Disclosures

Business Associates: There are some services provided in our clinic through contracts with business associates. Examples include physician services in the emergency department and radiology, certain lab tests, transcription services and billing companies. Through a signed agreement, we require all business associates to comply with HIPAA laws and requirements to safeguard your health information.

Notification: We may use or disclose information to notify a family member, personal representative, or other person responsible for your care, your location and general condition.

Communication with family: Our staff, using their best judgment, may disclose to family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that persons involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Food & Drug Administration: We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.

Workers Compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized to comply with Virginia laws relating to the workers compensation program.

Public Health: As required by Virginia law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

Communicable Disease: We may disclose health information as required by Virginia law, to a person who may have been exposed to communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.

Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose health information to a health authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. In addition, we may disclose your health information if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the government agency authorized to receive such information.

Research: We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy or your health information.

Marketing & Patient Satisfaction Surveys: We may contact you to remind you of any appointments, healthcare treatment options or other health services that may be of interest to you. We may also contact you to obtain your opinion about our services.

Law Enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by Virginia law or in response to a valid subpoena or court order.

Correctional Institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution; we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

Military & Veterans: If you are a member of the armed services, we may disclose health information as required by military command authorities.

More Stringent Laws: We will evaluate whether your protected health information is governed by more stringent lav/s or regulations prior to our use or disclosure. There are other more stringent laws and rules, such as the federal substance abuse confidentiality regulations, the VA Mental Health confidentiality statue(s), the VA Public Health confidentiality provisions, and state minor consent statue(s) governing status (i.e., emancipation, marital status, etc.) or type of treatment (abortion, sexually transmitted disease, birth control, etc.), that may affect how we handle your information.