HIPAA Privacy Policy
notice of Privacy Practices
Effective August 1, 2005
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.
WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE?
This notice describes the practices of and the practices that will be followed by all of workforce members who handle your medical information.
OUR PLEDGE REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
understands that medical information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting medical information about you. We maintain our records and conduct our treatment environment with a goal of providing the highest level of protection for your medical information, while still providing you with the highest level of medical care. This notices applies to all of the records of your medical care which are received or created by .
Your other medical treatment providers (e.g. doctors, hospitals, home health agencies, etc.) may have different policies or notice sregarding the use and disclosure of your medical information.
This notice will tell you about the ways in which may use and disclose medical information about you. Your medical information, also referred to as "protected health information" is that information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health information and related health care services.
In this notice, we also describe your rights and certain obligations has regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. We are required by name to:
- Make sure that medical and other information that identifies you (protected health information) is kept private.
- Give your this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information about you.
- Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
By becoming a patient at , you are giving consent for to use your protected health information for certain activities, including treatment, payment and other health care operations. Sometimes, you may hear these three activities referred to as "TPO".
First of all, we may use and disclose protected health information about you so that and its medical professionals can treat you. For example, we may use your past medical information in order to diagnose your present condition or we may provide information regarding your medical condition to another doctor to whom we refer you for additional care. We may also use and disclose protected health information about you so that we may be paid for the medical treatment we provide you. For example, we will submit protected health information about you to your insurance company in order to receive payment for services we have provided to you. We may also use and disclose protected health information about you for 's health care operations, in other words, those other tasks that we need to perform to make sure that you are provided the highest quality of medical care. For example, we may use your protected health information to evaluate how we can better meet your needs or we may provide protected health information about you to an auditor who reviews our books so that we can keep our license to provide medical services in .
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information
The following uses of your protected health information may be made without any additional authorization from you. (Not every use or disclosure is listed, but be assured that all uses and disclosures made by are only those which are permitted under the law).
Licensure proceedings by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Uses and disclosures for appointment reminders
We may use and disclose your medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment at the office. If you request that such communications be made confidentially, please contact our office in writing at , . We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
Uses and disclosures to others involved in your healthcare
We may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend, or any other person you identify, your protected health information that directly relates to that person's involvement in your medical care. If you are unable to agree or object to this disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interests based on our professional judgment. We may also use or disclose protected health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition, or death. Finally, we may use or disclose your protected health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and to coordinate uses and disclosures to family or other individuals involved in your health care.
Uses and disclosures in emergency situations
We may use or disclose your protected health information in an emergency treatment situation. If this happens, your physician will attempt to obtain your acknowledgment of this Notice as soon as reasonably practicable after the delivery of treatment.
Uses and disclosures for health-related benefits or services
From time to time, may use and disclosure protected health information to tell you about certain health related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.
Uses and disclosures required by law
We will use or disclose protected health information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law. The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law. You will be notified, if the law requires us to do so, of any such uses or disclosures. We must make disclosures to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the law.
Uses and disclosures related to communicable diseases
We may disclose your protected health information, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.
Disclosures for health oversight activities
We may disclose protected health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These activities include, for example, audits, investigations, and inspections. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, the delivery of health care, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs and civil rights laws.
Disclosures of abuse or neglect
We may disclose your protected health information to a public health authority authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. In addition, we may disclose your protected health information if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence to a governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information. In such cases, the disclosure will only be made in accordance with Statename law.
Disclosures to the food and drug administration
We may disclose your protected health information to a person or company required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report adverse events, product defects or other problems, biologic product deviations, track products; to enable product recalls; to make repairs or replacements; or to conduct post-market surveillance, as required.
Disclosures for lawsuits and disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose protected health information about you in response to a court order or administrative order. We may also disclose protected health information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Disclosures to law enforcement
We may release protected health information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official, in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons, or similar process.
Other related disclosures may include disclosures relating to individuals who are Armed Forces personnel, to national security and intelligence agencies, as well as disclosures to authorized federal officials for the protection of the President of the United States or other authorized persons or foreign heads of state.
Disclosures to coroners, funeral directors, and organ donation
We may disclose protected health information about you to a coroner or medical examiner for identification purposes, determining cause of death, or for the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties required by law. We may also disclose protected health information about you to a funeral director in order to permit the funeral director to carry out legal duties, and may do so if death is reasonably anticipated. Your protected health information may also be disclosed for certain organ donations to which you may have agreed.
Disclosures for research
We may disclose your protected health information to researchers when their research has been approved and protocols have been established to ensure the privacy of your information. We may also disclose a limited set of your information, as allowed under the law, for research purposes.
Disclosures related to criminal activity
We may disclose your protected health information, consistent with federal and Statename laws, if we believe that the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, or if it is necessary for law enforcement authorities to identify or apprehend an individual.
Disclosures for Workers' Compensation
We may release protected health information about you for Workers' Compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Right to inspect and copy
You have the right to inspect and copy protected health information that may be used to make decisions about your medical care. Usually this right includes both medical and billing records. You must submit your request in writing. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request. Your request to inspect and copy your information may only be denied in very limited circumstances and you have a right to request that any such denial be reviewed.
