Privacy Policy

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.

South Florida Family Health and Research Centers, LLC./ Lice Cleanique and South Florida Family Health and Research Centers Plantation/ Lice Source Plantation, (SFFHRC) provides secure records of patient care and services that you receive at our facilities with third party HIPPA compliant business associates specialized Electronic Health Records and Telemedicine. Our commitment in securing your health information as private; as required by law in order to keep your health records confidential.

This Notice explains the privacy practices of (SFFHRC) and its affiliated facilities. It applies to all personal health information that identifies you and healthcare you’ve received at our affiliated facilities. Health information may consist of paper, digital or electronic records but could also include videos, photographs and other electronic transmissions or recordings that are created during your care and treatment. Legally health organizations are required to keep health information private and to notify you of our legal responsibilities as well privacy practices that relate to your healthcare information, and to urgently notify you if there has been a breach in your unsecured healthcare information. Healthcare Organizations are also legally required to give Notice such as this as well follow the all terms of the Notice when signed and Notices currently in effect.

(SFFHRC) AND AFFILIATED FACILITIES

All of our healthcare centers, employed and or contracted providers, doctor offices, entities, facilities, other services, and affiliated facilities in the United States follow the terms of this Notice. These health care centers and doctor office locations are listed on our website, www.sffhrc.com, or may be obtained by calling either Office at 305-387-0081 or 954-791-0711.

Doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and other caregivers at (SFFHRC) and affiliated facilities who are employed by (SFFHRC) and affiliated facilities exchange information about you as a patient with (SFFHRC) employees. In connection with the health care that has been provided to you in and outside of (SFFHRC); ex. Specialist Lab and or Diagnostic Org.; they may also give you their own companies privacy notices that describe their office practices. Health care centers, doctors, entities, lab and diagnostic facilities, and services may share your health information with each other for reasons of payment, treatment, and healthcare operations described here an after.

HOW (SFFHRC) AND AFFILIATED FACILITIES MAY USE AND OR DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

As a patient of (SFFHRC), use of your health information within (SFFHRC) and or disclose your health information outside (SFFHRC) for the reasons described in this Notice. The following are categories describing ways of use and securely disclose your health information.

Healthcare Treatment. Use of your health information is to provide you with health care services. We also disclose your health information to doctors, mid-levels, technicians, medical students, or other persons at (SFFHRC) who need access to the information in order to take care of you. For instance, a mid-level treating you for a swollen limb may need to ask another provider if you have diabetes because diabetes may slow the limb’s healing system. This may involve talking to doctors, specialist and others not employed by (SFFHRC). We also may disclose your health information to people outside (SFFHRC) who may be involved in your health care, such as treating doctors, family members, pharmacies, medical device or drug experts, and home care providers.

Payment. SFFHRC may use and disclose your health information so that the health care you receive can be billed and paid for by your insurance company, another third party, or you. For instance, we may give information about procedures you had here to your health plan of choice so it may pay SFFHRC or reimburse you for the procedure. Also SFFHRC may tell your health plan about a treatment you’re going to receive so we may get prior consent for payment, approval or learn if your plan will or will not pay for the treatment.

Health Care Operations. SFFHRC may utilize your health information and disclose it outside (SFFHRC) for our select health care operations. Use of these Notice and Disclosures help us securely operate (SFFHRC) to maintain and improve patient care. For instance, SFFHRC may use your health information to review the healthcare you’ve received and to scale performance of SFFHRC staff in providing care for you. SFFHRC also may combine healthcare information about all patients to identify new and better healthcare outcomes and services to offer, including what health related services are not needed, and if certain therapies are effective or not. SFFHRC may also disclose healthcare information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, and other persons at (SFFHRC) for learning and quality improvement purposes. We may remove information that identifies you so people outside (SFFHRC) can study your health data without knowing who you are.

Contacting You. SFFHRC may use and disclose health information to reach you about appointments, healthcare and other matters. We may contact you by mail, telephone or email. For example, Our medical group may leave voice messages at the telephone number you’ve provided to us and we may respond and or contact you by your email address.

Health Information Exchanges. Our medical group may consent in certain health information exchanges witch may disclose your health information, as permitted by law, to other health care entities or providers for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. These arrangements can be found in your chart or may be obtained by calling 305-387-0081 or 954-791-0711.

