Patient Guide

Notice of Non-Discrimination

Harrisburg Medical Center and the Harrisburg Medical Center Foundation, complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Harrisburg Medial Center does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Harrisburg Medical Center

• Provides Free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us such as:
  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats
• Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
  • Qualified interpreters
  • Information written in other languages

If you need these services, call +1 (618) 253-7671.

If you believe, that Harrisburg Medical Center has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way based on race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex, you can file a grievance with:

Harrisburg Medical Center
100 Dr. Warren Tuttle Drive
Phone: 618-253-7671 Fax: 618-252-7274
or e-mail: humanresources@harrisburgmc.com

You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Harrisburg Medical Center Hospital staff is available to help you.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights

or by mail or telephone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
+1 (800) 368-1019. ; +1 (800) 537-7697. (TDD)

Complaint forms are available at:

Office for Civil Rights

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

This Notice Describes How Health Information About You May Be Used And Disclosed And How You Can Get Access To This Information. Please review it carefully. The privacy of your health information is important to us.

Click here for a printer-friendly copy.

Our Pledge:

Harrisburg Medical Center is dedicated to protecting your medical information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. Harrisburg Medical Center is required by law to abide by the terms of this notice, and we reserve the right to change the terms of this notice, making any revision applicable to all the protected health information we maintain. If Harrisburg Medical Center revises the terms of this notice, it will post a revised notice at the hospital, on our website, and will make paper copies of this Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information available upon request.

Uses And Disclosures Of Your Medical Information:

Except for the purposes described below, we will use and disclose health information only with your written permission. You may revoke such permission at any time by writing to our Privacy Officer.

Harrisburg Medical Center will use your medical information as part of rendering patient care. For example, your medical information may be used by the health care professionals treating you, by the Business Office to process your payment for the services rendered and by Administrative personnel reviewing the quality and appropriateness of the care you received.

Harrisburg Medical Center may also use and/or disclose your information in accordance with Federal and State laws for the following purposes:

• We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
• We may disclose health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These may include audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, administrative and/or legal proceedings. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
•  Unless you object, and with the exception of Behavioral Health Patients, we may include general information, including your name, location in the hospital, general health condition, and your religious affiliation in a patient directory. The directory information, except for your religious affiliation, will be released to people who ask for you by name. Your religious affiliation will only be disclosed to members of the clergy.
•  Unless you object, and with the exception of Behavioral Health Patients, we may disclose, when appropriate, to family members, other relatives, a close friend or any other person you identify, the medical information directly relevant to such person’s involvement with your care. We may also use or disclose your medical information to notify a family member, a personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, general condition or death.
•  We may disclose your medical information to a public or private entity for the purpose of coordinating with that entity to assist in disaster relief efforts or notify family and friends of your location or condition in a disaster. We will provide you with an opportunity to agree or object to such a disclosure whenever we practically can do so.
•  We may disclose health information for public health activities. These generally include disclosures of disease, injury, disability, vital events, child abuse or neglect, a person who may have been exposed to a disease or at risk for contracting or spreading a disease, and notifying the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim or abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.
• We may disclose your medical information for law enforcement purposes or other specialized governmental functions when required to do so by international, federal, state or local law.
•  We may disclose your medical information to a coroner, medical examiner or a funeral director.
•  We may disclose your medical information to any research program in which you may have elected to participate.
•  We may disclose your medical information due to specialized government functions related to: military and veteran’s activities, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical suitability determinations, correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations and covered entities that are government programs providing public benefits.
•  If you are an organ donor, we may disclose your medical information to an organ donation or procurement organization.
•  We may use or disclose your medical information to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another person or the public. Disclosures, however, will be made only to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat.
•  We may disclose your medical information as authorized by laws relating to workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
•  We may disclose health information to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. All our business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.

Your Rights Regarding Your Medical Information:

You have the following rights with respect to your medical information:

