wallace Medical Concern and other OCHIN participants.  OCHIN also engages in quality assessment and improvement activities on behalf of its participants.  For example, OCHIN coordinates clinical review activities on behalf of participating organizations to establish best practice standards and assess clinical benefits that may be derived from the use of electronic health record systems.  OCHIN also helps participants work collaboratively to improve the management of internal and external patient referrals.  Your health information may be shared by Wallace Medical Concern with other OCHIN participants when necessary for health care operations purposes of the organized health care arrangement