Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: 07/16/2026
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.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and applicable New York law, West Manhattan Psychiatry is required to protect the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. This Notice explains how we may use and share your PHI and the rights you have regarding it. Because we deliver care primarily by telehealth, your information is largely electronic, and these protections apply to it in every form. We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your PHI and update our practices as legal requirements evolve.
How We May Use and Share Your Information
We may use and share your PHI, without separate authorization, to:
provide and coordinate your treatment, including with other providers and your pharmacy;
obtain payment and conduct billing for services;
carry out health care operations, such as quality review and practice administration;
send appointment reminders and related health information;
involve a family member, caregiver, or other person you designate in your care, including during an emergency or health crisis; and
work with our Business Associates, who are contractually bound to safeguard your PHI.
We may also use or share your PHI without authorization when required or permitted by law - for example: as required by law; to prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety, including any duty to warn or protect; for public health activities; to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; for health oversight; in judicial or administrative proceedings; for limited law-enforcement purposes; to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors; for approved research; for workers’ compensation; and for specialized government functions.
Uses That Require Your Written Authorization
We will not use or share your PHI for marketing, sell your information, or share any psychotherapy notes we maintain separately from your medical record, except with your written authorization. Any other use or disclosure not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time in writing.
Special Protections for Sensitive Information
Certain information receives added protection under federal and New York law, and where those laws are stricter we follow the stricter standard: psychotherapy notes we keep separate from the medical record; mental health information (New York Mental Hygiene Law § 33.13); HIV-related information (New York Public Health Law Article 27-F); substance use disorder treatment records (42 CFR Part 2); and genetic information (federal GINA; New York Civil Rights Law § 79-l).
Your Rights
You have the right to:
inspect and receive a copy of your record, including in electronic form, and to direct us to transmit a copy to a third party you designate, to the extent permitted by law;
ask us to correct your record;
request confidential communications by alternative means or at an alternative location;
ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures - and we must honor a request to withhold from your health plan information about a service you paid for in full, out of pocket;
receive a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI;
obtain a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive it electronically;
designate a personal representative to act on your behalf;
be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI; and
file a complaint without fear of retaliation.
To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer in writing. We will respond within the timeframes required by law.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and our privacy practices at any time, and to make any revised Notice effective for PHI we already hold as well as information we receive in the future. The statutory and regulatory references above apply as amended from time to time. The current Notice, with its effective date, is available on request and posted on our website.
Record Retention
We retain patient records for a minimum of six (6) years from the date of last treatment, consistent with New York State requirements (8 NYCRR § 29.2), and may retain them longer at the practice’s discretion.
Contact & Complaints
Questions, requests, or complaints may be directed to our Privacy Officer by mail at West Manhattan Psychiatry, 2248 Broadway #1113, New York, NY 10024, by email at psychiatry@westmanhattan.com, or by phone at (929) 376-7685. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints or by phone at (877) 696-6775. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