• The right to request restrictions or limitations on certain uses and disclosures of your medical information. We are not required to agree to your requested restriction. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment. Your request for restriction must be in writing.
• The right to make out-of-pocket payments (you have requested that we not bill your health plan) in full for a specific item or service. You have the right to ask that your Protected Health Information with respect to that item or service not be disclosed to a health plan for purposes of payment or health care operations, and we will honor that request.
• The right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. Your request must be in writing. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• The right to inspect and copy your medical information, other than psychotherapy notes. This right is subject to certain specific exceptions and you may be charged a reasonable fee for any copies of your records. Your request must be in writing and we have up to 30 days to make this information available to you. You have the right to request an electronic copy of your record be given to you or transmitted to another individual or entity. Every effort will be made to provide access to your Protected Health Information in the form or format you request.
• The right to request an amendment of your medical information. We may deny your request for specific reasons and, if denied, the hospital will provide you with a written explanation for the denial and information regarding further rights you would have at that point. You must make your request in writing.
• The right to receive an account of certain disclosures of your medical information we made in the six years prior to your request, except for disclosures for treatment, payment and healthcare operations or for which you provided written authorization. To request an account of disclosures, you must make your request in writing.
• The right to request a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices. You may ask for a copy of this notice at any time.
• The right to be notified of a breach of any of your unsecured Protected Health Information. We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to provide legally required notices of unauthorized access to or disclosure of your health information.
• The right to opt out of fundraising communication from the hospital. Uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information for marketing purposes and disclosures that constitute a sale of your Protected Health Information will be made only with your written authorization. If you do give us authorization, you may revoke it at any time by submitting a written revocation to our Privacy Officer.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Harrisburg Medical Center or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with the hospital, contact our Privacy Officer at 618-253-0360, or by writing to P.O. Box 428, 100 Dr. Warren Tuttle Drive, Harrisburg, IL 62946. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint. If you would like further information regarding your rights or regarding the uses and disclosure of your medical information, you may contact Harrisburg Medical Center’s Privacy Officer at 618-253-0360.

Complaints, Appeals and Grievances

Patients have the right to:

1. Voice concerns about the care received. Concerns can be shared with the doctor or nurse and/or may be submitted in writing.
2. If concerns are unable to be resolved with the doctor or nurse, grievances may be reported to:
   • Phone: (618) 253-0407
   • Email: Lisa.Wright@sih.net
3. If concerns are still unable to be resolved, the following may be contacted:
   • Address written complaints by mail to:
     The Office of Quality and Patient Safety (OQPS)
     The Joint Commission
     One Renaissance Boulevard
     Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
   • Phone (toll-free): (800) 994-6610
   • Fax: (630) 792-5636
   • Website: http://www.jointcommission.org
     (Use the “Report a Patient Safety Event” link in the “Action Center” on the home page of the website.)
4. Or you may file a complaint with the State of Illinois with the Department of Public Health by writing to the following street address, by email, or by calling the hotline at (800) 252-4343 during regular business hours.
5. • Address written complaints by mail to:
     Illinois Department of Public Health
     525 W. Jefferson St. Longterm Care CCR
     Springfield, IL 62761-0001
   • Email complaints to: dph.ccr@illinois.gov

PUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING SAFETY AND QUALITY OF CARE AT HARRISBURG MEDICAL CENTER

The Joint Commission periodically conducts an accreditation survey of Harrisburg Medical Center. The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the organization’s compliance with nationally established Joint Commission standards. The survey results are used to determine whether, and the conditions under which, accreditation should be awarded to Harrisburg Medical Center.

The Joint Commission’s standards deal with organization and safety quality-of-care issues and the safety of the environment in which care is provided.

As a patient, family member, community representative, employee, or medical staff member of Harrisburg Medical Center you have the right to notify the Joint Commission regarding any concern about the quality of care provided, safety of the care provided, or safety of the environment in which care is provided. Anyone believing that he or she has pertinent and valid information about such matters should notify the Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission
Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

PH. toll-free 800.994.6610
FX. 630.792.5636
E-mail: complaint@jointcommission.org
Website: http://www.jointcommission.org

This notice is communicated and posted in accordance with the Joint Commission’s requirement.

Corporate Compliance

Harrisburg Medical Center would like to thank you for using good judgment.

We need your help to ensure that our integrity is never compromised by unlawful activity in the workplace. If you witness questionable activity involving Fraud and Abuse or Code of Conduct, call our toll free number anonymously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Use your best judgment and don’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right.

Compliance Hot Line: (618) 253-0148

Privacy Statement For Harrisburg Medical Center

Our Commitment to Privacy

Harrisburg Medical Center is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy as a visitor to our Web site at . We take the issue of privacy very seriously and value the trust you place in us each time you use our services and access this Web site. This Privacy Statement describes the practices and policies we have put into place to safeguard your personal and health-related personal information that may be gathered and used as you visit our Web site.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

The policy may change from time to time so please check back periodically. If you have any questions about our privacy policies, we encourage you to contact us using any of the methods outlined at the end of our Privacy Statement.

Who Is Collecting the Information?

Harrisburg Medical Center is collecting information on this Web site as outlined in this privacy statement.

What Information Do We Collect?

Automatic Collection of Information:
If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the web site or download information, our system will automatically gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally and is used in an aggregate way to help us improve our web site and tell us the number of visitors to our site each day.

• No information is automatically collected at this Web site.

Permission-based Collection of Information:
At different places on our site depending upon the feature you use, you may be asked to volunteer personal and health-related information such as your name, email, mailing address, telephone number, and health history.

