Privacy Policy

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Highlands Pathology Consultants, P.C.

Effective Date: 2/3/2026

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI) and to give you this Notice explaining our privacy practices regarding that information.  You have certain rights – and we have certain legal obligations – regarding the privacy of your PHI, and this Notice also explains your rights and our obligations.  We are required to abide by the terms of the current version of this Notice.

This Notice explains how we may use and share your health information, and how you can get this information. Please review it carefully.

What is Protected Health Information

Protected  Health Information (PHI) is information that individually identifies you and that we create or get from you or from another health care provider, a health plan, your employer,  or a health care clearinghouse and  that relates  to (1) your past,  present,  or future physical or mental  health  or conditions, (2) the provision of health care to you, or (3) the past, present, or future payment for your health care.

Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to:

  • Keep your protected health information (PHI) private.
  • Give you this Notice describing our privacy practices.
  • Follow the terms of this Notice.
  • Notify you if a breach of your PHI occurs.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  1. Get a copy of your test results and other PHI – You may request paper or electronic copies.
  2. Request corrections – If something is wrong or incomplete, you may ask us to fix it.
  3. Ask us to limit what we use or share – We will honor reasonable requests when legally possible.
  4. Request confidential communication – You may ask us to contact you in a certain way (phone, mail, email).
  5. Get a list of certain disclosures – We will tell you who we have shared your PHI with, except for uses related to treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
  6. Receive a copy of this Notice – At any time, in paper or electronic form.

To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer (see below).

How We Use and Share Your PHI

We may use and share your PHI without your written permission for:

  • Treatment: Sending your results to your doctor or other healthcare providers.
  • Payment: Billing your insurance or you directly.
  • Healthcare Operations: Quality improvement, training, and internal audits.
  • Public Health and Safety: Reporting certain diseases, injuries, or lab findings to public health authorities.
  • Legal Requirements: Responding to court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes.
  • Business Associates: Vendors or partner labs that help us perform services (and have signed a HIPAA-compliant agreement).

Special Protections for HIV, Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Genetic Information (42 CFR, Part 2)

Special privacy protections apply to HIV related information, mental health, and genetic information. Please check with our Privacy Officer for information about the special protections that apply.

Special privacy protections apply to HIV-related information, mental health, and genetic information. Some parts of this general Notice of Privacy Practices may not apply to these kinds of PHI. Please check with our Privacy Officer for information about the special protections that do apply. For example, if we give you a test to determine if you have been exposed to HIV, we will not disclose the fact that you have taken the test to anyone without your written consent unless otherwise required by law.

If we receive or keep information about you from a substance use disorder  treatment  program covered by 42 CFR Part 2 (called a “Part  2 Program”) through  a general consent you gave  that program for treatment, payment,  and/or health care operations, we may use and share your record for those  same purposes as  explained in this  Notice, except  for uses and disclosures for civil, criminal, administrative, and legislative proceedings against you. We will never use or share your Part 2 Program record, or any testimony about what is in your Part 2 Program record, in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding by any federal, state, or local authority against you, unless you give written permission or a court issues an order after notifying you.

Other Uses

Any other use or sharing of your PHI will be done only with your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time.

Our Safeguards

We protect your PHI through:

  • Secure lab systems and password-protected access.
  • Locked storage for paper records and specimens.
  • Staff training on privacy and confidentiality.

Breach Notification

If your PHI is compromised, we will let you know promptly, as required by law.

Questions or Complaints

If you think your privacy rights have been violated, or you have questions about this Notice, contact:

Privacy Officer: Lisa Ramey
Phone: 423-224-6757
Email: lramey@highlandspath.com
Address: 2175 Hwy. 75, Suite 4, Blountville, TN  37617

You may also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with the Secretary, mail it to: Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201.  Call 202-619-0257 or Toll Free 877-696-6775 or go to the website of the Office of Civil Rights, www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/, for more information.  

Changes to This Notice

We may change this Notice and will post the new version in our office and on our website. The new Notice will apply to all PHI we have about you.

Highlands Pathology Consultants, P.C.

We value your trust and are committed to protecting your health information.