Patient Privacy

Understanding Your Health Record/Information

We make a record of your visit each time you visit Morton General Hospital. We make a separate and distinct record when you visit The Surgery Clinic located in Morton Medical Center or the Randle Clinic located in Randle, Washington. Each location keeps its own records. Typically, these records contain your symptoms, examination(s), test results, and diagnoses. They may also contain a plan for current or future treatment. These records serve as a:

1. Basis for planning your care and treatment.
2. Means of communicating between health professionals who contribute to your care.
3. Legal document describing the care you received.
4. Means by which you or an insurer can verify services billed.
5. A tool in educating health professionals.
6. A source of data for medical research.
7. A source for required statistical data.
8. A source of information for health officials charged with improving the health of the nation.
9. A source of data for facility planning and marketing.
10. A tool used to assess the care we render and the outcomes we achieve.
11. A tool used to continually improve our services provided.
12. Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:

• Ensure its accuracy.
• Understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your medical record.
• Make informed decisions when authorizing disclosures to others.

Your Health Information Rights

While your health record is the physical property of the hospital or clinic, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:

1. Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by Federal law 45 CFR 164.522. Under certain circumstance,
2. we may deny the restriction. We must inform you of the reason for the denial.
3. Obtain a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices upon request (this document)
4. Inspect and/or obtain a copy of your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524 and State RCW 70.02 (a fee will be charged for copies, please request the copies or inspection from the clinic or hospital you visited)
5. Amend, not alter, your health record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528 and state law in RCW 70.02.100 & RCW 70.02.110
6. Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR 164.528 (a copy fee will be charged)Request communications of your health information by alternative means or at an alternative location that is reasonable
7. Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information

• Except to the extent action has already been taken (or is required by law)
• Revocation request must be in writing

Morton General Hospital and its associated clinics' responsibilities

Morton General Hospital and its associated clinics are required to:

1. Maintain the privacy of your health information
2. Provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices regarding information we maintain about you (this document)
3. Abide by the terms of this notice
4. Notify you if we are unable to agree to a written requested restriction
5. Accommodate reasonable requests when you may need to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.

We reserve the right to change our Notice of Privacy Practices. We reserve the right to make the changes effective for all protected health information we maintain. If we change our Notice of Privacy Practices, the new privacy policy will be available on this website. If you are not able to visit the web page, a copy will be available to you at Morton General Hospital’s admitting office, Randle Clinic, and Surgery Center operated by Morton General Hospital. If you would like a copy mailed to you please write or call and request a copy. Use the address at the bottom of page. We will need your current mailing address, please include it in any discussion.

We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice or based on current federal, state, county or local law requirements

For More Information or to Report a Problem

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the director of Health Information Management at 1-360-496-5112 extension 3585 or mail a written request to the Health Information Management manager. The address is located on the bottom of this web page.

If you believe we violated your privacy rights, you can file a complaint with Morton General Hospital’s Director of Health Information Management or with the secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation or intimidation for filing a complaint. All complaints must be in writing. Click here for Morton General's complaint form.

Examples of Use and Disclosure for Treatment, Payment and Health Operations

We will use your health information for treatment.
For example: Doctors, nurses, and other staff members record information obtained while providing medical care to you. We use this information to determine the course of treatment that works best for you. Your provider will note in your medical record orders and/or expectations of the staff of your healthcare team. Members of your healthcare team will then note the actions taken and their observations. In that way, the doctor will know how you are responding to treatment.

We will provide your doctor or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of current and/or past hospital or clinic records, when requested or in transfer of care cases. This action assists the doctor in treating you at their hospital or clinic.

We may take a photograph of you while you are in the hospital. This will be a means of identification. You have a right to refuse a request by Morton General Hospital or its associated clinics to take your photograph.

We will use your health information for payment.
For example: We will send a bill to you or an insurance company. The information will identify you. The information may contain a diagnoses or procedures and supplies used in your treatment. We may include a treatment plan. If necessary, we will provide your information to a collection agency to obtain payment.

We will use your health information for regular health operations.
For example: The medical staff or quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcome in your case. We will use yours and others information in an effort to continually improve the quality of healthcare and services we provide,

Statistical information, as an example: a census report with your name, date/time of admission and date/time of discharge will be used in the hospital providing information for the daily operation of the hospital. Our associated clinics may maintain a sign-in sheet with the date and time you arrived.

Business associates : There are some services provided through contracts with business associates. Some examples include physician services in the emergency and radiology departments, certain laboratory tests, medical coding contracts if used, transcription services and copy services and with our computer database contractor. At times, we will use contracted services for billing and payment purposes. When contracted, we will disclose your health information to our business associates. This is done so they can perform the job we have asked them to do. However, to protect your health information, we require the business associate to protect your information.

Directory: You have the right to object to how your protected health information is used. You have the right to object to how we use or disclose your protected health information on our directory (census) both paper and electronic, who we disclose your protected health information to such as family, friends, and new media. Examples are a census report or face sheet, master patient index both electronic and paper or other directory type uses. Members of the clergy may use this information. We may provide it, except for religious affiliation, to other people who ask for you by name. This includes friends, neighbors and others who may call or come to the hospital or clinic asking how you are doing. If a member of the press calls and asks by name we can, by law, provide some limited information. This information will consist of confirming or denying that you are currently in the hospital and a brief one-word description of your condition.

Notification: You have the right to agree or object to our using your information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location, and general condition.

Communication with family : You have the right to agree or object to our health professionals disclosing to a family member, other relative, close friend or any other person you or your representative identify, health information relevant to that person’s concern in your care or payment related to your care.

Research : We may disclose information to researchers after a review board has reviewed and approved the research proposal. The review will use approved protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.

Funeral directors :When necessary we will disclose health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law to carry out their duties.

Organ procurement organizations : Consistent with applicable law, we will release information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.

Marketing: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives that may interest you.

Fund raising : We may contact you as part of a fund-raising effort on behalf of Morton General Hospital, Randle Clinic, and/or Morton Surgery Center.

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

Workers compensation : We will release medical records to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law. This would require that you received an injury while on the job or previous injury while on the job.

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, child or adult abuse, drug abuse, disability or questionable deaths. We will provide information to licensure boards or inspections made by local, state and federal agencies.

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.

Law enforcement:We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena, search warrant, court order and stipulations. We will release your protected health information to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney when required to by Federal and/or state law. Provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct, violated professional or clinical standards, potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.

Other uses and disclosures: We will only make other uses or disclosures with your written authorization after your release from the hospital or clinic or earlier as requested. This includes members of your family, friends or associates. We cannot release your medical information to anyone without your written permission except as provided in this document or as required by Federal, State or local law. You may revoke a written authorization. If you decide to revoke a written authorization, you must do so in writing.

"We" refers to Morton General Hospital and its associated clinics (Surgery Center and Randle Clinic)