It is the goal of Catholic Charities to ensure that we protect your
health information. Timely, accurate, and complete information from
your case record (which includes information about you such as your
name, address, phone number, SS#, your diagnosis and treatment) must
be collected, maintained, and made available to members of the agency’s
service team so that your needs can accurately be served. Most clients
understand and have no objections to this use of their information.
On the other hand, clients may not be aware of the fact that the
information in their case record may also be used as:
• A legal document describing the care rendered.
• Verification of services for which the client or a third-party
payer is billed.
• A tool in evaluating your care for quality improvement.
• A tool in educating health professionals for quality improvement.
• A source of data for research.
• A source of information for tracking disease so that public
health officials can manage and improve the health of the nation.
• A source of data for agency planning and program marketing.
Although clients trust their service providers to maintain the privacy
of the information in their case record, increasingly, clients want
to be informed about what information is collected and to have some
control over how their information is used.
With this in mind, the federal government has passed legislation requiring
that we as a service provider furnish you with our Notice
of Privacy Practices.
This notice describes how health information about you may be used
and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please
review it carefully. If you have any questions about this notice,
please contact our Privacy Contact listed at the end of this document.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose
your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment,
or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted
or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control
your protected health information. “Protected health
information” is information about you, including
demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to
your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition
and related health care services.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
We may change the terms of our notice at any time. The new notice will
be effective for all protected health information that we maintain at
that time. Upon your request, you may obtain any revised Notice of Privacy
Practices by accessing our website, www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org,
by contacting the agency and requesting that a revised copy be sent
to you in the mail, or asking for one at the time of your next appointment.
Catholic Charities Notice of Privacy Practices
This notice describes how information about you may be used and disclosed
and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
We will not use or disclose information from your case record
without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
Understanding Your Case Record/Information
Each time Catholic Charities provides a service, information is added
to your case record. This information serves as a:
• Basis for planning your care, services and treatment
• Means of communication among the 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
• A tool in educating heath professionals
• A source of data for research
• A source of information for public health officials charged
with improving the health of the nation
• A source of data for planning and program marketing
• A tool with which we can work to improve the care you receive
and the outcomes we achieve
Understanding what is in your record and how your information
is used helps you to:
o Ensure it is accurate
o Better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may have
access to information about you.
o Make more informed decisions when authorizing the release of your
information to others
Your Information Rights:
Although your case record is the physical property of Catholic Charities,
the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
• Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your
information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522
• Obtain a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices
• Inspect and obtain a copy of your case record as provided for
in 45 CFR 164.524
• Amend your case record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
• Obtain an accounting of disclosures of information from your
case record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
• Request communications of information from your case record
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
The Responsibilities of Catholic Charities:
This organization is required to:
• Maintain the privacy of information in your case record.
• Provide you with a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices.
• Abide by the terms of this notice
• Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
• Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate
information from your record by alternative means or at alternative
locations.
Examples Of How We Will Disclosure Your Information For Treatment,
Payment And Health Operations
We will use information from your case record for treatment.
For example: Information obtained by your service provider
will be recorded in your case record and used to determine the course
of treatment and services that should work best for you. When a team
of individuals are involved in your service delivery, with your written
permission we will share certain agreed upon components of your record.
This is to ensure that the team can best meet your needs.
We will use your information in your case record for payment.
For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party
payer i.e. an insurance company or a funder for a program. The information
on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies
you, as well as your diagnosis (if applicable), procedures, and supplies
used.
We will use information in your case record for continuous quality
improvement of agency operations.
For example: Designated members of the staff may review information
in your case record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and
others like it. This information will then be used in an effort to improve
the quality and effectiveness of the services we provide.
The supervisor of your service provider may review your case record
as part of the supervisory process of the agency to ensure that your
needs are being met and that agency policy and procedures are being
followed.
Business Associates: There are some services provided in our
organization through contracts with business associates. Examples include
vendors, our auditors, our accrediting body, and other contract monitoring
bodies. When these services are contracted, information in your case
record may be disclosed to our business associate so that they can perform
the job we’ve asked them to do, or they may have incidental access
to information in your case record due to the proximity of case record
information to their work. These agreements also include any observers
or students that are in our organization for educational purposes. To
protect information from your case record, however, we require the business
associate to treat your information with the same degree of privacy
and confidentiality that we do through a business associate agreement.
Notification and Communication with the Family: We may use
or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member,
personal representative, or another person responsible for your care,
your location, and general condition.
Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose information from your case
record to a public health authority that is authorized by law to receive
reports of child or elder abuse or neglect. In addition, we may disclose
information from your case record if we believe that you have been a
victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the governmental entity
or agency authorized to receive such information. In this case, the
disclosure will be made consistent with the requirements of applicable
federal and state laws.
Marketing and Fundraising: 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 send
you information about our agency such as newsletters, fundraising events,
etc. If you do not wish to receive these materials, please contact our
Privacy Officer in writing and request that these fundraising materials
not be sent to you. (Please see the end of this document for contact
information)
Workers compensation: We may disclose information from your
case record 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: As required by law, we may disclose information
from your case record to public health or legal authorities charged
with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Correctional institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional
institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof, information
from your record necessary for your health and the health and safety
of other individuals.
Law enforcement: We may disclose information from your record
for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a
valid subpoena.
Federal law makes provision for information from your record to be released
to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or
attorney, provided that a work force 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.
Change of Ownership: If by chance, Catholic Charities is dissolved,
all of our property becomes the property of Diocese of Kansas City-St.
Joseph, Inc.
Any use of your information from your case record outside of this
Notice will not occur without your written permission. Catholic
Charities will continue to abide by more stringent state laws when applicable.
For More Information or to Report a Problem:
If you have questions and would like additional information, or if you
believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to
file a formal, written complaint with us at the address below, or with
the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,
Office of Civil Rights. We cannot and will not retaliate against
you for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with us or to receive
further information about our privacy practices or the content of this
Notice, please contact:
Alicia Walsh Girardeau, Security Officer
Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Inc.
1112 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64105
816-221-4377, ext. 312, or toll free 1-800-875-4377.
Effective Date: January, 2003
Revised: September 2004
Revised: June 2005
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