This Notice describes the privacy practices of Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital (the “Hospital”), including members of its workforce, as well as the physician members of the medical staff, and allied health professionals who practice at the Hospital. The Hospital and the individual health care providers together are sometimes called "the Hospital and Health Professionals" in this Notice.  While the Hospital and Health Professionals engage in many joint activities and provide services in a clinically integrated care setting, the Hospital and Health Professionals each are separate legal entities.  This Notice applies to services furnished to you at Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital, as a Hospital inpatient or outpatient or any other services provided to you in a Hospital-affiliated program involving the use or disclosure of your health information.

The Hospital and Health Professionals are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information ("Protected Health Information" or "PHI") and to provide you with this Notice of legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your Protected Health Information.  When the Hospital and Health Professionals use or disclose your Protected Health Information, the Hospital and Health Professionals are required to abide by the terms of this Notice (or other notice in effect at the time of the use or disclosure).  Special privacy obligations, described in Section IV.E, apply to you if you are admitted to the Hospital’s psychiatric unit or chemical dependency treatment center.

In certain situations, which are described in Section IV below, your written authorization must be obtained in order to use and/or disclose your PHI.  However, the Hospital and Health Professionals do not need any type of authorization from you for the following uses and disclosures:

A.      Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations.  Your PHI, but not your “Highly Confidential Information” (defined in Section IV.D below), may be used and disclosed to treat you, obtain payment for services provided to you and conduct “health care operations” as detailed below:

·          Treatment.  Your PHI may be used and disclosed to provide treatment and other services to you--for example, to diagnose and treat your injury or illness.  In addition, you may be contacted to provide you appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.  Your PHI may be disclosed to other providers involved in your treatment.