Privacy Policy
Bethany Hospice Services of Western Pennsylvania, LLC is committed to your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes the information collected through our website. For patients, this notice also describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
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Information about your browser, network and device
Web pages you visited prior to coming to this website
Web pages you view while on this website
Your IP address
Squarespace needs the data to run this website, and to protect and improve its platform and services. Squarespace analyzes the data in a de-personalized form.
Cookies
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These analytics and performance cookies are used on this website, as described below, only when you acknowledge our cookie banner. This website uses analytics and performance cookies to view site traffic, activity, and other data.
Analytics
This website collects personal data to power our site analytics, including:
Information about your browser, network, and device
Web pages you visited prior to coming to this website
Your IP address
This information may also include details about your use of this website, including:
Clicks
Internal links
Pages visited
Scrolling
Searches
Timestamps
We share this information with Squarespace, our website analytics provider, to learn about site traffic and activity.
Form Submissions
When you submit information to this website via webform, we collect the data requested in the webform in order to track and respond to your submissions. We share this information with Squarespace, our online store hosting provider, so that they can provide website services to us. We also share this information with Zapier for data porting.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Use and Disclosure of Health Information
Bethany Hospice may use your health information, information that constitutes protected health information as defined in the Privacy Rule of the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, for purposes of providing treatment for your care and conducting health care operations. Bethany Hospice has established policies to guard against unnecessary disclosures of your health information.
The following is a summary of the circumstances under which and purposes for which your health information may be used and disclosed:
To Provide Treatment: Bethany Hospice may use your health information to coordinate care within the Agency and with other healthcare professionals involved in your care who have agreed to assist Bethany Hospice in coordinating care. For example, physicians involved in your care will need information about your symptoms in order to prescribe appropriate medications. Bethany Hospice may also disclose your health care information to individuals outside of the Agency involved in your care including family members, pharmacists, suppliers of medical equipment or other health care professionals.
To Obtain Payment: Bethany Hospice may include your health information in invoices to collect payment from third parties for the care you received from Bethany Hospice. For example, Bethany Hospice may be required by your health insurer to provide information regarding your heath care status so that the insurer will reimburse you or Bethany Hospice. Bethany Hospice may also need to obtain prior approval for hospice services that will be provided to you.
To Conduct Health Care Operations: Bethany Hospice may use and disclose health information for its own operations in order to facilitate the function of the agency and as necessary to provide quality care to all of Bethany Hospice’s patients. Health care operations include activities such as:
Quality assessment and improvement activities.
Activities designed to improve health and reduce health care costs.
Contacting health care providers and patients with information about treatment alternatives and other related functions that do not include treatment.
Protocol development, case management, and care coordination.
Professional review and performance evaluation.
Training programs including those in which students, trainees, or practitioners in health care learn under supervision.
Training of non-health care professionals.
Accreditation certification, licensing, or credentialing activities.
Reviewing and auditing: including compliance reviews, medical reviews, legal services, and compliance programs.
Business planning and development including cost management and planning related analyses and formulary development.
Business management and general administrative activities of the agency.
For Appointment Reminders: Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information to contact you to remind you of an appointment for a home visit.
For Treatment Alternatives: Bethany Hospice may use and disclose your health information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.
When Legally Required: Bethany Hospice will disclose your health information when it is required to do so by any federal, state, or local law.
When there are Risks to Public Health: Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information for public activities and purposes in order to:
Prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; report disease, injury, vital events such as birth or death, and the conduct of public health surveillance investigations, and interventions.
Report adverse events or product defects; track products or enable product recalls, repairs, and replacements; conduct post-marketing surveillance; and comply with the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration.
Notify an employer about an individual who is a member of the workforce as legally required.
To Report Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: Bethany Hospice must notify government authorities if they believe a patient is the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. Bethany Hospice will make this disclosure only when specifically required by law or when the patient agrees to the disclosure.
To Conduct Health Oversight Activities: Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency for activities including audits; civil, administrative, or criminal investigations; inspections; licensure; or disciplinary action. Bethany Hospice however may not disclose your health information if you are the subject of an investigation and your heath information is not directly related to your receipt of health care or public benefits.
In Connection with Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal as expressly authorized by such order in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, but only when Bethany Hospice makes reasonable efforts to either notify you about the request or to obtain an order protecting your health information.
For Law Enforcement Purposes: As permitted or required by state law, Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for certain purpose as follows:
As required by law for reporting of certain types of wounds or other physical injuries pursuant to the court order, warrant, subpoena, or similar process.
For the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person.
Under certain limited circumstances when you are the victim of a crime.
If Bethany Hospice has a suspicion that your death was the result of criminal conduct.
In an emergency in order to report a crime.
