Patient Privacy: 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.

Understanding Your Health Record/Information

Each time you visit a hospital, physician, or other healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination, test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:

basis for planning your care and treatment
means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care
legal document describing the care you received
means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
tool in educating health professionals
source of data for medical research
source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of the nation
source of data for facility planning and marketing
tool for assessing and improving the care we render for improved outcomes

Understanding what is in Your Health Record

Understanding who, what, when, where and why others may access your health information, helps ensure its accuracy, as well as helps you make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosures to others.

Your Health Information Rights

Although your health record is the physical property of the healthcare practitioner or facility that maintains it, you have certain rights regarding the information. Subject to certain standards and requirements, you have the right to:

request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by applicable law (please note that we are not required by law to agree to your requested restriction, unless you request that we not disclose information to a health plan for payment or health care operations and the health care service was paid in full by you or a person other than the health plan)
obtain a paper copy of the notice of privacy practices upon request
inspect and obtain a copy of your health record as provided by applicable law (charges for copies may apply)
request an amendment to your health record as provided by applicable law
obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided by applicable law
request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken
request and obtain your protected health information in an electronic format if it is readily producible by the organization in such format

Our Responsibilities

Subject to the terms of this notice and applicable law, this organization is required to:

maintain the privacy of your health information
provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information we collect and maintain
abide by the notice of privacy practices currently in effect
accommodate reasonable requests to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
obtain your authorization for uses and disclosures of your protected health information for certain marketing purposes
notify affected individuals if unsecured protected health information is breached
obtain authorization for most uses and disclosures of most psychotherapy notes created by this organization
obtain authorization for most uses and disclosures involving the sale of protected health The authorization would need to state that the organization is being paid for the protected health information.

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in our notice.

For More Information or To Report a Problem

If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our Patient Advocate at 540-332-4742.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing at Augusta Health, Attn: Compliance and Privacy Office, 78 Medical Center Drive, Fishersville, VA 22939, by phone at 540-245-7455, or by email at Compliance@AugustaHealth.com. You can also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints . There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

Examples of Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Operations

We will use and disclose your health information for treatment:

For example: Information obtained by a nurse, physician, or other member of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that would work best for you and disclosed to healthcare providers for your treatment. Your physician may document in your record their expectations of the members of your healthcare team. Members of your healthcare team will then record the actions they took and their observations. In that way, the physician will know how you are responding to treatment.

We will share your information on Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), secure networks that allows healthcare providers to share your medical information to improve the coordination and quality of your care.

We will use and disclose your health information for payment:

For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer.

We will use and disclose your health information for regular health care operations:

For example: Members of the medical staff, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others that are similar. This information may then be used and disclosed in our programs for continually improving the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare services we provide.

Business associates: Some services are provided in our organization through contracts with business associates. An example could include a copy service that provides staff to perform record copying functions. To protect your health information, the law requires the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information and enter into business associate agreements with their own subcontractors who are also required to safeguard your Information.

We may also use and disclose protected health information as outlined below:

Directory: Unless you notify us that you object, we may give your location and general health condition to individuals who call and ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation may be provided to members of the clergy.

Notification: We may use or disclose information, such as your location and general condition, to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care.

Communication with Family: Unless you object, health professionals, using their professional judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Research: We may use and disclose information for research purposes. Typically, prior to disclosing your information to researchers, we will either obtain your written authorization or will require separate approval by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.

Funeral Directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law to carry out their duties.

Organ Procurement Organizations: Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities, engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.

Appointment Reminders: We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or medical care.

Mobile Phone Numbers: We may collect mobile phone numbers to communicate with patients via SMS and/or RCS text messages for purposes such as appointment reminders, billing notifications, and care coordination. Your mobile phone number will not be sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We will not use your mobile phone number for unrelated marketing without your express written consent.

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.

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

Workers Compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

Public Health: We may disclose medical information about you for public health activities. These activities may include activities: to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; to report births and deaths; and to report child abuse or neglect.

Fundraising: We may use and disclose information for fundraising purposes as specifically permitted by law, which includes contact information (such as your name, address, and phone number), information about your treating physician, the department where you received care, clinical outcome information, the dates you received treatment or services and other information allowed by law. This information may be used by us and disclosed to a foundation related to Augusta Health so that the foundation may contact you about raising money. You have a right to opt-out of receiving fundraising communications. To opt-out, call the Office of the Foundation Vice President, at 540-332-4858.

Accrediting, Licensing and Regulatory Reviews: Professionals associated with healthcare accrediting, licensing, or regulatory agencies for survey purposes may view your health information.

Correctional Institution: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or their agents health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. Examples of these oversight activities may include: audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes: We may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, after efforts have been made to inform you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the requested information.

Law Enforcement: We may release medical information if requested by law enforcement to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person. We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. We may also disclose information about criminal conduct at our facilities, and in emergency circumstances, to report a crime.

Coroners and Medical Examiners: We may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. For example: to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death.

Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical information about you as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

National Security and Intelligence Activities: We may release medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others: We may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.

