Notice of Statement

Notice of Privacy Statement

  • Effective Date: April 14, 2003; Revised October 18, 2017
  • This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
  • Please read it carefully.
  • If you have any questions about this notice, please contact Privacy Officer Jonna Gaffney at 620-842-5132.

Our Pledge Regarding Your Health Information

Each time you visit the health department, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment and plan for your future care or treatment, and billing-related information. Such records are necessary for the health care provider to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements.

We are committed to protecting the confidentiality of our records containing information about you. This notice applies to all records for your care created or received by Harper County Health Department (HCHD). Other healthcare providers from whom you obtain care and treatment may have different policies or notices concerning information they receive about you.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information, give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices and make a good faith effort to obtain your acknowledgement of receipt of this notice, and follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

Effective July 10, 2013 we have been notifying the public that we will participate in the electronic exchange of health information with other health care providers and health plans in the State of Kansas through an approved health information organization. Unless you direct otherwise, your electronic health records will be accessible through the exchange to properly authorized users for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations only. 

If you want to restrict access to your records through the exchange, you must submit a request for restriction through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

 Even if you restrict access, your information will still be available through the exchange by a properly authorized individual as necessary to report specific information to a government agency as required by law (for example, reporting of certain communicable diseases or suspected incidents of abuse).