Privacy Policy
This Website Site Privacy Policy describes how we protect your privacy, how health information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to this information. It also describes the general privacy practices of Bakersfield Heart Hospital.
By visiting or using our website, you agree that your personal information will be handled as described in this Website Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Website Privacy Policy, please do not use our website.
We may change this Website Privacy Policy or modify our website at any time. You should check the date of this Site Privacy Policy (which appears above) and review any changes that have been made since your last visit to our website. You acknowledge and agree it is your responsibility to review this Website Privacy Policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
General Website Privacy Statement
This Website Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into our Terms of Use for our website, describes how we protect your privacy as a user of our website. Our privacy practices are intended to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA“). We will maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”) as required by HIPAA and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
We do not sell or rent personally identifiable information received through your use of our website. We share such information with third parties who are assisting us in providing website services and then only under written obligations of confidentiality.
We may use and share non-personally identifiable information with third parties for a variety of purposes including, without limitation, marketing and promotional services for us; website evaluation; and/or remarketing, data analysis. We also may de-identify personally identifiable information (remove information that could be used to identify a person) and share it in aggregated form with third parties, advertisers and business partners to analyze usage, demographics or interests, improve our products or services, improve user experience, or for similar purposes. We will not re-identify such data and we will ask our contracting parties to agree to keep the data in its de-identified form.
Our pledge regarding your health information
Bakersfield Heart Hospital is committed to protecting medical, mental health and personal information about you (“Health Information”). We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your Health Information, provide you information about our legal duties and privacy practices, inform you of your rights, and let you know about the ways we may use Health Information and disclose it to other entities and persons.
The Types of Data We Collect
We may routinely gather data on activity at this website, such as how many people visit the site, the pages they visit, where they come from, how long they stay on the site, etc. The data is collected on an aggregate, anonymous basis, which means that no personally identifiable information is associated with the data. This data helps us improve our website, including site content and overall usage. The information is not shared with other organizations for their independent use.
Our websites may also collect personal information such as name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and/or educational interests. Such personal information may be requested for research, public service or teaching programs, or for administrative purposes. Additional personal information, such as credit card account information, may be requested for purchases, donations or enrollment purposes. Bakersfield Heart Hospital identifies your Internet Protocol (IP) address when you visit a Bakersfield Heart Hospital website. Bakersfield Heart Hospital may also collect website usage statistics by IP address.
Web logs
To help us manage the website, we maintain standard web logs that record data about visitors who use this site and we store this information for a while. These logs may contain: the Internet domain from which you access the website; the IP address which is automatically assigned to your computer when you get on the Internet (a static IP address may be identifiable as being connected to you, while a dynamic address is usually not identifiable); the type of browser and operating system you use; the date and time you visited the site; the pages you viewed on the site; and the address of the website you linked from, if any.
All web logs are stored securely and may only be accessed by our personnel supporting our website. We use information from the web logs to help us better design various aspects of our website, to identify popular features, to resolve user, hardware, and software problems, and to make the website generally more useful to visitors.
Cookies
We may use both session Cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent Cookies to make the website easier to use, to make our advertising better, and to protect both you and us. You can instruct your browser, by changing its options, to stop accepting Cookies or to prompt you before accepting a Cookie from the websites you visit. If you do not accept Cookies, however, you will not be able to stay logged in to the website.
Do Not Track (“DNT”) Signals.
California law requires us to address how we respond to any DNT signal delivered by your browser. You may set your browser to refuse these data collection methods, but our website may not recognize or respond to DNT technologies employed by your browser. We do not alter its practices when it receives a “Do Not Track” signal from a visitor’s browser. You can enable or disable Do Not Track by vising the Preferences or Settings page of your web browser.
Web Beacons
We may also occasionally use “web beacons” (also known as “clear gifs,” “web bugs,” “1-pixel gifs,” etc.) that allow us to collect non-Personal Information about your response to our email communications, and for other purposes. Web beacons are tiny images, placed on a web page or e-mail that can tell us if you have visited a particular area of the website. For example, if you have given us permission to send you emails, we may send you an email urging you to use a certain feature of the website. If you do respond to that email and use that feature, the web beacon will tell us that our email communication with you has been successful. Because web beacons are used in conjunction with persistent cookies (described above), if you set your browser to decline or deactivate cookies, web beacons cannot function.
Social Media Features
Our website may include social media features, such as the Facebook Like button and Widgets, such as the Share Button or interactive mini-programs that may run on our Site. These features may collect your IP address, which page you are visiting on our sites, and may set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Social media features and widgets are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these features. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy and other policies of the companies providing them.
