Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 01/05/2025
Clinic: ERA Metabolic Medicine / DBA of Chix Beach Medical and Wellness Clinic, PLLC
Address: 5650 Virginia Beach Blvd., Ste. 104, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: 757-770-3444
Email: contact@erametabolic.com

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Our Responsibilities

ERA Metabolic Medicine is required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information, also called PHI. We are required to follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect and to notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

This Notice applies to health information created, received, maintained, or transmitted by our clinic, including information related to your medical history, treatment, medications, lab results, billing, payment, and communications with our office.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes:

Treatment

We may use and share your health information to provide medical care and coordinate your treatment. For example, we may share information with pharmacies, laboratories, imaging centers, specialists, consultants, or other health care providers involved in your care.

Payment

We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for services we provide. This may include sharing information with your health insurance plan, billing company, payment processor, or other entities involved in payment and claims processing.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your health information for clinic operations. These activities may include quality improvement, staff training, compliance review, credentialing, business management, auditing, scheduling, patient communication, and other administrative activities.

Appointment Reminders and Patient Communications

We may contact you by phone, voicemail, text message, email, patient portal, or mail regarding appointments, test results, medication refills, treatment follow-up, billing, or other health-related services. You may request that we contact you in a specific way.

Health-Related Services

We may contact you about treatment options, health-related services, wellness services, or products that may be relevant to your care. We will not sell your protected health information without your written authorization.

Business Associates

We may share your information with vendors and service providers who perform services for our clinic, such as electronic health record systems, billing services, payment processors, laboratories, pharmacies, IT support, scheduling platforms, marketing/communication platforms, and other administrative vendors. These business associates are required to protect your information.

As Required or Permitted by Law

We may use or disclose your health information when required or permitted by law, including for public health activities, health oversight activities, reporting communicable diseases, reporting abuse or neglect, responding to court orders or subpoenas, law enforcement purposes, workers’ compensation, coroners or medical examiners, organ donation, research when legally permitted, national security purposes, or to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information for purposes not described in this Notice or otherwise permitted by law.

You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

Certain uses and disclosures, such as most marketing communications involving payment from a third party, sale of protected health information, or certain disclosures of psychotherapy notes if applicable, require your written authorization.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your health information:

Right to Access Your Medical Record

You may request to inspect or receive a copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you. We will provide a copy or summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.

Right to Request Corrections

You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but we will explain the reason in writing.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as by phone, email, patient portal, or at a different mailing address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to Request Restrictions

You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to all requests. If you pay out-of-pocket in full for a service and ask us not to share that information with your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request unless a law requires disclosure.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures we made of your health information for up to six years before the date of your request. This list will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, health care operations, or certain other disclosures excluded by law.

Right to Receive a Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

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 may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information, as permitted by law.

Right to File a Complaint

You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may contact our Privacy Officer using the information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Privacy Officer Contact

Privacy Officer: Elina Reynolds, AGNP-C
ERA Metabolic Medicine / Chix Beach Medical and Wellness Clinic, PLLC
5650 Virginia Beach Blvd., Ste 104, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: 757-770-3444
Email: contact@erametabolic.com

Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any revised Notice will apply to all health information we maintain. The current Notice will be posted on our website and available upon request.

Website and Electronic Communications

Please understand that standard email and text messaging may not always be fully secure. We encourage patients to use the patient portal or secure communication methods when available for medical questions or protected health information. Do not use email, text messaging, website forms, or portal messages for emergencies. For urgent or life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.