Treatment: FHP may use information about you to provide you with medical services and supplies. We may also disclose information about you to others that need the information to treat you, such as doctors, physician assistants, nurses, medical and nursing students, technicians, therapists, emergency service and medical transportation providers, medical equipment providers, and others involved in your care. For example, we will allow your physician to have access to your medical record to assist in your treatment and for follow up care.

We may make your medical information available electronically through an electronic health information exchange to other health care providers and health plans that request your information for their treatment and payment purposes. Foundation Health Partners works with healthEconnect Alaska, which is the non-profit organization, entrusted by the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services to exchange health information electronically.  To learn more about healthEconnect Alaska and other health information exchanges that we participate in, you may contact the FHP Privacy Office at (907) 458-6986.  

Exchange of electronic health information can provide faster access, better coordination of care and assist providers and public health officials in making more informed decisions about your care. You may choose to opt out from healtheConnect Alaska or any other exchange we participate in by contacting the FHP Privacy Office at (907) 458-6986 and requesting an Opt Out form.   Completed forms can be returned by email to privacy@foundationhealth.org or mailed to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Attn: Privacy Department 1650 Cowles Street, Fairbanks AK 99701. Opt-out forms are also available at any FHP registration or reception desk or can be downloaded at www.foundationhealth.org.

We may also use and disclose information about you to contact you to remind you of an upcoming appointment, to inform you about possible treatment options or alternatives, or to tell you about health-related services available to you.

Facility Directory: Unless you object, FHP will include your name, location in our facility, your general condition (e.g., fair, stable, critical) and your religious affiliation in our facility directory. All of this information, except religious affiliation, will be disclosed to people that ask for you by name. Information in the facility directory may be shared with clergy.

Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care: FHP may disclose information about you to a family member or friend who is involved in your medical care. If you do not want the facility to disclose information about you to family members or others, you must notify the registration and nursing staff at the facility. In the event of a disaster, we may disclose information to help a family member or friend locate you. In the unlikely event you are unable to make decisions about your own care, treatment and services, we may involve a surrogate decision maker to help plan your care and treatment.

Payment: FHP may use and disclose information about you to get paid for the medical services and supplies we provide to you. For example, your health plan or health insurance company may request to see parts of your medical record before they will pay us for your treatment.

Health Care Operations: FHP may use and disclose information about you if it is necessary to improve the quality of care we provide to patients or for health care operations. We may use information about you to conduct quality improvement activities, to obtain audit, accounting or legal services, or to conduct business management and planning. For example, we may use medical information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you.

Fundraising: Many of our patients like to make contributions to support the care provided by FHP. FHP or its institutionally related foundations may contact you in the future to raise funds for this purpose. You will be provided the option of not receiving these communications. Your medical information is not shared for the purpose of fundraising.

Research: FHP may use or disclose information about you for research projects, such as studying the effectiveness of a treatment you received. These research projects must go through a special process that protects the confidentiality of your information.

Required by Law: Federal, state, or local laws do not require patient consent to disclose information which is required to be reported. For instance, we are required to report child abuse and neglect, gunshot wounds, etc. Public policy has determined that these types of needs outweigh the patient’s right to privacy. FHP is also required to give information to the state workers’ compensation program for work- related injuries.

Public Health: FHP may report certain medical information for public health purposes. For instance, we are required by law to report births, deaths, and communicable diseases to the state. We may also need to report patient problems with medications or medical products to the manufacturer and to the Food and Drug Administration.

Public Safety: FHP may disclose medical information for public safety purposes in limited circumstances. We may disclose medical information to law enforcement officers or to the court in response to a search warrant or other court order. We may also disclose medical information to assist law enforcement in identifying or locating a person, to prosecute a crime of violence or to report deaths that may have resulted from criminal conduct at the facility. We may also disclose information about you to law enforcement and others to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Health Oversight Activities: FHP may disclose medical information to a government or oversight agency that oversees FHP facilities or its personnel, such as the state’s department of health services, or other federal agencies that oversee Medicare, or licensing agencies who govern physicians and other health care professionals.

Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors: FHP may disclose medical information concerning deceased patients to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors to assist them in carrying out their duties.

Organ and Tissue Donation: FHP may disclose medical information to organizations that handle organ or tissue donation or transplantation.

Military Veterans, National Security and Other Government Purposes: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release information about you as required by military command authorities or to the Department of Veterans Affairs. We may also disclose medical information to federal or state officials for intelligence and national security purposes.

Judicial Proceedings: FHP may disclose medical information in a lawsuit where your health status is an issue. For example, FHP may be ordered to do so by court order or search warrant.

Information with Additional Protection: Certain types of medical information may have additional protection under state or federal law. For instance, medical information about communicable disease, HIV/ AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, psychotherapy notes, genetic testing, or a court-ordered mental evaluation. FHP may obtain your authorization to release this information except as required by law.

Other Uses and Disclosures: Other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization such as sale of medical information. You may revoke such an authorization by sending us a written request.