Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) describes the legal obligations of Nalina Mendez Psychiatric Services(“we,” “us,” or “our”) and your rights regarding your protected health information (“PHI”) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and its implementing regulations.

How We Use and Disclose Your Health Information

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

• Treatment: We use your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your healthcare and related services. For example, we may share information with other providers involved in your care when you consent.
• Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain reimbursement for the treatment and services we provide, including submitting claims to insurance companies.
• Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI for our normal business operations, including quality assurance, training, and administrative functions.
• As Required by Law: We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
• Public Health Activities: We may disclose PHI for public health activities such as reporting disease outbreaks or injuries.
• Serious Threat to Safety: We may disclose PHI when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.

Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Authorization

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes other than those described above, including: most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses and disclosures for marketing purposes, and any sale of your PHI. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on it.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI in our records. We may charge a reasonable fee for this service.
• Right to Amend: If you believe information in your records is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request an amendment.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your PHI, though we are not always required to agree.
• Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you about your health information in a specific way or at a specific location.
• Right to a Paper Copy: You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have received this Notice electronically.
• Right to File a Complaint: 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 Office for Civil Rights. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Website Privacy Policy

The following section describes how we collect and use information when you visit psychnpnalina.com.

Information We Collect

• Analytics Data: We use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymous usage data including pages visited, time on site, general geographic region (country/state level), and interaction patterns. This data is anonymized and does not identify you personally.
• Contact Information: If you contact us via email, we collect your email address and the contents of your communication to respond to your inquiry.
• Cookies: Our site uses cookies for analytics purposes. You may adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, though this may affect site functionality.

How We Use Website Information

Website analytics data is used solely to understand how visitors interact with the site and to improve the patient experience. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Third-Party Services

Our website uses Headway for appointment booking, which has its own privacy policy. Appointment and billing information provided through Headway is governed by Headway’s terms and privacy policy.

No Surprises Act - Good Faith Estimate

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this Notice and our privacy practices at any time. Any revised Notice will be effective for all PHI we maintain, including PHI created or received before the effective date of the revised Notice. We will post the current version of this Notice on our website with the effective date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Notice or wish to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact us:

To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, call 1-800-368-1019 or visit hhs.gov/ocr.