E-Mails
Transmittal of e-mails to this website should not be considered to be private. Email transmissions should be considered to be at risk of becoming known or accessible to third parties. If you provide confidential information about you or your health to us via electronic communication, it is at your own risk. If you wish to correspond with us about your health via email, you will need to complete and return a Patient Consent to Allow Email Correspondence to us.
Steps We Take to Keep Your Personal Information Secure
We employ reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial security methods to help protect against unauthorized access to Personal Information, consistent with applicable law. We also have policies, procedures, and controls to reduce the risk of unauthorized or accidental use, disclosure, or destruction of your Personal Information, and we train our employees on data security. Please be aware, however, that no data transmission via the Internet or a data storage facility is guaranteed to be perfectly secure. As a result, while we try to protect your Personal Information, we cannot ensure or guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. There is no guarantee that information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards. As with all electronic communications there are potential risks such as failures of hardware, software, and/or internet connections. We are not responsible for failures, distortions, delays, or other problems resulting from equipment configuration, connection, signal power, hardware, software, or any equipment used to access the internet. We do not guarantee that the confidentiality or security of any electronic transmissions via the internet can be assured, due to potentially unsecure computers or links, which could result in your information becoming lost or intercepted during transmission. It is your responsibility to protect the security of your login information and to use good judgment before deciding to send information via the internet.
Children’s Privacy
Children under the age of thirteen (13) are prohibited from using our website. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that we may have inadvertently collected personal information from your child, you may contact us and request that your child’s personal information be deleted.
Use of Information
We may use personal information as described in this Website Privacy Policy. We primarily use non-medical personal information to provide services to you, for example:
Improving your web experienc
Completing purchases of or registering your participation in community education classes and other events;
Emailing you to confirm or remind you of purchases or participation;
Sending you information via e-mail or postal mail about our services, appointment reminders, offers and news that may be of interest to you;
Responding to your communications, communicating with you about our services, provide you with customer service and support, and attend to tasks relating to your transactions with us.
We use non-personally identifiable information to improve the Sites, enable Site features and enhance our services. For example, we may analyze how our Sites are used to:
Improve the browsing experience for the Sites;
Analyze the performance of the Sites and diagnose problems;
Administer the Sites;
Carry out internal operations.
Your non-personally identifiable information also may be used to analyze and develop advertisements and advertising campaigns to provide you with special offers and promotions and determine the effectiveness of same.
We may also use your non-personally identifiable information to present you with targeted content and advertisements (including on third party websites and apps) based on your past visits to the Sites and your non-personally identifiable information collected over time by us and third parties, optimize and determine the effectiveness of content and advertisements, analyze your interactions with the content and advertisements you are presented with, and how these interactions relate to your visits to the Sites.
We may combine information we collect from you with information available from other sources (such as offline records or publicly available information) and use the combined information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident and have provided personal information to us, you are entitled by law to request certain information regarding any disclosure that may have been made by us to third parties of personal information for their direct marketing purposes. Please allow thirty (30) days for a response. We are required to respond to only one request per customer each year.
We will not share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
When contacting us, please use the contact information provided below, and indicate your name, address, email address, and what personal information you do not want us to share with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. Please note that there is no charge for controlling the sharing of your personal information or for processing this request.
NOTICE OF HIPPA PRIVACY PRACTICES
Bakersfield heart Hospital adheres to the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), which ensures the security and privacy of an individual’s medical records and promotes privacy and trust between patients and their healthcare providers.
How we may use and disclose health information about you
The following sections describe different ways that we may use and disclose your Health Information. Some information, such as certain alcohol and drug information, HIV information, genetic information, and mental health information has special restrictions related to its use and disclosure. Not every use or disclosure will be listed. All of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information, however, will fall within one of the following categories. Other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice will be made only if we have your written authorization.
We may use De-Identified Information created by us without restriction.
For Treatment. We may use Health Information about you to provide you with medical and mental health treatment or services. We may disclose Health Information about you to doctors, nurses, technicians, students, or other individuals involved in your care, including individuals or agencies that are involved in your care outside Bakersfield Heart Hospital. The disclosure of your Health Information to non-Bakersfield Heart Hospital providers may be done electronically through a health information exchange or other technology that allows providers involved in your care to access some of your Bakersfield Heart Hospital records to coordinate services for you.
For Payment. We may use and disclose Health Information about you so that the treatment and services you receive at Bakersfield Heart Hospital or from other entities, such as an ambulance company, may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company, or a third party. For example, we may need to give information to your health plan about surgery or therapy you received at Bakersfield Heart Hospital so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you for the surgery or therapy. We may also tell your health plan about a proposed treatment to determine whether your plan will pay for the treatment.
