In addition to using and disclosing your information for treatment, payment and health care operations, we may use your protected health information in the following ways:
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders for treatment or medical care.
We may contact you to tell you about or recommend possible treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
We may disclose to your family or friends or any other individual identified by you protected health information directly related to such person's involvement in your care or the payment for your care. We may use or disclose your protected health information to notify, or assist in the notification of, a family member, a personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, of your location, general condition or death. If you are present or otherwise available, we will give you an opportunity to object to these disclosures, and we will not make these disclosures if you object. If you are not present or otherwise available, we will determine whether a disclosure to your family or friends is in your best interest, taking into account the circumstances and based upon our professional judgment.
We may include certain limited information about you in the hospital directory while you are a patient at the Hospital. This information may include your name, location in the Hospital, your general condition (e.g., fair, stable, etc.) and your religious affiliation. The directory information, except for your religious affiliation, may be released to people who ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation may be given to a member of the clergy, such as a priest or rabbi, even if they do not ask for you by name. This will allow your family, friends, and clergy to visit you in the Hospital and generally know how you are doing. You will have the opportunity to request that your information not be listed in the directory.
When permitted by law, we may coordinate our uses and disclosures of protected health information with public or private entities authorized by law or by charter to assist in disaster relief efforts.
We will allow your family and friends to act on your behalf to pick-up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, X-rays, and similar forms of protected health information, when we determine, in our professional judgment, that it is in your best interest to make such disclosures.
Subject to applicable law, we may make incidental uses and disclosures of protected health information. Incidental uses and disclosures are by-products of otherwise permitted uses or disclosures which are limited in nature and cannot be reasonably prevented.
We may contact you as part of our fund-raising and marketing efforts as permitted by applicable law.
We may use or disclose your protected health information for research purposes, subject to the requirements of applicable law. For example, a research project may involve comparisons of the health and recovery of all patients who received a particular medication. All research projects are subject to a special approval process which balances research needs with a patient's need for privacy. When required, we will obtain a written authorization from you prior to using your health information for research.
We will use or disclose protected health information about you when required to do so by applicable law.
[Note: In accordance with applicable law, we may disclose your protected health information to your employer if we are retained to conduct an evaluation relating to medical surveillance of your workplace or to evaluate whether you have a work-related illness or injury. You will be notified of these disclosures by your employer or the Hospital, as required by applicable law.]