HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU.
The following categories describes different ways that we are permitted to use and disclose medical information as a health care provider, although certain of these categories may not apply to our business and we may not actually use or disclose your medical information for such purposes. For each category of uses or disclosures will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted or required to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

FOR TREATMENT: We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose medical information about you to physicians, nurses, and their office personnel, medical technicians, labs, hospitals, and other facilities and their staff. For example, your health care provider may disclose your medical information for treatment purposes when referring you to another health care provider. We also may disclose medical information about you to people who may be involved in your medical care after you have received our products and services, such as social workers or home health agencies.

FOR PAYMENT: We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and services we provide you may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company, or third party. For example, we may need to give your health plan information about products and services we provided to you so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you for the products and services. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.

FOR HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS: We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of your physician's practice. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review activities, training of medical students, licensing, marketing and fundraising activities, and conducting or arranging for business activities. For example, we may discuss your protected health information to medical school students that see patients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when your physician is ready to see you.

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS: We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or services.

TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES: We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

HEALTH-RELATED BENEFITS AND SERVICES: We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE OR PAYMENT FOR YOUR CARE: We may release medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. We may also tell your family or friends your location and condition and that you are receiving products and services from us. In addition, we may disclose medical information about you to any entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, and location.

RESEARCH: Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose medical information about you for research purposes. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all patients who received one product or service to those who received another, for the same condition. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process. This process evaluates a proposed research project and its use of medical information, trying to balance the research needs with the patient's need for privacy of their medical information. Before we use or disclose medical information for research, the project will have been approved through this research approval process, but we may, however, disclose medical information about you to people preparing to conduct a research project, for example, to help them look for patients with specific medical needs, so long as the medical information they review does not leave our premises. We will almost always ask for your specific permission if the researcher will have access to your name, address, or other information that reveals who you are, or will be involved in your care.

AS REQUIRED BY LAW: We will disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state, and local law.

TO AVERT A SERIOUS THREAT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY: We may use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or to the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.