Our Practice

Your privacy is our top administrative priority at the office of Dr. Ramin Behmand. All private information, medical records, and contact between our patients and medical staff are maintained with strict confidentiality. Under no circumstances, except when stipulated by law, will any patient information be shared with anyone apart from the patient or an agent of the patient who has a legal written verification from the patient on file with our facility. Without written consent, absolutely no information about the patient will be shared with a person, entity, or facility. In addition, we conform to all HIPAA rules and regulations. Please review the information below:

The notice below describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Effective Date: 01/04/24
Version Number: 04

Understanding Your Health Record/Information

Each time you visit a hospital, physician, or other healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnosis, treatment, and plan for future care or treatment. This information is often referred to as your health or medical record, and it serves as:

• Basis for planning your care and treatment
• Means of communication among the many health 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
• Tool in educating health professionals
• Source of data for medical research
• Source of data for facility planning and marketing
• Tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcome we achieve

Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used can help to:

1. Ensure its accuracy
2. Better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information
3. Make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others

Your Health Information Rights

Although your health record is the physical property of our practice, the information is yours. You are entitled 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 the information practices upon request
• Inspect and copy your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524
• Amend your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.528
• Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
• Request communication of your health information 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

Our Responsibilities

We are required to:

• Maintain the privacy of your health information
• Provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices regarding information we collect and maintain about you
• 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 health information by alternative means or at alternative locations

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization except as described in this notice.

For More Information and to Report a Problem

If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our office at (615-576-3232). If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the director of health information management or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

Examples of Disclosure for Treatment, Payment, and Health Operations

1. We will use your health information for treatment:
   For example: Information obtained by a nurse, physician, or other member of your health care team will be documented in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. Dr. Behmand will include in your record his expectations for the members of your health care team. Members of your health care team will then record the actions they took and their observations so Dr. Behmand will know how you are responding to treatment.
2. We will use your health information for payment:
   For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
3. We will use your health information for regular health operations:
   A.) Quality Assurance: Members of our medical staff and the risk or quality improvement manager may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. This information will then be used to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and service we provide. B.) Business Associates: There are some services provided in our organization through contacts with business associates. Examples include diagnostic services, certain laboratory tests, and therapy sessions. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our business associate so that it can perform the job we have asked it to do and bill you or your third-party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information. C.) Notification: 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.D.) Communication with family: Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.E.) Marketing: Unless specifically notified to the contrary by you, we may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and devices that may be of interest to you.

   F.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events regarding food, supplements, product and product defects, or post-marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.

   G.) Workers compensation: We may disclose health information 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.

   H.) Public health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

   I.) Correctional institution: Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

   J.) Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Under federal law, your health information may be disclosed to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority, or attorney. This provision applies if a workforce member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards. Such actions must pose a potential threat to one or more patients, workers, or the public.