Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Effective date: September 23, 2026
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Renovo Orthopedic & Spine, we understand that your health information is personal. We keep records of the care and services you receive from us, and we are required by law to protect the privacy of that information.
This Notice applies to all health information that identifies you and the care you receive at any Renovo Orthopedic & Spine location, including our clinics, imaging, physical therapy, and [surgery center, if applicable] services. Your health information may include paper and electronic records, as well as images such as X-rays and MRIs, photographs, and other recordings created during your care.
All Renovo physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, therapists, and staff follow the terms of this Notice.
Our Legal Duties
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your health information.
- Give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
- Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured health information.
- Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
When federal and [State] privacy laws differ, we follow the law that is more protective of your information or that gives you greater access to it.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose your health information without your written authorization. Not every use or disclosure in a category is listed, but every permitted use falls into one of these categories.
Treatment
We use and share your health information to provide and coordinate your care. For example, your orthopedic surgeon may share information with your primary care physician, a physical therapist, an imaging center, an anesthesiologist, or the hospital or surgery center where your procedure takes place.
Payment
We use and share your health information so that we can bill and receive payment for your care from you, your health plan, or another party. For example, we may give your health plan information about a spine procedure so it will pay for it, or contact your plan before surgery to obtain prior authorization.
Health Care Operations
We use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when needed. For example, we may review your care to evaluate the performance of our providers and staff, train clinical staff and students, conduct quality improvement activities, or arrange legal, accounting, and compliance services.
Business Associates
We may share your health information with companies that provide services to us, such as billing, electronic health records, transcription, IT support, and appointment reminders. These business associates must sign a written agreement to protect your information.
Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Services
We may contact you by phone, text message, email, or mail to remind you of appointments, give you pre-visit or post-surgery instructions, or tell you about treatment options and health-related services that may interest you. We may leave messages at the phone number you give us.
Individuals Involved in Your Care
We may share relevant health information with a family member, friend, or other person you identify who is involved in your care or helps pay for it. We may also share information to notify them of your location or condition, or with disaster relief organizations. If you are present, we will give you a chance to object first. If you are not present or cannot respond, we will use professional judgment about what is in your best interest.
Health Information Exchanges
We participate in a health information exchange, which allows us to share your health information electronically with other providers involved in your treatment.
Technology That Supports Our Work
We use various technologies, which may include artificial intelligence tools, to support the care we provide, our operations, and our billing. These tools are subject to the same privacy and security protections that apply to all of your health information.
Research
We may use or share your health information for research when an institutional review board or privacy board has approved the use and established protocols to protect your privacy, or when you have given written authorization.
De-Identified Information and Limited Data Sets
We may remove information that identifies you so that it can no longer be linked to you, as permitted by federal law. We may also create a "limited data set" with certain identifiers removed and share it for research, public health, or health care operations with a party that signs an agreement to protect it.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
As Required by Law
We will share your health information when federal, state, or local law requires it.
Workers' Compensation
We may share your health information with your employer, its insurer, or a state workers' compensation program for claims involving work-related injuries or illness, as permitted by law.
Public Health and Safety
We may share your health information for public health activities, such as preventing or controlling disease or injury, reporting adverse reactions to medications or problems with medical devices and implants, and reporting product recalls.
Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence
We may share your health information with appropriate government authorities if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, as required or permitted by law.
Serious Threat to Health or Safety
We may share your health information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of the public or another person.
Health Oversight Activities
We may share your health information with agencies authorized by law to conduct audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.
Lawsuits and Legal Proceedings
We may share your health information in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena or other lawful request when the requirements of federal law have been met.
Law Enforcement
We may share your health information with law enforcement officials for limited purposes permitted by law, such as responding to a court order or warrant, identifying or locating a suspect or missing person, or reporting a crime on our premises.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director as needed for them to carry out their duties.
Organ and Tissue Donation
We may share health information with organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.
Military, Veterans, and Specialized Government Functions
We may share health information of members of the armed forces as required by military command authorities, and for national security, intelligence, and protective services for the President and others, as authorized by law.
Inmates and Individuals in Custody
If you are an inmate or in the custody of a law enforcement official, we may share health information with the correctional institution or official as needed to provide you with care or to protect the health and safety of you and others.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
We will not use or share your health information for any purpose not described in this Notice without your written authorization. Your written authorization is always required for:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
- Uses and disclosures of your health information for marketing purposes.
- Any sale of your health information.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Revoking it will not affect uses or disclosures we already made while it was in effect.
Specially Protected Information
[State] and federal law may require your specific consent before we share certain types of information, such as HIV/AIDS test results, genetic testing, mental health records, and substance use disorder treatment records. We will follow these more protective requirements.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Records
If we receive records from a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program, those records are protected by federal law (42 CFR Part 2). We will not use or share those records, or testimony about their contents, in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you unless you give written consent or a court orders it after you have been given notice and an opportunity to be heard.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
To exercise any of the rights below, submit a written, signed, and dated request to our Privacy Officer using the contact information at the end of this Notice.
Right to Inspect and Get a Copy
You have the right to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical and billing records, including imaging. You may also direct us to send a copy to another person you designate. We will respond within 30 days and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. In limited circumstances we may deny your request; if we do, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to request a review of the denial.
Right to Request an Amendment
If you believe health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it. Your request must explain the reason for the change. We will respond within 60 days. We may deny your request, but we will tell you why in writing and explain your options, including your right to submit a statement of disagreement.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of the times we shared your health information during the six years before your request, who we shared it with, and why. The list will not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations, disclosures you authorized, and certain other disclosures exempted by law. We will respond within 60 days. The first list in any 12-month period is free; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests within that period.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may ask us to limit how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations, or to limit what we share with people involved in your care. We are not required to agree, and we will not agree if the restriction would affect your care. If you pay for a service or item out of pocket in full, you may ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan, and we will agree unless the law requires us to share it.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as only by mobile phone, or at a specific address. We will agree to all reasonable requests, and we will not ask you why.
Right to Choose Someone to Act for You
If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will confirm the person has this authority before we act.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured health information.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You may ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. Copies are available at our front desks.
Changes to This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice at any time, and the changes will apply to all health information we have about you. The current Notice will be posted at each of our locations and on our website, and you may request a copy at any time.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer using the contact information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by writing to 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/ocr/complaints.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Contact Information
For questions about this Notice, to exercise your rights, or to file a complaint, contact:
Renovo Orthopedic & Spine
Phone: (440) 96-ORTHO (67846)
Email: PatientFollowUp@RenovoOrthoSpine.com
To request copies of your medical records, call (440) 96-ORTHO (67846).