FRASER NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Our Pledge Regarding Your Personal Health Information

This notice explains how Fraser uses and discloses your personal health information (known as Protected Health Information or “PHI”) and the rights that you, as a consumer, have with respect to accessing that information and keeping it private. We are required by law to protect the privacy of your PHI and to provide you with this notice.

We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, and to have those changes be effective for all information that we have, including PHI we created or received before the effective date of the new notice. We post the revised notice in our offices, make copies available to you upon request, and post the revised notice on our website www.fraser.org.

Under Minnesota law, to disclose your PHI outside of Fraser, we are required to obtain your written consent. Under this law, certain disclosures may or must be made without your consent. Examples include medical emergencies and disclosures to local welfare agencies.

For more information, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.

Our Uses and Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose your PHI.

Treatment

We may use your PHI to provide you with medical treatment or health-related services. For example, Fraser staff may share information about your medical condition with another clinician to whom you have been referred, with a school social worker or teacher, a case manager, a social worker, or a county worker as appropriate to your treatment.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI in order to receive payment for the services you receive. For example, we need to give information about services you received to your health plan to obtain payment.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose PHI about you for our health care operations, which are activities necessary to operate Fraser and make sure that all of our clients receive quality care. For example, we may use and disclose your PHI to conduct quality assessment and improvement activities, to engage in care coordination or case management, or to manage our business.

Business Associates

We may disclose PHI about you to third-party “business associates” that perform various activities for Fraser. Whenever this occurs, Fraser will have a written agreement with the business associate that contains terms to protect the privacy of your health information.

Family and Other Individuals Involved in Your Care

Unless you object, we may disclose to your family members, friends, and persons you indicate are involved in your care, PHI that is directly relevant to their involvement in your care or payment for your care. We may also use or disclose your information to notify these persons of your location, general condition, or death.

If you are present, we will give you the opportunity to object before we disclose your PHI to these persons, or we may use our professional judgment in concluding that you do not object. If you are incapacitated or in an emergency, we may disclose your PHI to these persons if we determine that the disclosure is in your best interest.

Appointment Reminders

We may use and disclose PHI to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or services.

With your consent, Fraser uses SMS Texting services to send messages about your healthcare services; for example, for healthcare-related notifications such as appointment reminders, notices of messages or documents in the client portal, and urgent notifications. By subscribing and providing consent, you have granted Fraser permission to send automated messages to the enrolled mobile phone number(s) through your wireless phone carrier. Message and data rates may apply. You may unenroll at any time by contacting Fraser.

Communication about Products and Services

We may use and disclose your PHI to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives, or to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you. We may communicate with you face-to-face regarding any products or services.

Fundraising

We may use your name, address, and other demographic data and the dates on which you received care to contact you for fundraising activities to support Fraser. If we contact you for a donation, you can opt out of any future fundraising contacts. If you do not want to be contacted, please notify our HIPAA Privacy Officer in writing or by email. Fraser will not share mobile opt-in information for SMS messaging with third parties for marketing purposes.

Research

We may disclose information to external researchers with your authorization, which we will attempt to collect in a manner consistent with applicable state laws.

Underwriting

Fraser is prohibited from using PHI that is genetic information for underwriting purposes.

Special Situations Involving Public Health or Legal Requirements

We may use and disclose PHI:

• If required by law.
• For disaster relief efforts.
• For public health activities, such as communicable disease reporting, or informing authorities of possible victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
• For government healthcare oversight activities.
• For judicial or administrative proceedings, such as responding to a court order.
• For law enforcement purposes.
• To avoid a serious threat to health or safety.
• To medical examiners, funeral directors, or organ procurement organizations, in regard to a deceased person.
• For special government functions, such as disclosures to authorized federal officials for national security activities.
• For workers’ compensation and similar programs for work-related injuries or illness.

Uses and Disclosures You Specifically Authorize

If you give us your written authorization, we may use and disclose your information as permitted by that authorization. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except if we have already relied on it. Without your written authorization, we may not use or disclose your PHI for any reason except those described in this notice.

Your Rights

Access

You have the right to look at or get copies of your PHI (including electronic copies), with limited exceptions. We may require you to make this request in writing. If you request copies, we may charge you a fee to cover the costs of copying, mailing, and other supplies. We may deny your request in very limited circumstances. If we deny your request, you may be entitled to a review of that denial.

Amendment

If you feel that your PHI is wrong or something is missing, you have the right to request that we amend it. We will require you to make this request in writing and provide a reason to support your request. We may deny your request if we did not create the information you want amended or for certain other reasons. If we deny your request, we will provide you a written explanation. You may respond with a statement of disagreement to be included in your records.

Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to receive a list of disclosures we have made of your PHI. This right applies only if your health records are maintained or used electronically by us. Your request must be in writing. If you request this list more than once in a 12‑month period, we may charge a reasonable, cost‑based fee.

Notice of Breach

You have the right to be notified by Fraser in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI.

Restriction Requests

You have the right to request that we place restrictions on our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. For example, if you pay for a service entirely out‑of‑pocket, you can require that information regarding that service not be disclosed to your health plan. We are not required to agree to these restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency). Any agreement must be in writing and signed by a person authorized by Fraser.

Confidential Communication

You have the right to request that we communicate with you in confidence about your PHI by alternative means or to an alternative location. You must make your request in writing and specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.

Others Acting on Your Behalf

These rights may also be exercised by someone who has the legal right to act on your behalf.

Copy of this Notice

You are entitled to receive a printed copy of this notice at any time. Please contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.

Questions and Complaints

If you want more information about Fraser’s privacy practices, have questions or concerns, or believe that we may have violated your privacy rights, please contact us:

HIPAA Privacy Officer
Fraser
2400 W. 64th St.
Richfield, MN 55423
Telephone: 612‑861‑1688

You may also submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will provide you with the address upon request. We support your right to protect the privacy of your medical information and will not retaliate if you choose to file a complaint.