Privacy Policies

Cumberland County Health Department
Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

The Cumberland County Health Department (CCHD) create a medical record of your health information in order to treat you, receive payment for services delivered, and to comply with certain policies and laws.  The uses and disclosures described in this Notice are applicable to the health department while they are delivering services.

We are required by federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your "protected health information" (PHI).  We are also required by law to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.  In addition, the law requires us to ask you to sign an Acknowledgment that you received this Notice.

Treatment:  We obtain medical information about you in treating you.  This medical information is called "protected health information" or :PHI".  Your PHI is used by us to treat you.  For example, we refer to PHI in treating you at the health department.  We may also send your PHI to another physician or counselor to which we refer you for treatment.  We may also use your PHI to contact you to tell you about alternative treatments, or other health-related benefits we offer.  If you have a friend or family member involved in your care, we may give them PHI about you.

Payment:  We use your PHI to obtain payment for the services that we render.  For example, we send PHI to Medicaid or Medicare.

Health Care Operations:  We use PHI for our operations.  For example, we may use your PHI in determining whether  we are giving adequate treatment to our clients.  From time-to-time, we may use your PHI to contact you to remind you of an appointment.

Legal Requirements:  We may use and disclose your PHI as required or authorized by law.  For example, we may use or disclose your PHI for the following reasons:

Public Health:  We may use and disclose your health care information to prevent or control disease, injury or disability, to report births and deaths, to report reactions to medicines or medical devices, to notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease, or to report suspected cases of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.

Health Oversight Activities:  We may use and disclose your PHI to state agencies and federal government authorities when required to do so.  We may use and disclose your health information in order to determine your eligibility for public benefit programs and to coordinate delivery of those programs.  For example, we must give PHI to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in an investigation into our compliance with the federal privacy rule.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings:  We may use and disclose your PHI in judicial and administrative proceedings.  Efforts may be made to contact you prior to a disclosure of your PHI by the party seeking the information.

Law Enforcement:  We may use and disclose your PHI in order to comply with requests pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or similar process. We may use and disclose PHI to locate someone who is missing, to identify a crime victim, to report a death, to report criminal activity at our offices, or in an emergency.

Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety:  We may use or disclose your PHI to stop you or someone else from getting hurt.

Work-Related Injuries:  We may use or disclose PHI to an employer if the employer is conducting medical workplace surveillance or to evaluate work-related injuries.

Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors:  We may use or disclose PHI to a coroner or medical examiner in some situations.  For example, PHI maybe needed to identify a deceased person or determine a cause of death.  Funeral directors may need PHI to carry out their duties.

Armed Forces:  We may use or disclose PHI of Armed Forces personnel to the military for proper execution of a military mission.  We may also use and disclose PHI to the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine eligibility for benefits.

National Security and Intelligence:  We may use or disclose PHI to maintain the safety of the President or other protected officials.  We may use or disclose PHI for the conduct of national intelligence activities.

Correctional Institutions and Custodial Situations:   We may use or disclose PHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement custodians for the safety of individuals at the correctional institution, those that are responsible for transporting inmates, and others.

Research:  You will need to sign an authorization form before we use or disclose PHI for research purposes except in limited situations.  For example, if you want to participate in research or a clinical study, an authorization form must be signed.

Fundraising:  If we undertake any fundraising activities, we may contact you about the fundraising activity.  We do not engage in marketing activities, and need your authorization to do so.

Illinois Law:  Illinois law also has certain requirements that govern the use or disclosure of your PHI.  In order for us to release information about mental health treatment, genetic information, your AIDS/HIV status, and alcohol or drug abuse treatment, you will be required to sign an authorization form unless state law allows us to make the specific type of use or disclosure without your authorization.

You have certain rights under federal privacy laws relating to your PHI.  Some of these rights are described below:

Restrictions:  You have a right to request restrictions on how your PHI is used for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations.  We are not required to agree to your request.

Communications:  You have a right to receive confidential communications about your PHI.  For example, you may request that we only call you at home.  If your request is reasonable, we will accommodate it.

