Patient Privacy & HIPAA

You may have heard about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) becoming effective on April 14, 2003. And you may have questions about the act and its impact on your health care. Florida Hospital Heartland Division has always done everything possible to protect the personal information you provide when you become a patient in our facilities. We will continue to provide the same level of personal service you have come to know while adhering strictly to the provisions of HIPAA. Our employees have received training on this new law and will try to help you understand what it means to you.

We have posted two documents on our Internet site for our site visitors to download. The first is the Notice of Patient Privacy Practices. This document details the practices the hospital must follow when accessing and disclosing personal information about our patients. It also gives you the name and number of the person you need to contact if you feel your privacy has been compromised by our staff. It spells out the rights you have regarding the use and disclosure of your personal health information (PHI). The second document is the Acknowledgement of Receipt of the Notice of Patient Privacy Practices. We have posted these documents to help you become familiar with the forms you will be asked to read and sign when you become a patient at one of our facilities.

Beginning April 14, 2003, all patients will be given a copy of the Notice of Patient Privacy Practices and asked to sign the Acknowledgement that they have received the document. You may choose to download the Notice and Acknowledgement to read before you arrive at one of our facilities. However, please be aware that the document must be signed in the presence of and witnessed by one of our staff members.

If you have any questions, please ask a staff member regarding the implementation of this new law.