When you sign up for text messages from SBH, you are signing up to receive text messages related to your relationship with SBH and its partners and affiliates, including updates related to your visits, MyChart account, one-time passcode, billing notifications, prescription reminders, and care management.

You can opt-out of SMS messages by texting STOP to respective short code. Your opt-out request will generate one final message confirming that you have been unsubscribed. You will no longer receive SMS messages from the short code you opted out from. If you want to join again, sign up using MyChart or text HELP to the short code for instructions.

If you are experiencing issues with the messaging program you can reply with the keyword HELP for more assistance, or you can get help directly at 718-960-3730.

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. Message frequency may vary.

Our Privacy Policy is https://www.sbhny.org/hipaa/. Contact us at 718-960-3730.

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. You may request that information by contacting Medical Records at 718-960-6111/6112. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. You may request such correction by contacting Medical Records at 718-960-6111/6112. We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no”.

If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.

We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months. To request an accounting, you may contact Medical Records at 718-960-6111/6112.

Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you
If someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting the Hospital Privacy Officer at 718-960-3389.

You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital directory

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the case of fundraising:

• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

How do we typically use or share your health information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run the Hospital, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We use health information about you to train our staff.

Bill for your services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research
We can use or share your information for health research, although we may ask you for additional authorization for this purpose.

Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests.
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director.
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests.
We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official, only in certain limited situations
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions.
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order.

Other Uses and Disclosures
Other uses and disclosures of your information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission.  You have the right to revoke that permission at any time by providing us notice in writing.  If we have already relied on your permission, the revocation will not apply to uses and disclosures that have already occurred.

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.

Specially Protected Information
Note:  HIV related information, genetic information, alcohol and/or substance abuse records, mental health records and other specially protected health information may enjoy certain special confidentiality protections under state and federal law.  Any disclosures of these types of records will be subject to these special protections.

If you have any questions or would like further information about this notice, please contact the Chief Compliance & HIPAA Officer at 718-960-3389.