Inspect and Access:  You have a right to inspect information used to make decisions about your care.  This information includes billing and medical record information.  You may not inspect your record in some cases.  If your request to inspect your record is denied, we will send you a letter letting you know why and explaining your options.

You may copy your PHI in most situations.  If you request a copy of your PHI, we may charge you a fee for making the copies and mailing them to you, if you ask us to mail them.

Amendments of your Records:  If you believe there is an error in your PHI, you have a right to request that we amend your PHI.  We are not required to agree with your request to amend.

Accounting of Disclosures:  You have a right to receive an accounting of disclosures that we have made of your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment and health care operations, or release made pursuant to your authorization.

Copy of Notice:  You have a right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice, even if you originally received the Notice electronically.  We have also posted this Notice at the health department offices.

Illinois Department of Human Services

Cornerstone
Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED
AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO IBIS INFORMATION.

If you have questions, please contact the Cornerstone Privacy Office address or phone number at the end of this section.

Who will follow this Notice?
Cornerstone is an information system that is used to provide prevention services to you.  These services are provided in a partnership with local agencies, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and yourself.  The information about privacy practices will be followed by:

• All local agency staff who use Cornerstone to provide services to you.

• All LDHS staff who use Cornerstone to assure the quality of services that you receive.

Cornerstone users understand that health information about you is personal.  Those using the system are required by law to maintain the privacy of your and your family's health information and to inform you of their legal duties and privacy practices.  This Notice describes some of the ways in which Cornerstone users may use or disclose your or your family's personal health information, and the rights you have concerning your or your family's health information.

How local agency staff who use Cornerstone may use and disclose information about you.
The purposes for which Cornerstone users routinely use or disclose your or your family's health information are described in the Cornerstone  Informed Consent Form.  This Notice DOES NOT replace that form.  Cornerstone users will continue to seek your consent to use or disclose your or your family's health information as described in the consent form and as required by the privacy laws governing individual programs.

Your rights regarding health information about you.
In most situations, you have the right to look at or get a copy of the health information that Cornerstone maintains about your or your family.  If you request copies, you may be charged a fee for the cost of copying, mailing or other related supplies.  If your request is denied, you may submit a written request for a review of that decision.  You must submit your request in writing to your Cornerstone user's office (the agency that collected information about you), and include a time period for which you wish to review your records.

If you believe that the information in the Cornerstone record is incorrect or if important information is missing, you have the right to request that the Cornerstone user(s) amend the health information they have collected or maintain about your or your family if you feel it is incorrect or incomplete.  If your request is approved, your request and the amendment will become part of your permanent record.  You must submit your request in writing to your Cornerstone user's office (the agency that collected information about you).  You must state the reason you are requesting an amendment.

You have a right to a list of each time your Cornerstone user(s) has disclosed health information about you, other than for treatment, payment, health care operations or where you specifically authorized disclosure, when you submit a written request.  The request must state the time period desired for the accounting, which must be less than a six-year period and starting after April 14, 2003.  You must submit your request to your local Cornerstone user's office (the agency that collected information about you).  Please note that you may be charged a reasonable fee, unless such a fee would prevent you from exercising this right.

You may request, in writing, that we not use or disclose health information about you for treatment, payment or health care operations or to persons involved in your care except when specifically authorized by you.  NOTE:  Cornerstone users are not required to agree to your request.

You have a right to request that health information about you be communicated to you in a confidential manner, such as sending mail to an address other than your home.

You have a right to receive additional copies of this Notice upon request.  To request additional copies, please contact your Cornerstone user's office.

Complaints

If you believe these rights have been violated by a Cornerstone user, you may contact the Privacy Officer for the Cornerstone user (the agency that collected information about you).  If you believe that the Illinois Department of Human Services has violated these rights, you may contact the Department's Privacy Office or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To receive additional information or to file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Services, please contact the Cornerstone Privacy Office at (217) 782-5945.  Finally, you may send a written complaint to the U.S. Department Office of Civil Rights of Health and Human Services.  The Cornerstone Privacy Office can provide you the address.