Your Privacy. Our Priority.
At Mandarin South Dentistry, your trust and privacy are paramount. We understand that your personal and health information is incredibly sensitive. This Privacy Policy outlines our unwavering commitment to protecting your data and ensuring it's handled with the utmost care, transparency, and respect. It details how we collect, use, and safeguard your information to provide you with exceptional dental care.
Our Promise to You
We are dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality of your protected health information (PHI) as required by federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We believe in clear communication and want you to feel secure and informed about our privacy practices.
The Information We Collect
To provide you with comprehensive dental services, we may collect various types of information, including:
Personal Identifiable Information (PII): This includes details like your name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and social security number.
Protected Health Information (PHI): Such as your dental and medical history, current health conditions, treatment plans, diagnoses, X-rays, and appointment details.
Financial Information: Including insurance policy details, billing information, and payment history to process claims and payments.
Technical Information: When you visit our website, we may collect non-identifiable data like your IP address, browser type, and pages viewed, primarily for improving our website's functionality and user experience.
We collect this information through various channels, including your initial patient forms, during appointments, over the phone, and through secure online portals.
How We Use Your Information
Your information is primarily utilized to:
Deliver Outstanding Dental Care: To accurately diagnose, treat, and manage your oral health needs.
Manage Your Appointments: Scheduling, confirming, and reminding you of upcoming visits.
Process Payments & Insurance: Handling billing, submitting claims to your insurance provider, and managing financial accounts.
Maintain Your Records: Creating and maintaining comprehensive and accurate dental records.
Communicate Effectively: Contacting you regarding your treatment, follow-up care, and general dental health information.
Coordinate Care: With your explicit consent, we may share relevant information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment, such as specialists or your primary care physician.
Improve Our Services: Analyzing aggregated, de-identified data to enhance our patient experience and service offerings.
Protecting Your Information: Our Robust Safeguards
We employ rigorous administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:
Secure Electronic Records: Utilizing encrypted and secure patient management systems.
Physical Security: Securing paper records in locked cabinets within restricted areas.
Staff Training: Regularly training our team on privacy protocols and HIPAA compliance.
Limited Access: Restricting access to your information to only authorized personnel who need it to perform their duties.
Secure Website & Communications: Implementing security features on our website and during electronic communications.
When We May Share Your Information
We understand the sensitivity of your information and commit to never selling or renting your personal or health data to outside parties. We may share your information only in specific, necessary circumstances:
Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO):
Treatment: Sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care (e.g., labs, specialists) to ensure coordinated and effective treatment.
Payment: Disclosing information to your insurance company or other third-party payers to process claims and obtain payment for services.
Healthcare Operations: Using information for internal operations, such as quality assessment, staff training, and general business management, always safeguarding your identity.
With Your Authorization: We will obtain your consent before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes other than TPO.
As Required By Law: We may disclose information when legally mandated, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or to comply with public health reporting requirements.
Public Health Activities: For public health purposes, such as preventing or controlling disease.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: When necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or the health or safety of the public.
Your Privacy Rights
You have fundamental rights concerning your personal and health information. At Mandarin South Dentistry, we respect and uphold these rights:
Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information.
Right to Amend: You can request amendments to your records if you believe they are inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You can request a list of certain disclosures of your health information we have made.
Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on how your information is used or disclosed, though we may not be required to agree to all requests.
Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You are entitled to a paper copy of this Privacy Policy at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our office. We are here to assist you.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on our website and will be effective immediately upon posting. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed.
Questions or Concerns?
Your peace of mind is important to us. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, or if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to addressing your concerns promptly and confidentially.