Per Your Authorization: If you give us authorization to use or disclose your protected health information, you may revoke such authorizations at any time, in writing, except to the extent that our clinic has already taken action in reliance on the use or disclosure permitted in the authorization.

Legally Permitted/Opportunity to Object: We may use and disclose your protected health information in the following instances, but you will be given the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part of your protected health information. If you are not present or able to agree or object to the use or disclosure of such information, then we may, using professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest. In this case, only the protected health information that is relevant to your health care will be disclosed.

1. To Others Involved in Your Healthcare: Unless you object, we may disclose your protected health information to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, to the extent the information directly relates to that person’s involvement in your health care. For example, we may use or disclose protected health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death. Finally, we may use or disclose your protected health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and to coordinate uses and disclosures to family or other individuals involved in your health care.
2. In Emergencies: We may use or disclose your protected health information in an emergency treatment situation. If this happens, your physician shall try to obtain your consent as soon as reasonably possible after the delivery of treatment. If your physician or another physician in the practice must treat you and the physician has attempted to obtain your consent but is unable to obtain your consent, he or she may still use or disclose your protected health information to treat you.
3. With Communication Barriers: We may use and disclose your protected health information if your physician or another physician in the practice attempts to obtain consent from you but is unable to do so due to substantial communication barriers and we determine, using professional judgment, that you intend to consent to use or disclosure under the circumstances and the use or disclosure is done in accordance with other applicable laws.

Legally Permitted/No Opportunity to Object: We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your consent or authorization:

1. When Required By Law: We may use or disclose your protected health information to the extent that the use or disclosure is required by law. The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the applicable law(s) and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law. You will be notified of any such uses or disclosures only if required by law.
2. For Public Health: We may disclose your protected health information for public health activities and purposes to a public health authority that is permitted by law to collect or receive the information. The disclosure will be made for the purpose of controlling disease, injury or disability. We may also disclose your protected health information, if directed by the public health authority, to a foreign government agency that is collaborating with the public health authority. We may also disclose your protected health information, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.
3. For Health Oversight/Compliance Monitoring: We may disclose protected health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections. Oversight agencies seeking this information include government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs and civil rights laws.
4. Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your protected health information to a public health authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. In addition, if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, we may disclose your protected health information to the governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information. In this case, the disclosure will be made consistent with the requirements of applicable federal and state laws.
5. To the FDA: We may disclose your protected health information to a person or company required by the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects or problems, biologic product deviations, track products; to enable product recalls; to make repairs or replacements, or to conduct post marketing surveillance, as required.
6. Legal Proceedings: We may disclose protected health information in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, in certain conditions in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.
7. Law Enforcement: We may disclose protected health information for law enforcement purposes, so long as applicable legal requirements are met. Such purposes generally include: 1) those required by law; 2) limited information requests for identification and location purposes; 3) those pertaining to victims of a crime; 4) suspicion that death has occurred as a result of criminal conduct; 5) those where a crime occurs on the premises of the practice; and 6) medical emergencies where it is likely that a crime has occurred.
8. Research: We may disclose your protected health information to researchers when an institutional review board has approved their research. The institutional review board will have reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your protected health information.
9. Military Activity and National Security: When the appropriate conditions apply, we may use or disclose protected health information of individuals who are Armed Forces personnel to authorized authorities; such as for determinations of your eligibility for benefits. We may also disclose your protected health information to authorized federal officials for conducting national security and intelligence activities, including for the provision of protective services to the President, foreign heads of state or others legally authorized.
10. Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your protected health information to comply with workers’ compensation laws and other similar legally established programs.
11. Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: We may disclose your medical information to a coroner, medical examiner or funeral director, if necessary, for them to carry out their duties should you die.
12. Inmates: We may disclose your protected health information to a correctional institution or law enforcement official if you are an inmate of a correctional facility or under the custody of a law enforcement official and your physician created or received your protected health information in the course of providing care to you. Such information may be released only for the following purposes: 1) to enable the correctional institution or law enforcement official to provide you with necessary healthcare services; 2) to protect your own health and safety or the safety of others; and 3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.