Notice of Privacy Practices
Advanced Wellness Center
Effective March 9, 2011

Advanced Wellness Center Newsletter
Privacy Policy

By joining the Advanced Wellness Center Newsletter email list, you should understand the following:

• Advanced Wellness Center's Newsletter will be used to inform you of upcoming events and postings related to the Advanced Wellness Center's website.
• Your information will not be sold, rented or leased to a third-party...ever!
• You can remove your name from the list at any time by contacting Mary Franck, office manager.

We hope you will find our information and resources useful.

Thank you for visiting.

Advanced Wellness Center
HIPAA

To our patients
This notice describes how health information about you, as a patient of this practice, may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to your health information. This is required by the Privacy Regulations created as a result of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Our commitment to your privacy
Our practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your health information. Advanced Wellness Center is required by law to maintain the confidentiality of your health information. Advanced Wellness Center realizes that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:

Use and Disclosure of Your Health Information in Certain Special Circumstances

• Treatment: to provide, coordinate or manage your health care and related services. Advanced Wellness Center may consult with other health care providers regarding your treatment and coordinate and manage your health care with others. Advanced Wellness Center may use or disclosure protected health information about your treatment activities to another health care provider.
• Payment: Advanced Wellness Center may use or disclose protected health information so that Advanced Wellness Center can bill and collect payment for the treatment and services provided to you. Before providing treatment or services, Advanced Wellness Center may share details with your health plan concerning the services you are scheduled to receive for payment approval.
• Health Care Operations: Advanced Wellness Center may use or disclose protected health information to allow us to improve the quality of care that the Advanced Wellness Center provides and to reduce health care costs, which may include training programs for our staff.
• Cooperating with outside legal entities.
• To public health authorities and health oversight agencies that are authorized by law to collect information.
• Lawsuits and similar proceedings in response to a court or administrative order.
• If required to do so by a law enforcement official.
• When necessary to reduce or prevent a serious threat to your health and safety, or the health and safety of another individual or the public. Advanced Wellness Center will only make disclosures to a person or organization able to help prevent the threat.
• If you are a member of U.S. or foreign military forces (including veterans) and if required by the appropriate authorities.
• To federal officials for intelligence and national security activities authorized by law.
• To correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official.
• For workers compensation and similar programs.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

• You can request that the Advanced Wellness Center communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location. For instance, you may ask that representatives of the Advanced Wellness Center contact you at home, rather than work. The Advanced Wellness Center will accommodate reasonable requests.
• You can request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. Additionally, you have the right to request that the Advanced Wellness Center restrict our disclosure of your health information to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as family members and friends.The Advanced Wellness Center is not required to agree to your request; however, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required by law, in emergencies, or when the information is necessary to treat you.
• You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the health information that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records, but not including psychotherapy notes. You must submit your request in writing to the Advanced Wellness Center.
• You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and as long as the information is kept by or for our practice. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to the Advanced Wellness Center. You must provide us with a reason that supports your request for the amendment.
• You are entitled to receive a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices. You may ask us to give you a copy of this Notice at any time. To obtain a copy of this notice, contact the Advanced Wellness Center.
• If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our practice or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with our practice, contact the office manager at the Advanced Wellness Center. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
• Right to provide or decline to provide an authorization to cover other uses and disclosures that are not specifically identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law.

In accordance with the standards of implementation specifications of 45 C.F.R. § 164.524, the provider may grant an individual access to inspect and obtain a copy of protected health information about the individual in a designated record set.

Below is the Advanced Wellness Center's policy:

• The designated record set that is subject to access by an individual is as follows:
  • Medical Records
  • Billing Records
• The titles of the persons or offices responsible for receiving and processing requests for access by individuals is as follows:

Office Manager: Mary Franck

Advanced Wellness Center also uses protected health information with only your special authorization for:
Marketing, testimonials, photos, sending newsletters or information unrelated to healthcare and other marketing materials

If you have any questions regarding this notice or our health information privacy policies, please contact:

Mary Franck
Office Manager
Advanced Wellness Center
6423 Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90803
P- 562.795.6680
F- 562.799.9575
E-