Patient SMS Privacy Notice

Privacy Policy

I am required by the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to provide confidentiality for all medical/mental health records and other individually identifiable health information in my possession. This Notice is to inform you of the uses and disclosures of confidential information that may be made by Mercie Health LLC, and of your individual rights and Mercie Health LLC ‘s legal duties with respect to confidential information.

Ways in which I may use and disclose your protected health information:

I may use and disclose at my discretion your medical records for each of the following purposes only: treatment, payment and health care operations.

• Treatment means providing, coordinating or managing mental health care and related services.
• Payment means activities such as obtaining payment for the mental health care services I provide for you
  from your insurance or another third party payer.
• Health care operations include the business aspects of running a practice.

I may contact you to provide appointment reminders or other services that may be of interest to you. I will disclose your protected health information to any person you identify that is involved in payment for your care.

I will use and disclose your protected health information when required by federal, state or local law. There are certain situations in which as a provider I am required by ethical standards to reveal information obtained during therapy to persons or agencies ­ even if you do not give permission. These situations are as follows: (a) If you threaten grave bodily harm or death to yourself or another person, I am required by ethical standards to inform the intended victim and/or appropriate law enforcement agencies; (b) if you report to me your knowledge of physical or sexual abuse of a minor child or of an elder (over 65) or any sexual conduct/contact with a minor, I am required by law to inform the appropriate child welfare or social agency which may then investigate the matter; (c) if I am required by a court of law (court order) to turn over records to the court or if I am ordered to testify regarding those records.

Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You will be provided with an authorization form upon request. A separate form will be needed for each request for release of information. The authorization for release of records is valid until it expires or is revoked. You may revoke authorization in writing a I am required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.

– Dr. Sylvia, Founder of Mercie Health

Patient SMS Privacy Notice

At Mercie Health, we are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of our patients’ personal information. This Privacy Notice outlines our practices and your choices regarding the use of your information for SMS (Short Message Service) communications.

1. Opt-In: By providing your mobile number, you are opting in to receive SMS communications from Mercie Health. These messages may include appointment reminders, health tips, prescription notifications, and other relevant updates, for a list of our services see here Services – Mercie Health. Your mobile number will only be used for healthcare-related communications and will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.
2. Opt-Out: You may opt-out of receiving SMS communications at any time. To opt-out, reply ‘STOP’ to any message you receive from us or contact our office directly. Once you opt-out, you will no longer receive SMS communications from us. Please note that opting out will not affect other forms of communication such as emails or phone calls.
3. Fees: While Mercie Health does not charge for SMS communications, standard message and data rates may apply depending on your wireless carrier and plan.
4. Privacy: We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your information. All SMS communications are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects your health information from unauthorized use or disclosure.
5. Updates: We may change this Privacy Notice from time to time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised notice on our website.

By opting in to our SMS communications, you acknowledge and agree to the practices outlined in this Privacy Notice. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 832-562-0553.

Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to providing you with the highest level of service while respecting and protecting your personal information.