TriHealth is notifying individuals whose information was involved in a recent third-party data security incident. Click here for more information.
This Joint 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.
Your health information is created at and kept by the following TriHealth hospitals, facilities, and providers:
This Joint Notice also applies to Seven Hills Anesthesia, Qualified Emergency Specialists, Inc., Southern Ohio Pathology Consultants, Inc., Talawanda Emergency Physicians, Tristate IMG (Imaging Medical Group), and TriHealth Medical Staffs. While it is important that you understand these providers are not team members or agents of TriHealth, they follow the terms of this Joint Notice with respect to the privacy of your health information. Nothing in this Joint Notice should be construed to indicate these providers are agents of TriHealth.
Collectively these hospitals, facilities, team member/agent providers as well as non-team member/non-agent providers participate in an Organized Health Care Arrangement. They share your health information to treat you, receive payment, and run their organizations.
You have certain rights when it comes to your health information. This section explains those rights and some of our responsibilities.
Look at or get a copy of your medical record on paper or electronically. You can submit your request in writing to our medical records department. Your copy of your medical record may not include certain things like Psychotherapy notes, or anything currently being used in a lawsuit. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask us to change your medical record if you think it is incorrect or incomplete. You can submit your request in writing to our medical records department. If the provider decides the information is accurate and complete, for example, we may say “no” to your request. If we say “no”, we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Get a list of who we have given your information to. You can submit your request in writing to our medical records department. This list will include who we have given your health information to and why. We can give you a list containing the last 6 years from the date you asked. This list will not include information we have used for treatment, payment, health care operations, or when you asked us to release your information. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask for private communication. We may use voice calls, text, mail, or other appropriate electronic communications to talk to you about your treatment, a product or service, payment for such products or services, your case management or care coordination, or to share health care directions or recommendations with you. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, for example on your cell phone, at home, in your office, or via mail only. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we will respond to your request per our Patient Privacy Rights policies.
For example, if at the time of your appointment you paid out-of-pocket in full, you may ask us not to share that information with your health insurance company.
Get a copy of this Joint Notice. Even if you have agreed to receive this Joint Notice electronically, you can ask for a paper copy of this Joint Notice at any time. You can also find a copy of the Joint Notice of Privacy Practices on our website; www.TriHealth.com.
Opt out of the hospital directory. We will include basic information about you in our hospital directory during your stay. Information contained in the hospital directory may be released to those who ask for you by name. If you prefer to not be included in the hospital directory, you can opt out during the registration process.
If you are unsure of how to exercise these rights, please ask us how or visit our website; www.TriHealth.com. You can contact TriHealth’s Privacy Office at Compliance@TriHealth.com or (513) 569-6507 for more information.
File a complaint if you feel your Privacy rights are violated. If you feel your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact TriHealth’s Privacy Office or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To contact TriHealth’s Privacy Office, you may email Compliance@TriHealth.com or call (800) 467-0989 or (513) 569-6507. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
We can use or share your health information to:
Treat you. Your health information can be shared with other healthcare professionals in order to provide you with medical treatment and service. For example, a doctor who you are seeing can speak with another doctor you have seen to better understand your overall health to make the best decisions for your care.
Receive payment. Your health information is used to bill and get payment for the medical treatment and service provided to you. For example, we will give information about you to your health insurance company, so it will pay for the service you received from us.
Run our organization. Your health information can be used in order to run our healthcare facilities and to make sure our patients are receiving quality, service, safety, and value in health care. For example, we may use health information to review and evaluate the performance of our team members involved in your care.
We are allowed, and sometimes required, to share your health information in other ways. Other ways your health information may be used or shared include:
To inform friends and family who are involved in your care. We may release health information about you to individuals personally involved in your care or in payment of your care. We may also share this information if we believe it is in your best interest, including for reasons related to disaster relief.
To talk to you about medical treatment and services. We will contact you about your appointments at TriHealth. We may also contact you to give you information about different treatment options or other health-related benefits and services.
To help our Business Associates who provide service to us or for us. Our Business Associates are people who are not directly part of any of our facilities that can use or have access to our patient’s health information in order to provide a service for us. For example, Business Associates may include billing companies, consultants, or attorneys.
To help with public health/safety issues. We can use or share health information about you if necessary, to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety, or the health and safety of others. We can share your health information with Federal, State, and Local Health Agencies to help prevent or control disease, to report abuse or neglect, to report births and deaths, to report medication reactions, or other concerns. For example, we can report to your county’s Health Department if you test positive for a life-threatening illness that can be spread to others.
To address law enforcement and other government requests. We can use or share your health information with a law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes or if you are in the custody of the law enforcement official. We can also use or share your health information with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, for special government functions like military, national security, and presidential protective services, or as a response to a court order. For example, we can share your health information in response to a court order or a subpoena issued by a judge.
To work with coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors. We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or a funeral director in the event of death. For example, to determine cause of death.To respond to organ/tissue donation requests. We can share your health information with organ procurement organizations. For example, if you are an organ/tissue donor.
To do research. We can use or share your health information for health research. Research projects go through a strict approval process to help balance research needs with your need for privacy. For example, a research project may involve comparing the recovery of all patients who received a specific medication for the same illness.
For Fundraising Activities. We may contact you to raise money for our hospitals or offices. For example, our related charitable foundations may reach out to you for donations in order to buy new equipment. You have the right to opt out of being contacted for raising funds.
To address worker’s compensation. We can share your health information to receive payment from worker’s compensation. For example, worker’s compensation will typically pay for the care received related to an injury you had at work.
To Participate in Health Information Exchanges. We may participate in Health Information Exchanges, or HIEs, in order to share your information electronically for legally permitted or required purposes. The HIE and all its participants are required to protect your information. You have the right to opt-out of your information being included in HIE participation as long as the access, use, or disclosure is not required by law.
To comply with the law. We will share your health information if federal, state, or local laws require it. For example, Ohio State law requires healthcare providers to report cases of cancer.
We will not use or share your information in ways other than outlined in this Joint Notice unless you tell us we can in writing, including the use or sharing of psychotherapy notes. You may revoke your permission in writing at any time and we will no longer use or share that information, but we are unable to take back any sharing of your information before revoking your permission. We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information. We must provide you a copy of this Joint Notice and follow the legal duties and privacy practices about protected health information described in it. If a breach that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information occurs, we will promptly notify you.
We are required to follow the terms of the Joint Notice currently in effect. We can change the terms of this Joint Notice, and any changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Joint Notice will be distributed to patients at the first service delivery after the Joint Notice is revised, and the new Joint Notice of Privacy Practices will be posted in our facilities and on our website, www.TriHealth.com.
Effective 6/1/2023