As Required By Law: We will disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, and may disclose information as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority, or attorney, provided that a workforce member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers, or the public.

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Patient Records:

In addition to the protections described above, the confidentiality of alcohol and drug treatment patient records maintained by treatment programs are protected by other Federal laws and regulations. Generally, programs may not tell a person outside of the program that a patient attends a program for alcohol or drug abuse treatment, or disclose information identifying a patient as an alcohol or drug abuser unless (i) the patient consents in writing, (ii) the disclosure is allowed by a court order, or (iii) the disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency or to qualified personnel for research, or to audit or evaluate the program. Programs may also disclose information about a crime committed by a patient either at the program, or against any person who works for the program. These federal laws and regulations likewise permit the program to disclose information about suspected child abuse or neglect, consistent with state law.

For a minor who is legally entitled to consent to treatment without parental consent, consent of the minor will be obtained before information is shared with a parent or guardian. In cases in which the consent of a parent or guardian is required for treatment and the minor is capable of making a rational choice, before sharing information with a parent or guardian, the program will seek the consent of the minor. For patients who have been legally found to be incapacitated, information may be shared with the guardian or other person entitled to act on behalf of the patient.

Under the special laws and regulations applicable to alcohol and drug treatment program records, among other differences, patients in the alcohol and drug treatment program typically will not be listed in the patient directory. Also, information about alcohol or drug treatment and information identifying an individual as an alcohol or drug treatment patient will typically not be disclosed to family members and relatives of the patient unless a special exception applies. Violation of the special confidentiality requirements for alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs is a crime, and suspected violations may be reported to appropriate authorities in accordance with Federal regulations.

Additional Rights and Privacy Protections for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Programs:

The following additional protections and rights are given to substance use disorder records (“Part 2 records”) created in an Augusta Health Substance Use Disorder clinic (“Part 2 Program”). This section supplements the rest of this Notice and describes: (i) How Part 2 records about you may be used and disclosed (ii) your rights with respect to your Part 2 records, and (iii) how to file a complaint concerning a violation of the privacy or security of your Part 2 records, or your rights concerning your Part 2 records.

Uses and Disclosures of Part 2 Records

Augusta Health may use and disclose your Part 2 records only as described in this section or with your written consent.

Permitted Uses and Disclosure of Part 2 Records Without Consent

To communicate with other staff within the substance use disorder program who have a need for the information in connection with their duties to provide diagnosis, treatment, or referral for treatment
To qualified service organizations providing services on our behalf who agree in writing to protect the information in the same way that we are required to protect the information
To law enforcement agencies or officials if you commit, or threaten to commit, a crime in our facilities or against our personnel
To report suspected child abuse and neglect consistent with state law
To medical personnel in a medical emergency under certain conditions
For research purposes consistent with approval of the Institutional Review Board (“IRB”)
To qualified personnel for audit or program evaluation purposes who have agreed to protect the information
To a public health authority, if the information has been de identified.

Permitted Uses and Disclosures that Require Consent

For treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes. Augusta Health will require that you provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations purposes in order to ensure you receive the highest level of coordinated care. Once your Part 2 records are disclosed to a HIPAA covered entity (such as another health care provider or a health insurance company) or a business associate (companies that provide services on behalf of HIPAA covered entities), the recipient may disclose your information consistent with HIPAA and the Augusta Health Notice of Privacy Practices. The one exception is that you will always need to sign a separate consent in order for your Part 2 records to be used in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you.
Augusta Health will make uses and disclosures of your Part 2 records not described in this Notice only with your consent.

Revoking (Withdrawing) Consent

You may revoke (withdraw) your consent at any time by submitting a request to your provider. Augusta Health will no longer use or disclose your Part 2 records after such time, except to the extent Augusta Health has acted in reliance upon it.

Using or Disclosing Part 2 Records in Legal Proceedings

Part 2 records or testimony relaying the content of such records, will not be used or disclosed in any civil, administrative, criminal, or legislative proceedings against you unless based on specific written consent or a court order. Records shall only be used or disclosed based on a court order after notice and an opportunity to be heard is provided to you and/or Augusta Health. A court order authorizing use or disclosure must be accompanied by a subpoena or other similar legal mandate compelling disclosure before the record is used or disclosed.

Your Rights Related to Your Part 2 Records

As a patient in an Augusta Health Part 2 Program, you have the rights listed in this Notice along with the following rights, specific to your Part 2 records: Right to a list of disclosures by an intermediary. If you consent to share your Part 2 records through an intermediary, such as a research organization , you have a right to a list of disclosures by an intermediary for the past 3 years. To request a list of disclosures by an intermediary, submit your request to the intermediary.

Effective Date: June 29, 2026

This Notice meets federal requirements for and applies to the following Covered Entities: Augusta Health Inpatient Hospital Services • Augusta Health Community Services

Augusta Health Outpatient Clinical Services • Augusta Health-Owned Physician Practices • Augusta Health Medical and Professional Staff Members