At Ababe Health Care Center, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information (PHI). This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your PHI, your rights regarding your PHI, and our obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Please review this notice carefully.

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 in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.
• Abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your authorization:

1. Treatment: To provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. For example, we may share your PHI with specialists or other healthcare providers involved in your care.
2. Payment: To obtain payment for healthcare services. For example, we may share your PHI with your insurance company to process claims.
3. Healthcare Operations: To support our business activities, such as quality improvement, staff training, and compliance audits.
4. Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures:
   • Public Health Activities: Reporting diseases, injuries, or vital events (e.g., births or deaths).
   • Legal Requirements: Responding to court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes.
   • Law Enforcement: Assisting law enforcement officials in specific circumstances.
   • Research: Conducting research with your consent or when approved by an institutional review board.
   • Emergency Situations: Disclosing PHI to prevent or reduce a serious threat to health or safety.

For any other purposes not listed above, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing.

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

1. Right to Access: You can request to view or obtain a copy of your PHI. We may charge a reasonable fee for copying and mailing.
2. Right to Amend: If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you can request an amendment.
3. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You can request a list of disclosures of your PHI made by us, except for those related to treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or authorized by you.
4. Right to Request Restrictions: You can request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requests but will comply if feasible.
5. Right to Request Confidential Communications: You can request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a specific way or at a specific location.
6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You can request a paper copy of this notice at any time.

To exercise any of your rights described above, please contact our Privacy Officer:

• Phone: (240) 651.6958
• Email: support@ababehcc.com
• Fax: (240) 391.7844

We reserve the right to update this Notice of Privacy Practices. Any changes will be effective for all PHI we maintain. The updated notice will be posted on our website and available at our facility.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, please contact our Privacy Officer. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Effective Date: 03/05/2025
Last Updated: 03/05/2025

Thank you for trusting Ababe Health Care Center with your healthcare needs. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring the confidentiality of your personal health information.