Health Information Privacy and Confidentiality

It is the policy of PHS, that employees/interns/residents/research associates shall respect and preserve the privacy and confidentiality of patient and personnel information. Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to the following:

 Accessing information that is not within the scope of your job  Misusing, disclosing without proper authorization, or altering patient or personnel information  Leaving a confidential patient or personnel record unattended  Removing personnel or patient records from PHS, Inc. premises without prior approval

Patient Confidentiality: Piedmont Health Services is committed to protecting the confidentiality of all patients and patient records by adhering to the following: 1. Patient information will not be discussed: outside the work setting, with other staff members except when directly related to the delivery of patient services, within hearing distance of other staff or patients. 2. Patient information will only be released with written, signed authorization of the patient or representative 3. All non-registered patient information will also be handled in a confidential manner, including new patient appointment and any clinical information of those not yet registered. 4. Computer patient information is also confidential. Glare Screens or screen savers should be used in high traffic areas to limit screen visibility.

Employee Confidentiality: Piedmont Health Services is committed to protecting the confidentiality of all employees and employee records by adhering to the following: 1. Personnel information from any source and in any form is confidential. This includes any employee records or information involving employment, payroll, or salary. Exchange of employee records is strictly prohibited. 2. Medical records for employees who receive care from PHS providers will be in Centricity under the same HIPAA requirements as all patient information. Staff is authorized to access patient records only as it pertains to their job duties. Periodic audits occur to track any unauthorized access. Staff must not access their own personal patient chart. 3. Employee Health Records are charts for PHS Personnel required health information, such as employment related shots, work injuries and exposure incidents. They are separate from Medical records for employees who receive care at PHS. These are maintained in Centricity under employee last name prefaced with the letters ZZ to distinguish them. These charts are designated as Sensitive. Upon employment, staff members and volunteers will sign a Confidentiality Statement. The unauthorized access, use, possession, or dissemination of PHI, whether originated at Piedmont Health Services, or obtained from an outside provider or health care facility, shall be considered grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.