HIPAA Policy
Our commitment
Park Slope Cardiology complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the HITECH Act, and New York State privacy laws. We protect the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI), including your medical records, cardiac test results, imaging, device data, and billing information.
For a full description of how we may use and share your information, please read our Notice of Privacy Practices.
How we protect your information
Administrative safeguards
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A designated Privacy and Security Officer oversees our HIPAA program.
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All physicians and staff receive HIPAA training when hired and every year after that.
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Staff may access only the minimum information needed to do their jobs.
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We perform regular security risk assessments and update our policies as needed.
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Staff who violate our privacy policies are subject to discipline.
Technical safeguards
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Our electronic health records require unique user logins and passwords.
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We encrypt electronic patient information and keep audit logs of who accesses records.
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Our computers and networks are protected by firewalls, antivirus software, and regular updates.
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Electronic records are backed up securely so they can be restored if needed.
Physical safeguards
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Paper records are kept in secure, restricted areas.
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Workstations are positioned and locked to prevent unauthorized viewing.
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Records and devices containing PHI are shredded or securely wiped before disposal.
Business associates
Vendors that handle PHI for us, such as billing, IT, and cardiac device-monitoring companies, must sign a business associate agreement requiring them to protect your information as HIPAA requires.
Your rights and how to use them
Access to your records. You have the right to get a copy of your medical records, on paper or electronically, and to have them sent to another doctor or person you choose. Please submit a signed, written request. We will respond within 30 days and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Corrections. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us in writing to correct it. We will respond within 60 days. If we deny your request, we will explain why in writing.
Confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as at a different phone number or mailing address. Just tell our front desk or send us a written request.
Restrictions. You may ask us in writing to limit how we use or share your information. We are not always required to agree. However, if you pay for a service in full out of pocket, we will not share information about that service with your health plan unless the law requires us to.
List of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information. One list per year is free.
Copy of our notice. You may get a paper copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices at any time by asking at our front desk or downloading it from this website.
Personal representatives. If you have a health care proxy or legal guardian, that person may exercise these rights for you once they provide a copy of the document giving them authority.
To protect your privacy, we will verify your identity before releasing records. Requests can be dropped off at our office, mailed, faxed to 718-788-0688, or emailed to office@parkslopecardiology.com. Please call 718-788-1688 for our records request form.
Breach notification
If your unsecured health information is accessed, used, or disclosed in a way HIPAA does not permit, we will notify you in writing without unreasonable delay, and no later than 60 days after we discover it. We will explain what happened, what information was involved, what we are doing about it, and steps you can take to protect yourself. We will also report breaches to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and, when required, to the New York State Attorney General.
Questions and complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints or 1-800-368-1019. We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.