Right to request restrictions
You have the right to request that we restrict the use and disclosure of your protected health information for treatment, payment and health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment.
To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to , . In your request, you must tell us:
- What information you want to limit.
- Whether you want to limit our use, disclosure, or both.
- To whom you want the limits to apply.
Right to confidential communications
You also have the right to request to receive private health information communications (such as appointment confirmations) by alternative means or at alternative locations. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to , . We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
Right to amend
If you feel that the protected health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that your protected health information be amended. Only the health care entity (e.g., doctor, hospital, clinic, etc.) that created your protected health information is responsible for amending it. For more information regarding the procedures for submitting such a request, contact , .
Right to an accounting of disclosures
You have a right to an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information, for purposes other than treatment, payment or health care operations by or any of the people or companies who perform treatment, payment or health care operations on our behalf. To request this list of disclosures we made of protected health information about you, you must submit a request in writing to , . Your request must state a time period which may not be longer than six (6) years prior to the date of your request and may not include dates before August 1, 2005. Your request should indicate the form in which you want the list (for example, on paper or electronically). You will be charged for photocopying.
Right to a paper copy of this notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time.
You may obtain a copy of this Notice at our website: https://www.pscofchicago.com
To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, contact
To learn more about these procedures, or to make any of these requests, you should contact our Office Manager at .
Changes to this notice
reserves the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for protected health information we already have about you, as well as any information we create or receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice on website: https://www.pscofchicago.com. The Notice will contain, in the top right-hand corner, the effective date.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated and/or that or has not followed this policy, you may file a complaint with Office Manager or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
To file a complaint with contact Office Manager, , . All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
Other uses of protected health information
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to will be made only with your written permission ("authorization"). If you provide us permission to use or disclose protected health information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose protected health information about you for the reasons covered by your authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required to retain our records of the medical treatment or other services that we have provided to you.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact the Office Manager at .
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Happy for this patient and her 6 week post-operative result from a breast augmentation. We placed a 400 cc gel implant, in a sub-muscular plane, and through a periareolar incision. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #breastaugmentation #gelimplants #mastopexy #gummybear #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Happy for this patient and her transformation. This patient is transfemale who underwent facial feminization. Can you tell what surgeries were performed? Still have to perform the tracheal shave. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #craniofacialsurgery #FFS #facialfeminization #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
6 month follow-up on a mastopexy augmentation case. The patient’s goals were to have her breasts lifted and the volume restored after pregnancy. No patient has perfectly symmetric breasts, which is normal. This case was challenging because of the asymmetries of the nipples; trying to lift, augment, and level the nipples all at the same time is difficult. Many variables to control but the post-operative photos demonstrate improved symmetry with all of the patient’s goals achieved. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #breastaugmentation #mastopexy #breastlift #gummybear #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
6 month follow-up on a challenging revision rhinoplasty case. The patient had 3 prior rhinoplasty surgeries by another surgeon and was not happy with the aesthetics of the dorsum or tip. In the pre-operative profile views, you can see a dorsal hump, under-projected tip, and abnormal alar-columellar relationship. On frontal view, there are asymmetries of the dorsal aesthetic lines and C-shape deviation of the nose. The goal of the surgery was to make the nose straighter, improve the dorsum and tip proportions, increase tip projection, and improve the alar-columellar relationship. Look closely at the post-operative profile views and how the tip, nostril and columella appear. Posted with permission.
#plasticsugery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #rhinoplasty #revisionrhinoplasty #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Many ways to do a breast augmentation but the periareolar incision is a great option because the scar becomes imperceptible as the scar matures. This patient is 6 months out from a breast augmentation and the access incision we made was at the bottom border of the nipple areolar complex. It’s hard to see the scar at this point and the scar gets even better at the 12-18 month mark. Also, nipple sensation is unaffected after surgery. The other incisions that plastic surgeons use include an incision underneath the breast, at the breast fold, or the armpit. Each incision has their pros and cons but the periareolar is my preferred approach.
