Notice of Privacy Practices - Baptist Health South Florida

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and disclose Health Information for research purposes. Forexample, a research project may involve comparing the healthand recovery of all patients who received one medication ortreatment to those who received another, for the same condition.Before we use or disclose Health Information forresearch, though, the project will go through a specialapproval process. This process evaluates a proposed researchproject and its use of Health Information to balance the benefitsof research with the need for privacy of HealthInformation. Even without special approval, we may permitresearchers to look at records to help them identify patientswho may be included in their research project or for othersimilar purposes, as long as they do not remove or take a copyof any Health Information with them.SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCESj) As Required by Law. We will disclose Health Informationwhen required to do so by international, federal, state orlocal law.k) To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We mayuse and disclose Health Information when necessary toprevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safetyor the health and safety of the public or another person. Anydisclosure, however, will be to someone who may be able tohelp prevent the threat.l) Business Associates. We may disclose Health Informationto our business associates who perform functions on ourbehalf or provide us with services if the information is necessaryfor such functions or services. For example, we may useanother company to perform billing services on our behalf. Allof our business associates are obligated, under contract withus, to protect the privacy of your information and are notallowed to use or disclose any information other than as specifiedin our contract.m) Organ and Tissue Donation. We may release HealthInformation to organizations that handle organ procurement ororgan, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donationbank, as necessary, to facilitate organ or tissue donation andtransplantation.n) HIV Test Results. If you received an HIV test and did notgive us permission to use and disclose the results, we will useand disclose the results of HIV tests that identify you only:(1) to provide you with healthcare services (for example, wemay tell a specialist about your HIV status so the specialistcan treat you); (2) when compiling or reviewing your recordsas part of routine billing; (3) if necessary, to enable us to protectthe quality of our services (for example, we may discloseHIV test results to our committees to monitor and evaluate ourprograms); (4) to child-placing or child-care agencies, familyfoster homes, residential facilities or community-based careprograms that are directly involved in placement, care, controlor custody and that have a need to know such information; (5)to a sex- or needle-sharing partner in accordance with the law;(6) in accordance with a court order that specifically requiresus to release HIV test results; and (7) in connection with organdonation.o) Military and Veterans. If you are a member of the armedforces, we may release Health Information as required by militarycommand authorities. We also may release Health
Information to the appropriate foreign military authority if youare a member of a foreign military.p) Workers’ Compensation. We may disclose HealthInformation for workers’ compensation or similar programs.These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries orillnesses.q) Public Health Risks. We may disclose Health Informationfor public health activities. These activities generally includedisclosures to prevent or control disease, injury or disability;report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; reportreactions to medications or problems with products; notify peopleof recalls of products they may be using; track certain productsand monitor their use and effectiveness; notify a personwho may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk forcontracting or spreading a disease or condition; and conductmedical surveillance of our facilities in certain limited circumstancesconcerning workplace illness or injury. We also mayrelease Health Information to an appropriate governmentauthority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse,neglect or domestic violence; however, we will release thisinformation only if you agree or when we are required orauthorized by law.r) Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose HealthInformation to a health oversight agency for activities authorizedby law. These oversight activities include, for example,audits, investigations, inspections and licensure as well asquarterly reports to the Agency for Healthcare Administration.These activities are necessary for the government to monitorthe healthcare system, government programs and compliancewith civil rights laws.s) Lawsuits and Disputes. If you are involved in a lawsuit ora dispute, we may disclose Health Information in response toa court or administrative order. We also may disclose HealthInformation in response to a subpoena, discovery request orother lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute,but only if efforts have been made to tell you about therequest or to obtain an order protecting the informationrequested.t) Law Enforcement. We may release Health Information ifasked by a law enforcement official for the followingreasons: (1) in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant,summons or similar process; (2) limited information to identifyor locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missingperson; (3) about the victim of a crime if, under certain limitedcircumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;(4) about a death we believe may be the result of criminalconduct; (5) about criminal conduct on our premises; and(6) in emergency circumstances to report a crime, the locationof the crime or victims, or the identity, description or locationof the person who committed the crime.u) Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. We mayrelease Health Information to a coroner or medical examiner.This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceasedperson or to determine the cause of death. We also mayrelease Health Information to funeral directors as necessaryfor their duties.v) National Security and Intelligence Activities. We mayrelease Health Information to authorized federal officials for
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Notice of Privacy Practices - Baptist Health South Florida

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