Organized Health Care Arrangements. Our medical group may participate in joint arrangements with other health care providers or health care entities whereby we may use or disclose your health information, as permitted by law, to participate in joint activities involving treatment, review of health care decisions, quality assessment or improvement activities, or payment activities. These arrangements can be found in your chart or may be obtained by calling 305-387-0081 or 954-791-0711.

Health-Related Services. Our medical group may use and disclose health information about you to send you postal or electronic mailings about health-related products and services available at (SFFHRC).

Medical Research Support. Our medical group may use or disclose certain health information about you to contact you in an effort for clinical research study enrollment for (SFFHRC) and its operations. You have a right to choose not to receive these communications and we will tell you how to cancel them.

Medical Research. Our medical group perform medical research here. Our clinical researchers may look at your health records as part of your current care, or to prepare or perform research. They may share your health information with other (SFFHRC) researchers. All patient research conducted at (SFFHRC) goes through a special process required by law that reviews protections for patients involved in research, including privacy. We will not use your health information or disclose it outside (SFFHRC) for research reasons without either getting your prior written approval or determining that your privacy is protected.

Parasite Donation. Our medical group may release health information about parasite, Lice and Nits, to (SFFHRC) and affiliated facilities that manage parasite medical research.

Legal Matters. Our medical group will disclose health information about you outside (SFFHRC) when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, or by the court process. We may disclose health information about you for public health reasons, like reporting deaths, births, child abuse or neglect, reactions or problems with medication or medical products. Our medical group may release health information to help control the spread of disease or to notify a person whose health or safety may be threatened. Our medical group may disclose health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as for audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.

AUTHORIZATIONS FOR OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES

As described above, we will use your health information and disclose it outside (SFFHRC) for treatment, payment, health care quality and control operations, and when required or permitted by law. Our medical group will not use or disclose your healthcare information for other reasons without your written consent. For instance, most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses and disclosures of health information for certain marketing purposes, and disclosures that constitute a sale of health information require your written authorization. These kinds of uses and disclosures of your health information will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke the authorization in writing at any time, but we cannot take back any uses or disclosures of your health information already made with your authorization.

Florida laws require that healthcare organizations to obtain your consent for certain relating disclosures of healthcare information relating the following: the study, performance or results of an HIV test or diagnoses of AIDS or an AIDS-related condition, drug or alcohol treatment that you have established as part of a drug or alcohol treatment program, or mental health services that you have received.

Florida laws also requires consent for:

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION

Right to Accounting. You may ask for an accounting; a listing of the entities or persons (other than patient/ yourself) to whom (SFFHRC) has disclosed your health information without your written authorization. The accounting would not include disclosures for health care operations, payment, treatment, and or certain other disclosures exempted by law. A request for an accounting of disclosures must be in writing, dated, and signed; delivered to location of services provided. It must identify the time period of the disclosures and the (SFFHRC) facility that maintains the records about which you are requesting the accounting. Note (SFFHRC) will not list disclosures made earlier than six (6) years before your letter of request. A request should specify the form in which you want the list; for instance, electronically or on paper. You must submit a written request to the medical records department of (SFFHRC) or facility that maintains the records. Our medical group will reply to you within 60 days.

Right to Amend. If you feel that health information our medical group has about you is incorrect or incomplete, you as a patient has the right to ask for an amendment on your medical records. A request for an amendment must be in writing, dated, and signed. Specify the records you would like to amend, list the (SFFHRC) facility that maintains request of records, and state reason of your request. Address your request to (SFFHRC) or facility that maintains the records you wish to amend. (SFFHRC) will respond to you within 60 days. We may deny your request; if we do, we will tell you why as well explain your options.

 Right to Inspect and Obtain Copy. As a patient you have the right to review and obtain a copy of your completed health records unless our medical group believes that disclosure of specific information to you could harm you. You may not view or receive a copy of information collected for a legal proceeding or specific research records while the research is ongoing. Your request to review or secure a copy of the records must be submitted in writing; dated and signed, for the medical records department of the (SFFHRC) or facility that maintains the records. Requests for billing records should be sent to the billing department. Our medical group may charge a fee for processing your request. If (SFFHRC) denies your request to review or secure a copy of the records, you may appeal the denial in writing to the (SFFHRC) Office place of service.

Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to ask us to restrict the uses or disclosures we make of your healthcare information for medical treatment, payment, or health care operations, however we do not have to agree. You also may request us to limit the healthcare information we use or disclose about you to someone whom is involved in your care or the expense for your care, such as a friend or family member. Again, our medical group may not have to agree. Request for a restriction must be dated and signed; and you must list the (SFFHRC), entity or facility that maintains the health information. A request should state the information you’d like to be restricted, also whether you want to limit the use or the disclosure of each detailed information and or both, state whom should not receive and or view the restricted information. Submit your request in writing to the medical records department of the (SFFHRC), entity or facility that maintains the information you’d like to restrict. Our medical group will let you know if there’s an agreement with your request or not. If agreed, our medical group will comply with your request unless the information is needed for an emergency treatment. However, if you payed out of pocket and or in full for a health care item or service, and you ask us to restrict the disclosures we make towards a health plan of your health information relating solely to that item or service, we will agree to the extent that the disclosure to the health plan is strictly for the purpose of carrying out payment or health care operations and the disclosure is not required by law.

 Right to Request Confidential Communications. Patients have the right to request that our medical group communicate with you about your healthcare at a certain location or way. For instance, you may ask that our medical group only contact you at work, mobile phone or by mail. A request for confidential communications must be in writing, dated, and signed. You must specify the (SFFHRC) or facility making the confidential communications as well specify where or how you wish to be contacted. A reason for your request is not needed, thus we will not ask. Send your written request to the medical records department of the (SFFHRC), entity or facility making the confidential communications on your behalf or to the (SFFHRC) location of service.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. Patients/ You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice and ask us for a copy of this Notice at any time, for a copy of this Notice at Facility of service or by calling the service location 954-791-0711 or 305-387-0081.

COMPLAINTS

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Privacy Official at either location of service or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with (SFFHRC), submit your complaint in writing to the (SFFHRC) place of service address. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

(SFFHRC) may change this Notice at any time. Any change in this Notice may apply to medical information our medical group already has about you, and any information we receive in the future. (SFFHRC) will post a copy of the current Notice at each of our facilities and website.  www.sffhrc.com/noticeofprivacy. An effective date of each Notice is noted.

QUESTIONS

If you have questions regarding this Notice, you may call the place of service (SFFHRC) where services where rendered at 954-791-0711 or 305-387-0081. A current list of (SFFHRC) facilities is posted on this website under section titled Locations or by calling the (SFFHRC) where services where rendered at 954-791-0711 or 305-387-0081.

SOUTH FLORIDA FAMILY HEALTH AND RESEARCH CENTERS (SFFHRC) AND AFFILIATED FACILITIES

South Florida Family Health And Research Centers and other affiliated locations where healthcare services are rendered by South Florida Family Health And Research Centers Miami/ South Florida Family Health And Research Centers Plantation employees, including Lice Cleanique/ Lice Source Services Plantation

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES (PDFs): ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ORGANIZED HEALTH CARE ARRANGEMENTS AND REFERALS

South Florida Family Health And Research Centers presently participates in one or more Organized Health Care Arrangements involving the following entity types:

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE

(SFFHRC) Presently participates in health information exchanges (HIE’s), which helps enhance the safety and quality of your healthcare.

HIE’s is to help patients physicians and providers receive better, more efficient patient history by the sharing of health information across secure systems which helps to provide safer, more coordinated patient care.

(SFFHRC) currently utilizes Apple Health, Garmin Health, Office Ally Patient Portal and Mend Telemedicine to access and share your health information with other participants of these Health Information Exchange’s for treatment purposes and for payment of treatment services. These Health Information Exchange’s allow any health information organization that participates in the Health Information Exchange’s to have secure electronic access to patients’ records.

In order to opt out of the Health Information Exchange select one of the following:

  1. Send a request via email or call the select Health App entity you have registered with OR call them direct. If its regarding Electronic Health Records Patient Portal or Mend Telemedicine contact the (SFFHRC) place of service at 954-791-0711 or 305-387-0081 or Mail your written request, signed and dated to the (SFFHRC) place of service, 6971 W. Sunrise Blvd. Suite 102, Plantation, FL. 33313 or 13500 SW 88th, Suite 102, Miami, FL. 33186

For patient identification regarding medical information to restrict from the Health Information Exchange:

  1. First middle and last name
  2. Date of birth
  3. Best contact number
  4. Address
  5. Select and or state each service item to restrict

Contact the place of service for any questions at 954-791-0711 or 305-387-0081

NOTICE: Regarding sending health information via your email, please be advised that your message being sent by your personal email may be unencrypted email. Unencrypted email are possible to be at risk meaning that the email and attachments potentially could be read by a third party when sent.