THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
This Notice describes how we will use and disclose your protected health information. The policies outlined in this Notice apply to all of your health information generated by this Organization, whether recorded in your medical record, invoices, payment forms, videotapes or other ways. Similarly, these policies apply to the protected health information gathered from other Organizations by any health care professional, employee or volunteer who participates in your care.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
1) In some circumstances we are permitted or required to use or disclose your protected health information without obtaining your prior authorization and without offering you the opportunity to object. These circumstances include:
- In addition, we may contact you as part of our efforts to raise funds for the Organization. All fundraising communications will include information about how you may opt out of future fundraising communications.
2) We may also use or disclose your protected health information in the following circumstances. However, except in emergency situations, we will inform you of our intended action prior to making any such uses and disclosures and will, at that time, offer you the opportunity to object.
Except as described above, disclosures of your protected health information will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time, in writing, unless we have taken action in reliance upon your prior authorization, or if you signed the authorization as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage.
YOUR RIGHTS
1) To Request Restrictions. You have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your protected health information for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes or notification purposes. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree to a restriction, we will abide by that restriction unless you are in need of emergency treatment and the restricted information is needed to provide that emergency treatment. To request a restriction, submit a written request to the Contact listed on the final page of this Notice.
2) To Limit Communications. You have the right to receive confidential communications about your own protected health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. This means that you may, for example, designate that we contact you only via e-mail, or at work rather than home. To request communications via alternative means or at alternative locations, you must submit a written request to the Contact listed on the final page of this Notice. All reasonable requests will be granted.
3) To Access and Copy Health Information. You have the right to inspect and copy any protected health information about you other than psychotherapy notes, information compiled in anticipation of or for use in civil, criminal or administrative proceedings, or certain information that is governed by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act. To arrange for access to your records, or to receive a copy of your records, you should submit a written request to the Contact listed on the last page of this Notice. If you request copies, you will be charged our regular fee for copying and mailing the requested information.
Despite your general right to access your protected health information, access may be denied in some limited circumstances. For example, access may be denied if you are an inmate at a correctional institution or if you are a participant in a research program that is still in progress. Access may be denied if the federal Privacy Act applies. Access to information that was obtained from someone other than a health care provider under a promise of confidentiality can be denied if allowing you access would reasonably be likely to reveal the source of the information. The decision to deny access under these circumstances is final and not subject to review.
In addition, access may be denied if (i) access to the information in question is reasonably likely to endanger the life and physical safety of you or anyone else, (ii) the information makes reference to another person and your access would reasonably be likely to cause harm to that person, or (iii) you are the personal representative of another individual and a licensed health care professional determines that your access to the information would cause substantial harm to the patient or another individual. If access is denied for these reasons, you have the right to have the decision reviewed by a health care professional who did not participate in the original decision. If access is ultimately denied, the reasons for that denial will be provided to you in writing.
4) To Request Amendment. You may request that your protected health information be amended. Your request may be denied if the information in question: was not created by us (unless you show that the original source of the information is no longer available to seek amendment from), is not part of our records, is not the type of information that would be available to you for inspection or copying (for example, psychotherapy notes), or is accurate and complete. If your request to amend your protected health information is denied, you may submit a written statement disagreeing with the denial, which we will keep on file and distribute with all future disclosures of the information to which it relates. Requests to amend protected health information must be submitted in writing to the Contact listed on the final page of this Notice.
5) To an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to an accounting of any disclosures of your protected health information made during the six-year period preceding the date of your request. However, the following disclosures will not be accounted for: (i) disclosures made for the purpose of carrying out treatment, payment or health care operations, (ii) disclosures made to you, (iii) disclosures of information maintained in our patient directory, or disclosures made to persons involved in your care, or for the purpose of notifying your family or friends about your whereabouts, (iv) disclosures for national security or intelligence purposes, (v) disclosures to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials who had you in custody at the time of disclosure, (vi) disclosures that occurred prior to April 14, 2003, (vii) disclosures made pursuant to an authorization signed by you, (viii) disclosures that are part of a limited data set, (ix) disclosures that are incidental to another permissible use or disclosure, or (x) disclosures made to a health oversight agency or law enforcement official, but only if the agency or official asks us not to account to you for such disclosures and only for the limited period of time covered by that request. The accounting will include the date of each disclosure, the name of the entity or person who received the information and that person's address (if known), and a brief description of the information disclosed and the purpose of the disclosure. To request an accounting of disclosures, submit a written request to the Contact listed on the final page of this Notice.
OUR DUTIES
1) We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
2) We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make those changes applicable to all health information that we maintain. Any changes to this Notice will be posted on our website and at our facilities, and will be available from us upon request.
COMPLAINTS
You can complain to us and to the federal Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. To lodge a complaint with us, please file a written complaint with the Contact set forth below. This Contact person will also provide you with further information about our privacy policies upon request. No action will be taken against you for filing a complaint.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF NOTICE
You will be asked to sign an acknowledgment form that you received this Notice of Privacy Practices.
EFFECTIVE DATE
This Notice of Privacy Practices is effective April 14, 2003
DESIGNATED CONTACT PERSON & CHIEF PRIVACY OFFICER
Kristi L. Osthus, RHIA
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System
400 10th Ave NW
PO Box 1210
Watertown, SD 57201
Phone: 1-605-882-7920
ADDITIONAL NOTICES:
NOTICE OF ORGANIZED HEALTH CARE ARRANGEMENT FOR HEALTH SYSTEM
The Health System, its component hospitals, the independent contractor members of their Medical Staffs (including your physician), and other related health care providers have agreed, as permitted by law, to share your health information among themselves for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations. This enables us to better address your health care needs in a clinically integrated setting. This notice is being provided to you as a supplement to this Notice of Privacy Practices.
NOTICE OF ORGANIZED HEALTH CARE ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL STAFF
Each of the Hospitals, the independent contractor members of its Medical Staff (including your physician), and other health care providers affiliated with the Hospitals have agreed, as permitted by law, to share your health information among themselves for purposes of treatment, payment or health care operations. This enables us to better address your health care needs. This notice is being provided to you as a supplement to this Notice of Privacy Practices
Question:
I've heard that Quinoa is better for you than brown rice? is this true? Should I switch? Is there different kinds of quinoa that are better than others?
Same day surgical procedures are provided in a convenient, personal setting at Prairie Lakes Mallard Pointe Surgical Center. The facility is designed for easy access and check-in and service is designed to minimize wait times. The staff at Mallard Pointe Surgical Center encourages family involvement before and after surgery. This is an ideal set up for children needing outpatient surgery.
General and specialized surgeons in the region perform procedures at Mallard Pointe Surgical Center. Physicians provide procedures in orthopedics, ophthalmology, ear-nose-throat, gynecology, urology, podiatry, plastic, dental, endoscopy, general and laparoscopic surgery, pediatrics and anesthesia. Our top procedures are:
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System is committed to providing excellent quality medical care to our patients without regard to their ability to pay. If you think that you may have difficulty paying your bill, we encourage you to discuss financial assistance options with one of our Patient Account Specialists. For persons who qualify, care may be provided free of charge or at a discounted rate. Interest free payment terms are also available for those who qualify.
An application for financial assistance may be obtained:
Eligibility for assistance is based on income, assets, medical bill obligations and other criteria as listed on the Financial Assistance Application. Individuals who qualify for assistance will not be charged more for emergency or medically necessary care than the amount generally billed to insured individuals.
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Financial Assistance Policy - download
Financial Assistance Application - download
Find out more about billing, insurance, reimbursements and financial assistance.