For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose Health Information about you for our business operations. For example, your Health Information may be used to review the quality and safety of our services, or for business planning, management and administrative services. We may also use and disclose your health information to an outside entity that performs services for us such as maintaining a health care registry, or performing accreditation, legal, computer or auditing services. These outside companies are called “business associates” and are required by law to keep your Health Information confidential. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, students, and other health system personnel for performance improvement and educational purposes.
Healthcare Information and Appointment Reminders. We may contact you to remind you that you have an appointment at Bakersfield Heart Hospital. We may also contact you about alternative treatment options for you or about other benefits or services we provide.
Hospital Directory. If you are hospitalized, we may include certain limited information about you in the hospital directory. This is so your family, friends, and clergy can visit you in the hospital and generally know how you are doing. This information may include your name, location in the hospital, your general condition (e.g., fair, stable, etc.), and your religious affiliation. The directory information, except for your religious affiliation, may also be released to people who ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation may be given to members of the clergy, such as ministers or rabbis, even if they don’t ask for you by name. You have the opportunity to limit the release of directory information by telling a Bakersfield Heart Hospital staff member at any time.
Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care. We may release Health Information to anyone involved in your medical care, e.g., a friend, family member, personal representative, or any individual you identify. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. We may also tell your family or friends about your general condition and that you are in the hospital.
Disaster Relief Efforts. We may disclose Health Information about you to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that others can be notified about your condition, status, and location.
Research. Bakersfield Heart Hospital works in conjunction with Central Cardiology Medical Center who conduct clinical trials and research. We may disclose Health Information about you for research purposes, subject to the confidentiality provisions of state and federal law. For example, your Health Information may be reviewed to determine if you are eligible to participate in a research study. In addition to disclosing Health Information for research, researchers may contact patients regarding their interest in participating in certain research studies. You will only become a part of one of these research projects if you agree to do so and sign a specific permission form called an Authorization.
As Required By Law. We will disclose Health Information about you when we are required to do so by federal or state law.
To Prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose Health Information about you when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure would be to someone able to help stop or reduce the threat.
Organ and Tissue Donation. If you are an organ donor, we may release your Health Information to organizations that obtain, bank or transplant organs, eyes, or tissue, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
Military and Veterans. If you are or were a member of the armed forces or a foreign military, we may release Health Information about you to military command authorities as authorized or required by law.
Workers’ Compensation. We may use or disclose Health Information about you for Workers’ Compensation or similar programs as authorized or required by law. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public Health Disclosures. We may disclose Health Information about you for public health activities such as:
• preventing or controlling disease (such as cancer and tuberculosis), injury, or disability;
• reporting vital events such as births and deaths;
• reporting abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
• reporting adverse events or surveillance related to food, medications, or defects or problems with products;
• notifying persons of recalls, repairs, or replacements of products they may be using;
• notifying a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose Health Information to governmental, licensing, auditing, and accrediting agencies as authorized or required by law.
Lawsuits and Other Legal Actions. We may disclose Health Information to courts, attorneys and court employees in the course of conservatorship and certain other judicial or administrative proceedings. We may also disclose Health Information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena, discovery request, warrant, or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement. If asked to do so by law enforcement, and as authorized or required by law, we may release Health Information:
• to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, certain escapees, or missing person;
• about a suspected victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;
• about a death suspected to be the result of criminal conduct;
• about criminal conduct at Bakersfield Heart Hospital; and
• in case of a medical emergency, to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description, or location of the person who committed the crime.
Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. We may disclose medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine cause of death. We may also disclose medical information about patients of Bakersfield Heart Hospital to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
National Security and Intelligence Activities. As required by law, we may disclose Health Information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities.
Protective Services for the President and Others. As required by law, we may disclose Health Information about you to authorized federal officials so they may conduct special investigations or provide protection to the President, other authorized persons, or foreign heads of state.
Inmates. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of law enforcement officials, we may release Health Information about you to the correctional institution as authorized or required by law.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Your Health Information is the property of Bakersfield Heart Hospital. You have the following rights regarding the Health Information we maintain about you:
Right to Inspect and Copy. With certain exceptions, you have the right to inspect and/or receive a copy of your Health Information. If we have the information in electronic format, you have the right to receive your Health Information in electronic format if it is possible for us to do so.
To inspect and/or to receive a copy of your Health Information, you must submit your request in writing by filling out an “Authorization for Release of Health Information” form. A copy of the form can be obtained by contacting:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
If you request a copy of your health information, there is a fee for these records.
We may deny your request to inspect and/or to receive a copy of your health information in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to Health Information, in most cases, you may have the denial reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by Bakersfield Heart Hospital will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.
