Effective Date: July 1, 2025

This Notice describes how your Protected Health Information (PHI) may be used and disclosed, and how you can access your information. Please review it carefully. Quinn Essential Naturopathic Medicine is legally required to maintain the privacy of your PHI and provide you with this Notice under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

1. Our Responsibilities Under HIPAA

We are required to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.

• Provide you with this Notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices.

• Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.

• Follow the terms of this Notice unless revised.

2. How We Use and Disclose Your PHI

We may use or disclose your PHI in the following ways without your written authorization:

Treatment

To provide, coordinate, and manage your healthcare. This includes sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists, labs, or pharmacies.

Payment

To bill and receive payment for services, including submitting information to insurance (if applicable), billing services, or patient financing systems.

Healthcare Operations

For practice operations such as quality improvement, auditing, administrative tasks, staff training, and compliance activities.

3. Other Ways We May Use or Disclose Your PHI

We may also disclose PHI in accordance with HIPAA regulations for purposes such as:

• Public health activities (disease reporting, preventing or controlling disease).

• Health oversight (audits, investigations, inspections).

• Legal requirements (court orders, warrants, subpoenas).

• Research (only with appropriate approvals or limited datasets).

• To avert a serious threat to health or safety.

• Workers’ compensation, if applicable.

• Specialized government functions (military, national security, etc.).

We will disclose only the minimum necessary information required for these purposes.

4. When Written Authorization Is Required

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for:

• Marketing not otherwise allowed by HIPAA.

• Sale of PHI.

• Most uses of psychotherapy notes.

• Any use not described in this Notice.

You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing.

5. Your HIPAA Rights

You have the right to:

Access Your Records

Request to inspect or get a copy of your health records, including electronic copies.

Request Corrections

Ask us to correct PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

Request Restrictions

Ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. While we are not required to agree, we must comply with restrictions related to out-of-pocket payments when no insurance is billed.

Confidential Communications

Request that we contact you at specific locations or via specific methods.

Accounting of Disclosures

Receive a list of certain disclosures we made of your PHI over the past six years.

Receive a Paper Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact: hello@quinnessentialmedicine.com

6. Safeguarding Your PHI

We use administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect PHI, including:

• Encrypted electronic records storage.

• Secure access controls for staff and systems.

• HIPAA-compliant platforms for patient communication when required.

Note: Email and website contact forms may not be encrypted. Avoid submitting sensitive PHI through unsecured channels.

7. Breach Notification

If PHI is compromised, we will notify you promptly in accordance with HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requirements.

8. Changes to This Notice

We may revise this Notice at any time. The updated version will be posted on our website and available in our office. All changes apply to existing and new PHI moving forward.

9. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

Quinn Essential Naturopathic Medicine

Email: hello@quinnessentialmedicine.com

or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.