Your privacy matters In 1996, Congress passed legislation to provide continuity of coverage when individuals switch health plans and to ensure the security and privacy of protected health information. Saint Agnes Medical Center has always been committed to protecting individuals' health information and will continue its commitment by ensuring compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy requirements. This rule – the first federal rule to protect the privacy of health information –establishes basic national privacy standards for healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses to follow, in order to protect patients and encourage them to seek needed care. The HIPAA Privacy Rule grants healthcare consumers several rights regarding their privacy and protected health information. Saint Agnes Medical Center has instituted documents, policies and procedures that address these rights.
These include the right to: - Receive Saint Agnes Medical Center's Written Notice of Privacy Practices, which details individual rights and provides examples about how health information is used for treatment, payment, and health care operations. (These documents are available as pdf files in both English and Spanish.)
- Request a restriction on specific uses and disclosures of protected health information.
- Receive confidential communications of health information.
- Access, inspect and copy protected health information.
- Request amendment and/or correction of protected health information.
- Receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
- File a complaint with Saint Agnes Medical Center as well as with the Department of Health and Human Services
What Saint Agnes is doing to protect your privacySaint Agnes has taken a very active role in preparing for this legislation to ensure that your right to protected health information is recognized.
We have appointed a Privacy Officer. She is responsible for helping Saint Agnes reach its privacy goals and also to address concerns from patients, family and staff relating to confidentiality issues. We have prepared a Notice of Privacy Practices for you. This document tells you what we do with your health information and what your rights are. This document is available during registration, online as a pdf file (English and Spanish), or you may request your own by calling (559) 450-3432 and asking for a copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices.
Privacy Fact Sheets available to consumersThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) privacy listserv offers two fact sheets available on its Web site. The first, "Privacy and Your Health Information," provides a general overview of the HIPAA privacy rule and individual rights associated with the rule. The second, "Your Health Information Privacy Rights," focuses on each of the privacy rights included under the rule. Both sheets can be obtained from the OCR Web site at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/ | 
