Part 1: Notice of Privacy Practices (summary)
Stedfast Psychiatry, a practice of Stedfast Medical Services LLC, is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This section summarizes our Notice of Privacy Practices. The full Notice is available at any of our offices and on request; you receive a copy and sign an acknowledgment at your first visit. If this summary and the full Notice differ, the full Notice controls.
How we use and share your health information
We use and disclose protected health information (PHI) without separate written authorization for:
- Treatment. Providing care, coordinating with other clinicians involved in your care such as your primary care doctor, therapist, pharmacy or a facility where you live.
- Payment. Billing your insurer, Medicare or Medicaid, verifying benefits, obtaining prior authorization and collecting balances.
- Health care operations. Quality review, training, credentialing, compliance, business planning and the administration of the practice.
We may also disclose PHI where the law requires or permits it, including public health reporting, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight, court orders and subpoenas with required protections, law enforcement in defined circumstances, and to prevent a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. We may contact you about appointments, treatment options and practice services.
Uses that need your written permission
Most uses of psychotherapy notes, marketing uses, sale of PHI and any disclosure not described in the Notice require your written authorization, which you can revoke in writing at any time. Substance use disorder records receive additional protection under federal law (42 CFR Part 2).
Your rights
- Receive a paper or electronic copy of the full Notice.
- Inspect and obtain a copy of your record, usually within 30 days; a reasonable copying fee may apply.
- Request a correction of your record.
- Request restrictions on how we use or share your PHI. We must agree if you pay for a service in full out of pocket and ask us not to bill your insurer.
- Request confidential communications, for example at a different phone number or address.
- Receive a list of certain disclosures we have made (an accounting).
- Be notified if a breach compromises your PHI.
- File a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights without any retaliation.
Privacy officer
To exercise a right, ask a question or file a complaint, contact the Privacy Officer, Stedfast Psychiatry, by calling (561) 402-3971 or writing to any office address listed on our contact page, attention Privacy Officer. You may also contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights at 1-800-368-1019 or through hhs.gov/ocr.
Part 2: Website privacy
This section applies to stedfastpsychiatry.com and explains what the website collects and how it is used. The website is informational; it is not the patient portal, and it does not store medical records.
Information you give us
When you submit the contact or appointment request form, we receive the name, phone number, email address, preferred office, reason for contact and message you enter. We use it to respond to you and to schedule care. The form is transmitted over HTTPS and processed by a server function on our hosting provider; it is not encrypted end to end like a portal message, which is why we ask you not to include detailed medical information. Once a scheduling coordinator enters your information into our clinical system, it becomes PHI and is protected as described in Part 1.
Text message (SMS) consent
If you check the box to receive text messages, you agree that Stedfast Psychiatry may send you SMS messages about your appointments, including confirmations, reminders and scheduling changes, at the mobile number you provided. Message frequency varies by your appointment schedule. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to stop receiving messages and HELP for help, or call your office. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of receiving care. Your mobile number and SMS consent are not sold or shared with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
Analytics and cookies
We use website analytics to understand which pages are visited, how visitors arrive and whether the site works well on different devices. Analytics data is aggregated and may include your approximate location derived from your IP address, browser type, pages viewed and referring site. We configure analytics to avoid collecting the content of form fields. We do not use analytics or advertising tools on pages where you enter health information, and we do not sell personal information. You can limit cookies through your browser settings; the site works without them.
Phone calls
Calls to the phone numbers on this site may be recorded for quality and training. Call tracking numbers may be used to measure which pages generate calls; they forward to our offices and do not change how your call is handled.
Links to other sites
Links to review platforms, maps, social media and other websites lead to sites with their own privacy practices, which we do not control.
Children
The website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them online. Care for minors is arranged by a parent or guardian.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS. Form submissions are retained only as long as needed to respond and schedule, after which they are deleted or moved into the clinical record. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so please use the patient portal for sensitive information.
Changes
We may update this policy. The effective date at the top of the page changes when we do, and material changes to the Notice of Privacy Practices are posted at our offices and on this page.
Contact
Questions about this policy: call (561) 402-3971 or write to any office address on the contact page, attention Privacy Officer.