Privacy Policy

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We collect your Protected Health Information (PHI) when we establish care with a patient to help best guide them toward meeting their health goals.  This is usually information relating a patient´s condition, the past, present, or future provision of healthcare, or payment thereof. It becomes individually identifiable health information when identifiers are included in the same designated record set, and it becomes protected when it is transmitted or maintained in any form (by a covered entity).

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is followed to make sure that your PHI is protected from unauthorized disclosure to any person or entity.  When disclosure is required it will be in the following categories:

(1) To the Individual. A covered entity may disclose protected health information to the individual who is the subject of the information.

(2) Treatment, Payment, Health Care Operations. A covered entity may use and disclose protected health information for its own treatment, payment, and health care operations activities.  A covered entity also may disclose protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider, the payment activities of another covered entity and of any health care provider, or the health care operations of another covered entity involving either quality or competency assurance activities or fraud and abuse detection and compliance activities, if both covered entities have or had a relationship with the individual and the protected health information pertains to the relationship.

(3) Uses and Disclosures with Opportunity to Agree or Object. Informal permission may be obtained by asking the individual outright, or by circumstances that clearly give the individual the opportunity to agree, acquiesce, or object. Where the individual is incapacitated, in an emergency situation, or not available, covered entities generally may make such uses and disclosures, if in the exercise of their professional judgment, the use or disclosure is determined to be in the best interests of the individual.

(4) Incidental Use and Disclosure. The Privacy Rule does not require that every risk of an incidental use or disclosure of protected health information be eliminated. A use or disclosure of this information that occurs as a result of, or as "incident to," an otherwise permitted use or disclosure is permitted as long as the covered entity has adopted reasonable safeguards as required by the Privacy Rule, and the information being shared was limited to the "minimum necessary," as required by the Privacy Rule.

(5) Required by Law. Covered entities may use and disclose protected health information without individual authorization as required by law (including by statute, regulation, or court orders).

Your information is gathered from you and by Dr. Phillips during visits and stored in an encrypted database with eClinicalWorks (eCW) and end to end encryption secures transmission of this data.   

Access to our Portal and the Healow app are completely free and are the preferred method of contacting Dr. Phillips, if not by phone.  We share information with our patients to give them access to their health records and help them make better healthcare decisions.

The Healow application from eCW gives you is also encrypted to protect your data while you are entering or reviewing your data on your home computer or cellular phone.   

We share information with our patients that we feel can help them and keep them informed. Every practice is different, and we try to provide patients with key information regarding their health. Mobile Opt-In, SMS consent and phone numbers collected for SMS communication purposes will not be shared with third parties and affiliates for marketing purposes.

Element Medical of Cape Coral LLC (EMCC) uses a HIPAA-compliant AI scribe tool for medical documentation. This tool is intended to improve the accuracy and efficiency of medical records, allowing my provider to focus more on delivering personalized care. All audio data and transcriptions from your visit is securely stored on a temporary basis and automatically deleted after one week. All personal health information is handled with the highest level of security and confidentiality.

PRISMA Health Information Exchange

PRISMA is a secure system that allows EMCC and other participating healthcare providers, including hospitals and specialists, to access and share your medical records for better coordination of care. Your information remains confidential and is only used for treatment purposes. EMCC shares and receives your health information through PRISMA unless you choose to opt out at any time.

Have a question or need to get in touch with us?  Contact us by phone or email on weekdays, or by appointment at our clinic, usually open from 9AM to 5PM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.