• No voluntary (opt-in) information is collected from visitors at this Web site.

How Do We Use the Information We Collect?

The information we gather automatically and with your permission during your visit to our Web site is used in the following ways:

• Monitor, review, measure, and analyze Web site utilization
• Modify and enhance the Web site
• Improve the content and design of our Web site
• Determine the need for new programs and services
• Monitor the changing health information needs of site visitors

With Whom Will the Information Be Shared?

The personally identifiable information gathered during your visit to this Web site is not shared with any organization for any purpose. We do not rent, sell, exchange or in some way provide personally identifiable information to any third-party organization.

Access and Correction of Personal Information

Review of Personal Information
Site visitors may not access information we have collected and maintain about them

Our Use of Cookies

Many Web sites now use “cookies” to provide useful features to their visitors by providing customizable and personalized services.

A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. For example, a Web site may use cookies to store and sometimes track information about you, your preferences, or the pages you last visited.

Your browser software can be set to reject all cookies, or to ask you if you would like to accept or decline a cookie from a particular site before it is set. Most browsers offer instructions on how to reset the browser to reject cookies in the Help section of the toolbar. You should know, however, that if you reject a cookie, certain functions and conveniences of a site may not work properly.

We do not use any cookies to store or collect information on our Web site.

Registration for Access

Some Web sites require you to provide some personal information through a registration process in order to take advantage of certain Web site features and to access content areas. For example, a registration form might request your name, telephone number and e-mail address. You might also be asked to voluntarily provide a list of health topics that you are interested in so your Web site experience

Visitors can use this entire Web site anonymously, without registration.

Our Children’s Privacy Policy

We are especially concerned about protecting children’s privacy. We hope parents and teachers are involved in children’s Internet explorations. It is particularly important for parents to guide their children when children are asked to provide personal information on line.

Our site does not feature information and services of interest to children 13 and under

Interactive Services and Tools

Interactive services tools such as health risk assessments, health-related calculators, and other technology-based features provide Web site users with a richer and more valuable experience. The tools can provide you with information that is customized according to your personal health background and needs.

Some interactive tools may request identifying personal and health-related information in order to function. It is important for you to know how your information will be used when it is requested, for what purposes it may also be used, and if it will be shared with any other party.

This site does not use interactive tools that ask you for identifying and health-related personal information.

Security of Communications

We recognize that many people are concerned about the privacy and protection of information as it is transmitted over the Internet. You should keep in mind that the possibility exists for unauthorized individuals to intercept any email message you send over the Internet. In some cases, information can be encrypted (scrambled or encoded) to make it very difficult to read if it is intercepted during communication. Certain technology and practices allow Web sites to provide an increased level of security for your personal and health-related information when appropriate.

We use the following practices on our Web site to enhance the level of security for communication and the transmission of personal information:

• We are not responsible for the privacy of e-mail messages except those stored in our system.

E-Commerce, On-line Donations, and Online Shopping

Purchasing items or making donations over the Internet usually requires you to provide your personal identifying information and credit card information on a Web site. Many people have become accustomed to on-line commerce as a time-saving and useful convenience. There are a number of practices that can make providing your sensitive credit card information more secure and therefore make you feel more comfortable about doing so.

At this time, we do not process credit card payments for donations, merchandise, or services on our Web site.

Advertising Servers

On-line advertising, such as banner ads, has become commonplace on many Web sites. Certain Web sites have developed relationships with third-party advertising servers to display these advertisements on their sites. By clicking on one of these banner ads, you will be taken to another site with different privacy policies. These third party ad servers may also use cookies to collect non-personal information on your preferences and interests via the advertisement you decide to view.

At this time, we do not partner with or have special relationships with any advertising server companies.

Links to Other Sites

Web sites often provide a number of links that offer direct access to other useful or interesting web sites holding potential value to site visitors. Inclusion of the other sites by links does not imply any endorsement of the material or information on the other sites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policy of each linked site before sharing personal and health-related information.

This site includes links to non-affiliated external Web sites. We have the following practices:

• We encourage users to review the privacy policy of each linked site, as we cannot be responsible for the privacy practices of other sites.

Changes in Our Privacy Policy

From time to time, we may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future, we have the following practices:

• We will contact you before we use your data for these new purposes to notify you of the policy change and to provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses

Preference for Future Use of Information
You may prevent your information from being used for purposes other than those for which it was originally collected by:

Web Site Contact Information

If you have questions about our privacy policy, or feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, please contact us.

Harrisburg Medical Center
100 Dr. Warren Tuttle Drive
Harrisburg, IL 62946
Contact: Jennifer Vinyard
E-mail: jvinyard@harrisburgmc.com
PH. 618.253.0403

Modification Date

This privacy statement was last modified on December 7, 2016.