To Coroners and Medical Examiners: Bethany Hospice may disclose your health information to coroners or medical examiners for purposes of determining your cause of death or for other duties, as authorized by law.
To Funeral Directors: For Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donations: Bethany Hospice may use or disclose your health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transportation of organs, eyes, or tissue for the purpose of facilitating donation and transportation.
For Research Purposes: Bethany Hospice may, under very select circumstances, use your health information for research. Before Bethany Hospice discloses any of your health information for such research purposes, the project will be subject to an extensive approval process.
In the Event of a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: Bethany Hospice may, consistent with applicable law and ethical standards of conduct, disclose your health information if Bethany Hospice, in good faith, believes that such disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious imminent threat to your health or safety and the safety of the public.
For Specific Government Functions: In certain circumstances, the federal regulations authorize Bethany Hospice to use or disclose your health information to facilitate specified government functions relating to military and veterans, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical sustainability determinations, and inmates in law enforcement custody.
For Worker’s Compensations: Bethany Hospice may release your health information for worker’s compensation or similar programs.
Authorization to Use or Disclose Health Information
Other than stated above, Bethany Hospice will not disclose your health information other than with your written authorization. If you or your representative authorize Bethany Hospice to use or disclose your health information, you may revoke that authorization at any time.
Your Rights with Respect to Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding your health information that Bethany Hospice obtains:
Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You have the right to request a limit on Bethany Hospice’s Disclosure of your health information to someone who is involved in your care or payment of your care. However, Bethany Hospice is not required to agree to your request. If you wish to make a request for restrictions, please contact the Administrator.
Right to Receive Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that Bethany Hospice communicate with you in certain ways. For example, you may ask Bethany Hospice to only conduct communications pertaining to your health information with you privately with no other family members present. If you wish to receive confidential communications, please contact the Privacy Officer at 412-921-2209. Bethany Hospice will not request that you provide any reasons for your request and will attempt to honor your reasonable request for confidential communications.
Right to Inspect and Copy Your Health Information: You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, including billing records. A request to inspect and copy records containing your health information may be made to the Privacy Officer at 412-921-2209. If you request a copy of your health information, Bethany Hospice may charge a reasonable fee for copying and assembling costs associated with your request.
Right to Amend Health Care Information: You or your representative have the right to request that Bethany Hospice amend your records, if you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete. This request may be made as long as the information is maintained by Bethany Hospice. A request for an amendment of records must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer, Bethany Hospice, 400 Holiday Drive, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Bethany Hospice may deny the request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason for the amendment. The request may also be denied if your health information records were not created by Bethany Hospice, if the records you are requesting are not part of Bethany Hospices’ records, if the health information you wish to amend is not part of the health information you or your representative are permitted to inspect and copy, or if in the opinion of Bethany Hospice, the records containing health information are accurate and complete.
Right to an Accounting: You or your representative have the right to request an accounting of disclosures of your health information made by Bethany Hospice for certain reasons, including reasons related to public purposes authorized by law and certain research. The request for an accounting must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer, Bethany Hospice, 400 Holiday Drive, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. The request should specify the time period for the accounting. Accounting requests may not be made for periods in excess of six (6) years. Bethany Hospice would provide the first accounting you request during any benefit period without charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.
Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice: You or your representative have a right to a separate copy of this notice at any time even if you or your representative have received this Notice previously. To obtain a paper copy, please contact the Privacy officer at 412-921-2209.
Duties of Bethany Hospice
Bethany Hospice is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and provide to you or your representative the Notice of its duties and privacy practices. Bethany Hospice is required to abide by the terms of this Notice as may be amended from time to time. Bethany Hospice reserves the right to change the terms of its Notice and to make new Notice provisions effective for all health information that it maintains. If Bethany Hospice changes its Notice, Bethany Hospice will provide a copy of the revised Notice to your or your appointed representative. You or your personal representative have the right to express complaints to Bethany Hospice and the Secretary of the DHHS if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated. Any complaints to Bethany Hospice should be made in writing to the Privacy Officer, Bethany Hospice, 400 Holiday Drive, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Bethany Hospice encourages you to express any concerns you may have regarding the privacy of your information. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.
Contact Person
Bethany Hospice has designated the Privacy Officer as its contact person for all issues regarding patient privacy and your rights under federal privacy standards. You may contact this person at Bethany Hospice and Palliative Care, 400 Holiday Drive, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15220.
Effective Date
This Notice is effective August 2004. HIPAA became law April 14, 2003
Contact Us
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE, PLEASE CONTACT THE PRIVACY OFFICER:
Bethany Hospice and Palliative Care
400 Holiday Drive, Suite 101
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
412-921-2209