#plasticsurgeon #plasticsurgery #breastaugmentation #gummybearimplants #breastimplants #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery #cosmeticsurgery
Challenging #gynecomastia case where the patient had grade 2/3 gynecomastia or male breasts with excess skin and significant asymmetries. The challenging part of this case relates to how to manage the excess skin and achieve a symmetric result. Do you remove the excess skin which will leave scars or try to contract the skin with minimally invasive techniques? In this case I performed liposuction, removed the breast tissue through a nipple incision, and performed #Renuvion to facilitate contraction of the skin. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #gynecomastia #liposuction #Renuvion #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Nasal reconstruction for a patient who had a full thickness defect or hole of the left nostril after Mohs surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma. The patient was missing all three layers of the nose and if you look closely, you can see into the nose and visualize the septum. We re-built the nose using tissue from his forehead or a #forehead flap. In the post-operative photos, you can see a nice reconstruction of the nostril with restored form and function. Additionally, the reconstructed side is symmetric with the unaffected side. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #rhinoplasty #nasalreconstruction #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
3 month follow-up on this patient who wanted improvement in the projection of her chin and definition of the jawline. The patient has retrogenia or a small chin and underwent #chinaugmentation with a #genioplasty. In the pre-operative photos, you can see the chin is short and recessed and therefore I moved the chin forward and down. In the post-operative photos you can see improvement in the projection of the chin, a more defined jawline and neck, and a more balanced lower 1/3 of the face. This case highlights the advantages of a genioplasty versus a chin implant, a chin implant cannot lengthen and advance the chin to the same extent that a genioplasty can. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #genioplasty #chinaugmentation #craniofacialsurgery #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Gym or surgery? This patient underwent hi-def liposuction or abdominal etching to improve the contour of the abdomen and to define the abdominal muscles. In the post-operative photos, the patient has natural washboard abs. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #abdominaletching #hidefliposuction #liposculpture #liposuction #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Long term follow-up on a revision mastopexy augmentation case. The patient had a previous augmentation with gel implants and wanted the implants removed, breasts lifted, and re-augmented with fat but downsized. The patient underwent explantation of the implants, a capsulectomy, a breast lift, and fat transfer to augment the breasts. In the post-operative photos, you can see the breast/nipples are lifted to a more aesthetic position and we were able to maintain volume, although smaller, with fat transfer alone. This patient has a very natural result using only fat from her abdomen to restore volume. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #breastlift #breastaugmentation #mommymakeover #fattransfer #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
1 year follow-up on a primary rhinoplasty. This patient’s goals were a straighter profile, smaller and more refined tip, and a nose that was not drastically different. In the post-operative photos you can see the dorsal hump was removed and the nasal bones narrowed, the tip was refined, rotated, and projected more. Overall, still her nose but more refined and aesthetic. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #rhinoplasty #nosejob #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Early follow-up on a #facialmasculinization surgery for a trans male who wanted to improve the contour of the lower 1/3 of the face and neck. The patient underwent a sliding #genioplasty, custom #mandibularimplants, and #neckliposuction to achieve his goals. We used computer software to design the cuts in the bone and #3Dprinting to make the custom mandibular implants. Can you see the improved contour of the chin, jawline, and neck in the post-operative photos? Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #craniofacialsurgery #genioplasty #chinimplants #facialimplants #facialmasculinization #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
1 year follow-up on a patient who wanted fuller and more symmetric breasts after having deflation with pregnancy. The patient is athletic and therefore it was very important to her to have a smaller augmentation that appeared natural. The patient underwent a breast augmentation with gel implants (250 cc) through a periareaolar incision and in a submuscular plane. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #breastaugmentation #gummybear #breastlift #cosmeticsurgery #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
This patient had a full thickness nasal defect of the left nostril after a skin cancer was removed by our Dermatology colleagues. Even though the wound is relatively small, this is a challenging reconstruction because all layers of the nose have to be rebuilt without making the reconstructed area bulky and noticeable. Also, you have to make the area strong enough so that the nostril doesn’t collapse as the area heals and scars. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #skincancer #nasalreconstruction #nosejob #rhinoplasty #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
A 1 year follow-up on a patient who wanted a rhinoplasty to remove the dorsal hump and improve the aesthetics of her tip. In this case the dorsal hump was removed, the nose made straighter, the tip refined, and the tip rotated and projected more. Her new nose fits her face without overtly changing the ethnic features of her face. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #rhinoplasty #ethnicrhinoplasty #nosejob #cosmeticsurgery #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Proud of our research team for getting this important manuscript published in the #1 plastic surgery journal in the world. In this study, we looked at the published literature to develop guidelines on how to treat visual impairments related to droopy eyelids and excess skin of the eyelids.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #blepharoplasty #eyelidlift #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Happy for this patient who underwent full facial rejuvenation surgery, which included a brow lift, upper/lower blepharoplasty, facelift, neck lift, and facial fat transfer. How much younger does he look now? Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #facelift #necklift #blepharoplasty #eyelidlift #browlift #fattransfer #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Amazing transformation for this lovely patient who wanted to have fuller, more symmetric, youthful, and natural breasts. The patient underwent a #breastaugmentation with gel implants. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #breastaugmentation #gelimplants #gummybearimplants #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
One year follow-up on a #BBL or Brazilian butt lift. As you can see from the post-operative photos, the fat that is transferred stays and is permanent. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #BBL #360degreeliposcution #liposuction #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery
Male patient in his late 60’s who was able to turn back the clock after undergoing a #facelift, #neck lift, #blepharoplasty, and #fattransfer. Pay close attention to the “bags” underneath the eyes, the jawline, and neck. The scars have healed nicely and are inconspicuous even with short hair. In the post-operative photos, the patient has maintained his natural facial features and anatomy, but just looks like a more youthful version of himself. Posted with permission.
#plasticsurgery #plasticsurgeon #cosmeticsurgery #facelift #necklift #blepharoplasty #chicago #chicagoplasticsurgery