Notice of Privacy Practices
Uses and disclosures of your protected health information
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
Please read this notice carefully
What is protected health information (PHI)?
Protected health information (PHI) is information about you, your health, and the healthcare services you receive. We are required by law to keep this information private. We are also required to provide you with this notice of our privacy practices.
How will National Jewish Health use my protected health information (PHI)?
Your healthcare team will use your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your care. We will use your PHI to communicate with other healthcare providers, such as your referring physician or oxygen supplier, or to contact you for appointment reminders. We will also use your PHI to obtain payment and to support hospital operations, i.e., quality review and physician training. We will use as little PHI as necessary for these purposes. We may share your PHI with other businesses that perform billing and other services for us. We will have written contracts with these businesses that require them to keep your PHI private.
Can National Jewish Health disclose my protected health information (PHI) without my permission?
Yes. National Jewish Health can disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, and hospital operations. Also, the law sometimes requires us to disclose your PHI. We will notify you of these disclosures when the law requires us to do so. We may disclose your PHI to public health agencies who collect the information for purposes of controlling disease or injury, including reporting communicable diseases and domestic abuse. We may also disclose your PHI to authorized Federal officials conducting national security activities. We may disclose your PHI to the agencies that oversee healthcare systems so that they can perform audits, investigations, or inspections. We may also disclose your PHI to companies who are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to track products, to report product problems, or to make product repairs. We may disclose PHI in response to court orders or to subpoenas. We may also disclose PHI to law enforcement agencies when we believe the disclosure is necessary to investigate a crime at National Jewish Health, to prevent a threat to someone’s safety, or to meet other legal requirements. We may disclose PHI to coroners, funeral directors, or organ donation programs as required to determine the cause of a death or to allow them to carry out their other duties. If you are in the armed services, we may disclose PHI as required by military command authorities. We may also disclose your PHI as required by the worker’s compensation laws.
Can National Jewish Health use my protected health information (PHI) for research?
National Jewish Health may want to use and disclose your PHI as part of our research efforts. Before using your PHI in a research project, National Jewish Health will either obtain your permission or obtain permission from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB will only give permission if it determines that your PHI will be adequately protected.
Can National Jewish Health use my protected health information (PHI) to notify me about its services or about fundraising opportunities?
National Jewish Health may send information to you about the services we offer. If you do not want to receive this information, please call our Corporate Compliance Officer at (303) 398-1601. National Jewish Health may also use your name, address, and the dates that you were here to contact you about National Jewish Health fundraising efforts. If you do not wish us to contact you for this purpose, please call our Corporate Compliance Officer at (303) 398-1601.
Can National Jewish Health disclose my protected health information (PHI) to my family members or friends?
Unless you object, we may disclose your PHI to a member of your family or to any other person you identify to the extent that it directly relates to that person’s involvement in your healthcare. If you are unable to object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary, if we determine that it is in your best interest, based on our professional judgment. We may use or disclose PHI to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition, or death.
What about other disclosures?
Other uses and disclosures of your PHI will only be made with your written authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time. After National Jewish Health has received your revocation, we will no longer use your PHI for the other uses specified in the revocation.
Can I review and have a copy of my protected health information (PHI)?
Yes, in most circumstances, you may inspect and get a copy of your PHI for as long as we maintain it. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for making copies. Under the law, you may not inspect or copy some records. For example, you may not inspect or copy psychotherapy notes, records generated for research while the research is in progress, or records created for use in a legal or administrative proceeding. To request to inspect or to get a copy of your PHI, please contact the Health Information Management Department at (303) 398-1580. In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request to inspect and copy your PHI. If we deny your request, you may ask for a review of our decision. If you ask for a review, National Jewish Health must appoint a provider who was not involved in your care to review the denial, and National Jewish Health must abide by the reviewer’s decision.
Can I restrict how National Jewish Health uses my PHI for treatment, payment, or operations?
You may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your PHI for purposes of treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. You may also request that we not disclose your PHI to family members who may be involved in your care. Your request must be in writing. National Jewish Health does not have to agree to the restriction. If we do agree, we may not disclose your PHI in violation of the restriction, unless it is needed to provide emergency treatment. You may request a restriction by contacting the Health Information Management Department at (303) 398-1580.
Can I amend my protected health information (PHI)?
You have the right to ask us to change the PHI in your medical record for as long as we have the information. We may deny your request. If we deny your request, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement. We may respond to this statement. Both your statement of disagreement and our response will be attached to the medical record. If we grant your request, we will make the changes and distribute it to the people who we believe need it and to those you state should receive it. Any request to amend PHI must be in writing. Please contact the Health Information Management Department at (303) 398-1580 if you have any questions.
Can I ask you to communicate with me using different means or at a different place?
Yes, if your request is reasonable. We will not ask you why you are making the request. We will reserve the right to not comply with your request if we cannot contact you to obtain payment. You may make this request by contacting the Health Information Management Department at (303) 398-1580.
Can I receive an accounting of the disclosures made by National Jewish Health?
You can obtain an accounting of certain disclosures made by National Jewish Health, except for disclosures made to you or the disclosures that do not require your authorization (see above). You also cannot obtain an accounting of any disclosures made before April 14, 2003. The right to receive this information is also subject to certain other exceptions. This accounting will contain the date information was disclosed, the name of the party receiving the information, and a brief description of what was disclosed and why. The first accounting in a 12-month period is free. After that, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. To request an accounting, please contact the Health Information Management Department at (303) 398-1580.
What if I think National Jewish Health has violated my right to privacy?
You may complain to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe that we have violated your privacy rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. You may contact our Patient Representative at (303) 398-1076 for more information about the complaint process.
If you have questions about this Notice, please contact our Patient Representative at (303) 398-1076
This notice was published and becomes effective on April 14, 2003.
Notice of Privacy Practices
National Jewish Health’s Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare 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. 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. You may obtain a revised copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices by accessing our website, by calling the facility and requesting that a revised copy be sent to you in the mail, or by asking for one at the time of your next appointment.
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