All services provided are strictly confidential. No information is released without
your permission. Exceptions, however, may occur in extreme, life-threatening emergencies
or when required by law. Examples of these situations may be:
- Local medical associates – Some of our services, such as laboratory tests, are provided
through contracts with medical associates. Since these services are contracted, we
may disclose your health information to them so they may perform the job we have asked
them to do and bill you or your insurance coverage for the services provided. We require
that our medical associates protect your health information.
- Child abuse – If a provider at Health Services has reasonable cause to believe that
a minor child is suffering physical or emotional injury resulting from abuse inflicted
upon him or her which causes harm or substantial risk of harm to the child’s health
or welfare (including sexual abuse), or from neglect (including malnutrition), Health
Services must immediately report such conditions to the Massachusetts Department of
Social Services.
- Adult and Domestic abuse – If a provider at Health Services has reasonable cause to
believe that an elderly person (age 60 or older) is suffering from or has died as
a result of abuse, Health Services must immediately make a report to the Massachusetts
Department of Elder Affairs.
- Public Health – We may use or disclose your health information to the Massachusetts
Public Health Department to collect information for the purpose of controlling communicable
disease.
- Court ordered – We may use or disclose your health information in the event of a court
order.
- Law Enforcement officials – We may disclose your health information to law enforcement
officials as required by law or in compliance with a court order. We may also disclose
limited health information to police or law enforcement officials for identification
and location purposes, and to assist in criminal investigations.
- Serious threat to health or safety – If you communicate to a Health Services provider
an explicit threat to kill or inflict serious bodily injury upon an individual, Health
Services must take reasonable precautions, which may include warning potential victims,
notifying law enforcement, or possibly arranging for your hospitalization. If you
present as a danger to yourself and refuse appropriate treatment, we have a reasonable
basis to believe that you can be committed to a hospital; we must seek said commitment
and may contact members of your family or other individuals if it would assist in
protecting you.
