Privacy Policy

At Delta Radiology, we are committed to protecting your health information and using it responsibly.

Your information is confidential.

Delta Radiology is committed to following all laws and regulations that protect your privacy: the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, the Patient Access to Medical Records Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Our employees are trained on the importance and methods of keeping your information safe.

We will not sell your information.

Your medical information will only be used for your care and our healthcare operations. We will not sell or give your information to other companies for marketing uses.

We will use your information to serve you better.

We collect information about you, our patients, to help us deliver a high quality of healthcare. For instance, we may ask for information from your physician or you, to schedule an examination for you. Also, we need information to bill your insurance company on your behalf.

We protect your information.

Delta Radiology has procedures to ensure the security and confidentiality of your personal information, both from outside and within our company.

You have rights with regards to your protected health information.

The following Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Delta Radiology may use your protected health information and what your rights are. We ask that you read it carefully.

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of medical health information and to provide patients with notice of our legal duties, our privacy practices, and patients' rights with regard to their protected health information. Protected health information is information about you that may identify you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, our provision of healthcare to you, or payment for healthcare services.

Delta Radiology is required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We reserve the right to change it from time to time. The new Notice will be effective for all protected health information in our possession at that time. We will provide you with a new Notice upon your request. You can also view our current Notice at our website: www.deltarad.com

1. Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations.

   Delta Radiology is allowed to and will use or disclose your protected health information as described in this section.
   Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide and coordinate your healthcare and any related services. For example, we will disclose the results of your radiologic examination to your referring physician or to another health care provider (e.g. a specialist or a laboratory) involved in your care.
   Payment: We will use your protected health information as needed to obtain payment for our healthcare services to you. For example, we may be asked to send your examination results to your insurance company in order to receive payment.
   Healthcare Operations: We may use your protected health information to support our own operations, which may include activities that improve our quality of care and cost effectiveness. For example:

   • We may review your examination in order to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of our own staff.
   • We may disclose your information to your insurance company to resolve any complaints that you may raise.
   • We may use a sign-in sheet at a registration desk, where you are asked to sign your name to indicate your arrival.
   • We may call you by name in the waiting area when we are ready to provide your service.
   • We may use your information to contact you to remind you of an appointment or to schedule your appointment.
   • We may share your protected health information with a third party "business associate" that performs a task for our practice, for example, a billing service. Our business associates must sign agreements that they will respect the confidential nature of your protected health information.
   • We may send you information about our practice or new services that we offer.

2. Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures That May be Made With Your Agreement.

   Your "circle of care": We may disclose information about you to individuals involved in your care, such as your spouse, other physicians, or a health aide. Generally, we will obtain your verbal agreement before disclosing health information to these people, however in certain situations, such as an emergency, we are allowed to make these disclosures without your agreement.

3. Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures That May be made Without Your Authorization or Agreement:
   • Research: We may disclose your protected health information to researchers, when an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board has reviewed the research protocol to ensure the privacy of your protected health information. In these instances, the Institutional Review Board may grant a waiver of authorization for disclosure.
   • Public Health Activities: We may disclosure your information to public health authorities, as required. For example, for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, or to report suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse or neglect.
   • Worker's Compensation: We may disclose information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker's compensation and other similar programs.
   • Food and Drug Administration: We may disclose information to the FDA or to a company authorized by the FDA to report adverse events, product problems, or to enable product recalls.
   • Health Oversight: We may disclose protected health information to a health oversight agency, whose activities are authorized by law.
   • Legal Proceedings: We may disclose protected health information in the course of a judicial or administrative proceeding in response to a legal order.
   • Law Enforcement Officials: We may disclose your protected health information as required by law, including in response to a warrant, subpoena, or other order of a court or to assist law enforcement to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person.
   • Criminal Activity: We may disclose information if we believe that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen an imminent threat to the health or safety of another person or the public.
   • Coroners: We may disclose information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director to allow them to perform their duties authorized by law. We may disclose information to organ procurement organizations, if you are organ donor.
   • Specialized Government Functions: We may disclose your information to units of the government with special functions, under certain specific circumstances.
   • Inmates: We may disclose your protected health information to prison officials, if you are an inmate in a facility.
   • Marketing: We may use your information to engage in face-to-face marketing communications with you, regarding our company.
4. Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Authorization.

   Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information besides those covered in Sections 1-3 will only be made with your authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time, in writing, except to the extent that Delta Radiology has already taken an action based upon your prior authorization.

5. Your Rights.

   This is a list of your rights, with respect to your medical information and a description of how you may exercise them. Some of these rights have limitations, in that as a provider of medical care, we do not have to grant them in all circumstances. We do, however, have to respond to your written request. If you have a question about the denial of a request, contact our Privacy Officer, at (209) 334-4416, or in writing at 1121 West Vine Street, Ste. 16 Lodi, CA 95240.
   
   Right to inspect and copy your health information: You may request access to your medical record file, billing records, radiology exam reports, films, and other designated record sets maintained by us. You may inspect these records or request copies of them. In limited circumstances, we may deny your access to a portion of your records. If you wish to access your records, you will be asked to complete and sign a form. If you request copies, there may be a charge for the copies and any mailing fees or supplies associated with fulfilling your request. You will be informed of the amount before the copies are made.
   
   Right to request restrictions: You may request restrictions on our use of your protected health information, for the purposes of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. You may also request that your information not be shared with your family members or for notification purposes as described in this notice. We are not required to agree to a restriction that you request, but are required to respond to your request. We cannot agree to restrictions on uses or disclosures that are legally required or which are necessary to administer our business. Your written request should be made to our Privacy Officer, at the address above.
   
   Right to confidential communications: You may request that we contact you by alternate means, such as at a different phone number or a post office box. You must make this request in writing and we will accommodate any reasonable request.
   
   Right to amend records: You may request that we amend your protected health information that is created and maintained in records held by Delta Radiology, if you feel is it inaccurate or incomplete. In certain cases, we may deny your request. If we do, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us, which will be placed in your medical record. All requests for amendment must be made in writing.
   
   Right to receive an accounting of disclosures: You may request, in writing, an accounting of disclosures that Delta Radiology has made of your protected health information. We do not have to include disclosures for treatment, payment or operations, among others.
   
   Right to receive a paper copy: You may request and receive a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.

6. More information or to report a problem.

   You may contact our Privacy Officer, at (209) 334-4416, or in writing at 1121 West Vine Street, Ste. 16 Lodi, CA 95240 if you have questions or a complaint about your medical privacy. You may also complain to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. Information about how to contact the Secretary of HHS may be found at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacyhowtofile There will be no retaliation against you for filing a complaint.

This notice was published and effective on April 14, 2003.