Right to Request an Amendment or Addendum. If you feel that Health Information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information (change or correct the record) or include an addendum (add information to the record). You have the right to request an amendment or addendum for as long as the information is kept by or for Bakersfield Heart Hospital.
Amendment. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing, we cannot determine from the request the information you are asking to be changed or corrected, or your request does not include a reason to support the change or addition. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:
• was not created by Bakersfield Heart Hospital, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
• is not part of the Health Information kept by or for Bakersfield Heart Hospital;
• is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
• Bakersfield Heart Hospital believes to be accurate and complete.
Addendum. To submit an addendum, the addendum must be made in writing and submitted to:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
An addendum must not be longer than 250 words per alleged incomplete or incorrect item in your record.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures we have made of your Health Information.
To request this accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
Your request must state a time period that may not be longer than the six previous years. You are entitled to one accounting within any 12-month period at no cost. If you request a second accounting within that 12-month period, there will be a charge for the cost of compiling the accounting. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.
Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the Health Information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the Health Information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as a family member or friend.
To request a restriction, you must make your request in writing and submit it to:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, only to you and your spouse. We are not required to agree to your request except in the limited circumstance described below. If we do agree, our agreement must be in writing, and we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency care.
We are required to agree to a request not to share your information with your health plan if the following conditions are met:
• We are not otherwise required by law to share the information;
• The information would be shared with your insurance company for payment purposes; and
• You pay the entire amount due for the health care item or service out of your own pocket or someone else pays the entire amount for you.
Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your Health Information in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only at home or only by mail.
To request confidential medical communications, you must make your request in writing and submit it to:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Health Information Management
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: 661-316-6070
Fax: 661-852-6355
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how and where you wish to be contacted.
Right to be Notified of a Breach. You have the right to be notified if we or one of our Business Associates discovers a breach of unsecured Health information about you.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You have the right to a paper copy of our Notice of HIPPAA Privacy Practices. You may ask us to give you a copy of this Notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this Notice.
CHANGES TO BAKERSFIELD HEART HOSPITAL’S PRIVACY PRACTICES AND NOTICE
We reserve the right to change Bakersfield Heart Hospital’s privacy practices and this Notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for Health Information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice throughout Bakersfield Heart Hospital. In addition, at any time you may request a copy of the current Notice in effect.
QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS
If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact the Bakersfield Heart Hospital Privacy Program, Compliance Department at 916-734-8808.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Bakersfield Heart Hospital or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. To file a complaint with Bakersfield Heart Hospital contact:
Compliance Hotline: 661-316-6000 x6269
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Compliance Department
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION
Bakersfield Heart Hospital will not disclose personal information or IP addresses to other parties, unless required by law. Bakersfield Heart Hospital will not sell personal information to third-party organizations such as telemarketers or direct mailers.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DATA SECURITY
Bakersfield Heart Hospital takes reasonable steps to protect the security, integrity and privacy of information submitted to the health system via websites. Nonetheless, Web users should be aware of the difficulty of maintaining data confidentiality over the public Internet. Bakersfield Heart Hospital encourages producers of its websites, when seeking personal information, to use the industry standard security protocol known as Secured Sockets Layer (SSL). We strongly recommend that you use a Web browser capable of supporting SSL. The latest versions of Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome, for example, support SSL and also avoid known browser security vulnerabilities.
While using a Bakersfield Heart Hospital website, you may encounter hypertext links to the Web pages of organizations not directly affiliated with Bakersfield Heart Hospital. We do not control the content or information practices of external organizations. We recommend you review the privacy statements of these organizations.
HEALTH-CARE INFORMATION PRIVACY
Bakersfield Heart Hospital is committed to protecting medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive at Bakersfield Heart Hospital for use in your care and treatment.
We are required by law to:
• make sure that your medical information is protected;
• give you a notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you; and
• follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
“Personal information” is information about a natural person that identifies or describes an individual, including, but not limited to, his or her name, social security number, physical description, home address, home telephone number, education, financial matters, and medical or employment history, readily identifiable to that specific individual. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information, however. It is considered “electronically collected personal information.”
Electronically collected personal information that is automatically collected by websites administered by Bakersfield Heart Hospital includes your domain name or Internet Protocol address, and statistical information about which Web pages you visit. If you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for specific information (e.g., completing a request for assistance, personalizing the content of the website, sending an email, or participating in a survey) more detailed data will be collected.
For further information regarding this privacy statement or our websites, please contact us at the address below:
Bakersfield Heart Hospital
Compliance Department
3001 Sillect Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93308
contact@bakersfieldhearthospital.com
Links within Bakersfield Heart Hospital websites to commercial and external websites do not represent endorsement or recommendation by Bakersfield Heart Hospital.