THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Central DuPage Foot & Ankle Specialists (“the Practice”) is committed to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and the HITECH Act. This Notice explains how we may use and disclose your health information and describes your rights regarding that information.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We use and disclose your health information for the following primary purposes without requiring your authorization:
- Treatment: We may use or disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and any related services, including sharing information with physicians, hospitals, or other providers involved in your care.
- Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for treatment and services we provide, including billing insurance companies, verifying coverage, and processing claims.
- Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI to support internal operations such as quality assessment, staff training, compliance reviews, and other administrative activities necessary to run our practice.
- Appointment Reminders: We may contact you to remind you of an upcoming appointment or follow up on your care.
- As Required by Law: We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by applicable federal, state, or local law, including public health reporting, abuse or neglect reporting, and law enforcement requests where legally required.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization, including most uses of psychotherapy notes, uses of PHI for marketing purposes, and the sale of PHI. You may revoke such authorization at any time in writing, except where we have already acted in reliance on it.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
- Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. Requests must be submitted in writing to our office.
- Right to Amend: You have the right to request an amendment to your PHI if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI during the past six years.
- Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, though we are not generally required to agree to such requests.
- Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about health matters in a specific way or at a specific location.
- Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time upon request, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
- Right to be Notified of a Breach: You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI as required by law.
Our Duties
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice as currently in effect. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. A revised Notice will be posted in our office and on this website. The effective date will be updated accordingly.
Website Privacy Policy
Information We Collect
This website is informational only. We do not collect personal health information through this site. Standard server logs may record your IP address and browser type for security and performance monitoring. We do not use advertising cookies or behavioral tracking technologies.
Third-Party Services
This website loads fonts from Google Fonts and displays an office location map using Google Maps. These services are governed by Google’s own privacy policies. We do not share any personally identifiable information with these services.
Phone Communications
If you contact our office by telephone, any health information you share will be handled in accordance with our HIPAA policies above. Calls may be recorded for quality assurance with appropriate notice.
Medical Disclaimer
The content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified and licensed healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information you have read on this website. In a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
How to Contact Us — Privacy Questions & Complaints
To exercise any of your rights, to ask questions about this Notice, or to file a privacy complaint, please contact us:
- Central DuPage Foot & Ankle Specialists
- 3825 Highland Ave, Tower 2, Suite 301
- Downers Grove, IL 60515
- Phone: (630) 434-0098
You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/ocr or by calling 1-800-368-1019. We will not retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint.