Urological Associates, PC - Urologists, Quad Cities of Iowa, Illinois

Urological Associates, P.C. and
Spring Park Surgery Center, L.L.C.
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.

I. Who We Are
This notice describes the privacy practices of Urological Associates, P.C. and Spring Park Surgery Center and medical staff members and their representatives participating in an Organized Health Care Arrangement.

II. Our Privacy Obligations
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information ("Protected Health Information" or "PHI") and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices concerning your Protected Health Information. When we use or disclose you Protected Health Information, we are required to abide by the terms of this Notice (or the notice that was in effect at the time the PHI was used or disclosed).

III. Permissible Uses and Disclosures Without Your Written Authorization.
In certain situations, which we will describe in Section IV below, we must obtain your written authorization in order to use and/or disclose your PHI. However, we do not need any type of authorization from you for the following uses and disclosures.

Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations.
We may use and disclose PHI, with exception of "Highly Confidential Information" described in Section IV below, in order to treat you, obtain payment for services provided to you and conduct our "health care operations" as detailed below:
Treatment: We use and disclose you PHI to provide treatment and other services to you for example, to diagnose and treat your injury or illness. In addition, we may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. We may also disclose PHI to other providers involved in your treatment.
Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services that we provide to you for example, disclosures to claim and obtain payment from your health insurer, HMO, or other company that arranges or pays the cost of some or all of your health care to verify that Your Payor will pay for health care.
Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI for our health care operations, which include internal administration and planning and various activities that improve the quality and cost effectiveness of the care that we deliver to you. For example, we may use PHI to evaluate the quality and competence of our physicians, nurses and other health care workers. We may disclose PHI to our Administrator in order to resolve any complaints you may have and ensure that you have a comfortable visit with us.
We may also disclose PHI to your other health care providers when such PHI is required for them to treat you, receive payment for services they render to you, or conduct certain health care operations, such as quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the quality and competence of health care professionals, or for health care fraud and abuse detection or compliance.
Disclosures to Relatives, Close Friends and Other Caregivers.
We may use or disclose your PHI to a family member, other relative, a close person friend or any other person identified by you when you are present for, or otherwise available prior to, the disclosure, if we (1) obtain your agreement; (2) provide you with the opportunity to object to the disclosure and you do not object; (3) reasonably infer that you do not object to the disclosure.
Public Health Activities.
We may disclose your PHI for the following public activities: (1) to report health information to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability; (2) to report child abuse and neglect to public health authorities or other government authorities authorized by law to receive such reports; (3) to report information about products and services under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; (4) to alert a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and (5) to report information to your employer as required under laws addressing work-related illnesses and injuries or workplace medical surveillance.
Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence.
If we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, we may disclose your PHI to a governmental authority, including a social service or protective services agency, authorized by law to receive such abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Health Oversight Activities.
We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency that oversees the health care system and is charged with responsibility for ensuring compliance with the rules of government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings.
We may disclose your PHI in the course of a judicial or administrative proceeding in response to a legal order or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement Officials.
We may disclose your PHI to the police or other law enforcement officials are required or permitted by law or in compliance with a court order or a grand jury or administrative subpoena.
Research.
We may use or disclose your PHI without your consent or authorization, if our Institutional Review Board approves a waiver or authorization for disclose.
Health or Safety.
We may use or disclose your PHI to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person's or public's health and safety.
Specialized Government Functions.
We may use and disclose your PHI to units of the government with special functions, such as the U.S. military or the U.S. Department of State under certain circumstances.
Workers' Compensation.
We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with state law relating to workers compensation or other similar programs.
As Required by Law.
We may use and disclose your PHI when required to do so by any law not already referred to in the preceding categories.

