Effective: September 29, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED (SHARED) AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO VIEW AND COPY THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
The confidentiality of your personal, protected health information (PHI) is very important to us. Your health information includes records that we create and obtain when we provide you care, such as a record of your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment and referrals for further care. It also includes bills, insurance claims, or other payment information that we maintain related to your care as well as demographic information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information, to provide individuals with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information, and to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information. This notice describes how we may use and disclose your medical information. It also describes your rights and our legal obligations with respect to your medical information.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE: If you need further information or want to contact us for any reason regarding the handling of your personal health information, or have questions regarding this notice, please direct your communication to: Orion Health Group, Attention: Administrator, 1840 Mayview Rd. #170, Bridgeville, PA 15017.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE: We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and to make the new revised notice effective for all protected health information that we already maintain about you as well as any future protected health information we receive. We will post a copy of the current notice in our offices and places where we provide medical services. The date of revision will be on the first page. If you ask us, we will give you a copy of the notice that is currently in effect each time you register at our office for treatment.
HOW WE MAY USE AND SHARE (DISCLOSE) YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION WITH OTHERS:
The law permits us to use and share your health information in certain ways. When we share your information with professionals outside our practice, we share only what is reasonably necessary. The information collected during the course of your treatment may be kept in a record, either paper or electronic form. Your symptoms, tests and test results, diagnoses, treatment plan, as well as demographic and payment information are examples of data stored in your record. Information received from other health providers is also part of your record. Some laws require special confidentiality protections, as noted below, however, we can share your information responsibly for:
• Treatment: We may use or share your information for your medical treatment or services. For example, we may disclose your health information to staff, providers, volunteers, or others who are involved in your care. In addition, we may share information with other physicians or specialists who are contributing to your care, a pharmacist who needs information to dispense a prescription, or a laboratory that performs medical testing.
• Healthcare Operations: We may use and share your information to run our practice and improve patient care. For example, we may share your records with professional auditors, legal advisors, quality assessment teams, therapists, counselors, technicians, students, or third-party business associates that assist us with administrative billing or operations under a written contract.
• Appointment Reminders: Unless you instruct us otherwise, we may use your name, phone number, email address, or regular mail to contact you regarding scheduled appointments, scheduling changes, or follow-up care instructions. We may leave messages on your answering machine or voicemail regarding these matters unless restricted.
• Sign-In Sheets: We may use a sign-in sheet at our front reception desk where you will be asked to write your name. We may also call your name aloud in the waiting area when the provider is ready to see you.
• Research: We may use or share your information for research purposes if approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Privacy Board that meets specific privacy and security standards established by federal regulations, or to compile data sets where all direct identifiers are removed.
• Marketing: We will not use your information to sell products or services or accept payment to promote third-party products to you without your explicit written authorization. We may, however, provide low-cost promotional gifts or discuss alternative face-to-face treatment options with you.
SPECIAL SITUATIONS:
We may share your information without your prior permission under specific, legally authorized situations. These situations are strictly limited by federal and state laws and include:
• Heightened Protections for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Records: In strict compliance with federal 42 CFR Part 2 and 2026 HIPAA regulatory alignments, any records created, received, or maintained by this practice concerning Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment require a heightened standard of protection. Explicit, written patient consent is mandatory before we can disclose SUD records to outside entities for standard Treatment, Payment, or Healthcare Operations (TPO). Patients maintain an absolute right to revoke this consent in writing at any time. Furthermore, SUD records, or any testimony revealing their contents, are strictly prohibited from being used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient without a specific, compliant court order.
• Fundraising Opt-Out: If the practice utilizes basic demographic information to contact you regarding organizational fundraising efforts, you maintain an immediate, absolute right to opt out of receiving any future fundraising communications.
• Family and Friends: We may share relevant information with a family member, close friend, or legal representative who is directly involved in your medical care or payment for care, or to notify them of your location or general condition in the event of an emergency.
• Disaster Relief: We may share your information with authorized disaster relief organizations (such as the Red Cross) to coordinate communication efforts regarding your location and condition.
• Public Health and Safety: As required or permitted by law, we may disclose information to public health authorities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; to report child or elder abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; or to report adverse reactions to medications or product defects.
• Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to government oversight agencies (such as state health departments or Medicare auditors) for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, licensure inspections, or disciplinary actions.
• Law Enforcement and Legal Proceedings: We may disclose your information in response to a lawful court order, subpoena, warrant, or summons, or as otherwise required by law enforcement officials to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person.
• Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: We may share information with a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or determine cause of death, or to funeral directors to allow them to carry out their duties.
• Workers' Compensation: We may release your health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
• National Security: We may disclose your PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
YOUR INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY RIGHTS:
You have specific rights regarding the medical and billing records we maintain about you. To exercise any of these rights, you must submit a written request to our Privacy Administrator.
• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to look at and obtain a copy of your health and billing records. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying, mailing, or electronic media supplies. We may deny your request in certain highly restricted clinical circumstances, and you may request a review of the denial.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request that we limit how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to your request unless you are requesting that we restrict disclosures to a health plan for payment or operations purposes and the PHI pertains solely to an item or service for which you have paid our practice in full out-of-pocket.
• Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a specific location (for example, only at a specific phone number or via mail to a P.O. Box). We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
• Right to an Amendment: If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the record. Your request must be made in writing and provide a reason supporting the change. We may deny your request if the information was not created by us, is already accurate, or is not part of the records you are permitted to inspect.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or those explicitly authorized by you. You may request a history covering up to a 6-year period. The first list you request within a 12-month period is free, but we may charge a reasonable fee for additional requests within the same year.
ADDITIONAL RIGHTS & COMPLAINTS: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a formal complaint with our practice by contacting the Administrator at the address listed above, or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights at: 200 Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201 (Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775, www.hhs.gov/ocr). You will not be penalized, retaliated against, or discriminated against for filing a complaint.