IV. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

Use or Disclosure with Your Authorization.
For any purpose other than the ones described above in Section III, we only may use or disclose your PHI when you grant us written authorization on our authorization form. For instance, you will need to execute an authorization form before we can send your PHO to your life insurance company or to an attorney representing the other party in litigation in which you are involved.
Marketing.
We must also obtain your written authorization on our Marketing Authorization form prior to using your PHI to send you any marketing materials. We can, however, provide you with marketing materials in a face-to-face encounter without obtaining the Marketing Authorization. We are also permitted to give you a promotional gift of nominal value, if we so choose, without obtaining the Marketing Authorization. In addition, we may communicate with you about products or services relating to your treatment, case management or care coordination, or alternative treatments, therapies, providers or care settings without the Marketing Authorization.
Uses and Disclosures of Your Highly Confidential information.
In addition, federal and state law requires special privacy protections for certain highly confidential information about you ("Highly Confidential Information"), including the subset of your PHI that: (1) is maintained in psychotherapy notes; (2) is about mental health and developmental disabilities services; (3) is about alcohol and drug abuse prevention treatment and referral; (4) is about HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis or treatment; (5) is about venereal disease (s); (6) is about genetic testing; (7) is about child abuse and neglect; (8) is about domestic abuse of an adult with disability; (9) is about sexual assault. In order for us to disclose your Highly Confidential Information for a purpose other than those permitted by law, we must obtain your written authorization.

V. Your Right Regarding Your Protected Health Information.

For Further Information: Complaints.
If you desire further information about your privacy rights, are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights or disagree with a decision that we made about access to your PHI, you may contact our Administrator. You may also file written complaints with the Director, Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Right to Request Additional Restrictions.
You may request restrictions on our use and disclosure of your PHI (1) for treatment, payment and health care operations, (2) to individuals (such as a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person identified by you) involved with your care or with payment related to your care, or (3) to notify or assist in the notification of such individuals regarding your location and general condition. While we will consider all requests for additional restrictions carefully, we are not required to agree to a requested restriction. If you wish to request additional restrictions, please put in writing to our Administrator.
Right to Request Special Confidential Communication.
You have the right to ask us to communicate with you at a special address or by special means. We will accommodate any reasonable written request for you to receive your PHI under these special circumstances.
Right to Revoke Your Authorization.
You may revoke Your Authorization, Your Marketing Authorization or any written authorization obtained in connection with your Highly Confidential Information except to the extent that we have take action in reliance upon it, by delivering a written revocation statement to the Administrator of UAPC SPSC.
Right to Inspect and Copy Your Health Information.
You may request access to inspect your medical record file and billing records, maintained by us and request copies of the records. Under limited circumstances, we may deny you access to a portion of your records. If you desire to inspect your records, please arrange in advance a meeting with the Administrator. If you request copies, we will charge a fee for copy costs.
Right to Amend Your Records.
You have the right to request that we amend PHI maintained in your medical record file or billing records. If you desire to amend your records, please put in writing to the Administrator. We will comply with your request unless we believe that the information that would be amended is accurate and complete or other special circumstances apply.
Right to Receive An Accounting of Disclosures.
Upon request, you may obtain an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by UAPC and/or SPSC Entities during any period of time prior to the date of your request provided such period does not exceeded six (6) years and does not apply to disclosures that occurred prior to April 12, 2003. If you request an accounting more than once during a twelve (12) month period, we may impose a fee for this service.
Right to Receive Paper Copy of this Notice.
Upon request, you may obtain a paper copy of this Notice, even if you have agreed to receive such notice electronically.

VI. Effective Date and Duration of This Notice

Effective Date.
This Notice is effective on April 14, 2003.
Right to Change Terms of this Notice.
We may change the terms of this Notice at any time. If we change this Notice, we may make the new notice terms effective for all PHI that we maintain, including any information created or received prior to issuing the new notice. If we change this Notice, we will post the new notice in waiting areas of UAPC and SPSC Entities and on our Internet site at www.urologyqc.com.

Urological Associates, P.C.
Main office: Spring Medical Park 3319 Spring St. Davenport, IA 52807 Tel: 563.359.1641 Toll-free: 800.456.0407 Fax: 563.359.9492 [ map ]	Quad City Regional Kidney Stone Center 3319 Spring St. Davenport, IA 52807 Tel: 563.355.6236 Toll-free: 800.456.0407 Fax: 563.359.6347 [ map ]	Spring Park Surgery Center *also affiliated with Genesis Medical Center 3319 Spring St., Suite 202A Davenport, IA 52807 Tel: 563.355.6236 Toll-free: 800.456.0407 Fax: 563.359.6347 [ map ]