Understanding Your Health Information

Each time you visit an Entity, physician or other health care provider, a record of your visit is made in order to manage the care you receive. The Texas Health Resources entities listed on this document understand that the medical information that is recorded about you and your health is personal. The confidentiality of your health information is also protected under both state and federal law.

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Texas Health entities may use and disclose your information and the rights that you have regarding your health information. The Notice applies to all of Texas Health’s health care Entities (both inpatient and outpatient). It also applies to physicians and allied health professionals with staff privileges at Texas Health Entities1, and for Entity-based episodes of care conducted in cooperation with Texas Health Entities.

Texas Health has an electronic health record and will not use or disclose your health information without written authorization, except as described in this Notice. Use or disclosure pursuant to this Notice may include electronic transfer of your health information.

Your Health Information Rights

Although your health information is the physical property of the Entity or practitioner that compiled it, the information belongs to you, and you have certain rights over that information. You have the right to:

•  Request, in writing, a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. However, agreement with the request is not required by law, such as when it is determined that compliance with the restriction cannot be guaranteed. In addition, you have the right to request, in writing, a restriction on disclosures of health information to a health plan with respect to treatment services for which you have paid out of pocket in full. In this case, we will honor the request. It will be your responsibility to notify any other providers of this restriction.
• Request, in writing, to inspect or obtain a copy of your health record as provided by law including complete lab results from the medical record department or the reference lab; 
• Request, in writing, that your health record be amended as provided by law, if you feel the health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete. You will be notified if the request cannot be granted;
• Request that we communicate with you about your health information in a specific way or at a specific location. Reasonable requests will be accommodated;
• Request, in writing, to obtain an accounting of disclosures made in the six years prior to your request as provided by law.; and
• Obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices on request. You may exercise these rights by directing a request to the privacy officer contact listed on this Notice.

Our Responsibilities

Texas Health has certain responsibilities regarding your health information, including the requirement to: 

• Maintain the privacy of your health information;
• Provide you with this Notice that describes Texas Health’s legal duties and privacy practices regarding the information that we maintain about you;
• Abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect; and
• Inform you that the hospital must keep your medical records for the time period required by law and then may dispose of them as permitted by law.

Texas Health reserves the right to change these information privacy policies and practices and to make the changes applicable to any health information that we maintain. If changes are made, the revised Notice of Privacy Practices will be made available at each Texas Health Entity, posted on each Entity website, and will be supplied when requested.

¹ Doctors on the medical staffs practice independently and are not employees or agents of Texas Health hospitals or Texas Health Resources. © 2025 Texas Health Resources

Uses and Disclosures of Health Information Without Authorization

When you obtain services from any Texas Health entity, certain uses and disclosures of your health information are necessary and permitted by law in order to treat you, to process payments for your treatment and to support the operations of the entity and other involved providers. The following categories describe ways that Texas Health Entities use or disclose your information, and some representative examples are provided in each category. All of the ways your health information is used or disclosed should fall within one of these categories.

Your health information will be used for treatment.

For example: Disclosures of medical information about you may be made to physicians, nurses, technicians, medical residents or others who are involved in taking care of you at a Texas Health Entity. This information may be disclosed to other physicians who are treating you or to other health care Entities involved in your care. Information may be shared with pharmacies, laboratories, or radiology centers for the coordination of different treatments.

Your health information will be used for payment.

For example: Health information about you may be disclosed so that services provided to you may be billed to an insurance or other coverage company or a third party. Information may be provided to your health insurance or other coverage company about treatment you are going to receive in order to obtain prior approval or to determine if your health insurance or other coverage company will cover the treatment.

Your health information will be used for health care operations.

For example: The information in your health record may be used to evaluate and improve the quality of the care and services we provide. Students, volunteers and trainees may have access to your health information for training and treatment purposes as they participate in continuing education, training, internships and residency programs.

Health Information Exchange (HIE)

Texas Health participates in electronic health exchanges and may share your health information as described in this Notice. Participation is voluntary. You will be given the opportunity to opt in to the electronic health information exchanges at the time of admission/registration.

Business Associates

There are some services that we provide through contracts with third-party business associates. Examples include transcription agencies and copying services. To protect your health information, Texas Health requires these business associates to appropriately protect your information.

Directory

Unless you give notice of an objection, your name, location in the Entity, general condition and religious affiliation will be used for patient directories, in those Entities where such directories are maintained. This information may be provided to members of the clergy. This information, except for religious affiliation, may also be provided to other people who ask for you by name.

Continuity of Care

In order to provide for the continuity of your care once you are discharged from one of our Entities, your information may be shared with other health care providers such as home health agencies. Information about you may be disclosed to community services agencies in order to obtain their services on your behalf.

Disclosures Requiring Verbal Agreement

Unless you give notice of an objection, and in accordance with your agreement, medical information may be released to a family member or other person who is involved in your medical care or who helps pay for your care. Information about you may be disclosed to notify a family member, legally authorized representative or other person responsible for your care about your location and general condition. This may include disclosures of information about you to an organization assisting in a disaster relief effort, such as the American Red Cross, so that your family can be notified about your condition. You will be given an opportunity to agree or object to these disclosures except as due to your incapacity or in emergency circumstances.

To request copies of your medical records, please contact our Release of Information Department.

To request copies of your medical records, you may visit the website, https://www.texashealth.org/About-Texas-Health/Request-Medical-Records, request through MyChart under My Record, Document Center or contact the Release of Information Department. 

Phone: 855-681-8243 | Email: HIMSROI@TexasHealth.org | Address: 612 E. Lamar Blvd, Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76011

Disclosures Required by Law or Otherwise Allowed Without Authorization or Notification

The following disclosures of health information may be made according to state and federal law without your written authorization or verbal agreement:

• When a disclosure is required by federal, state or local law, judicial or administrative proceedings or for law enforcement. Examples would be reporting gunshot wounds or child abuse, or responding to court orders;
• For public health purposes, such as reporting information about births, deaths and various diseases, or disclosures to the FDA regarding adverse events related to food, medicines or devices;
• For health oversight activities, such as audits, inspections or licensure investigations;
• To organ procurement organizations for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant;
• For research purposes, when the research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established guidelines to provide for the privacy of your health information; or the disclosure is that of a limited data set, where personal identifiers have been removed;
• To coroners and funeral directors for the purpose of identification, the determination of the cause of death or to perform their duties as authorized by law;
• To avoid a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public;
• For specific government functions, such as protection of the president of the United States;
• For workers’ compensation purposes;
• To military command authorities as required for members of the armed forces;
• To authorized federal officials for national security and intelligence activities as authorized by law; and
• To correctional institutions or law enforcement officials concerning the health information of inmates, as authorized by law.

Other uses or disclosures of your health information that may be made include:

• Contacting you to provide appointment reminders for treatment or medical care, as well as to recommend treatment alternatives;
• Notifying you of health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you;
• Contacting you about disease management programs, wellness programs or other community-based initiatives or activities in which Texas Health participates;
• If Texas Health is paid by any third party to provide communication to you because you are a patient, you will be informed that Texas Health is being paid. You have the right to opt out of receiving such communication; and
• Using your health information for the purposes of fundraising for a Texas Health Entity. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any future communication. Contact the Texas Health Resources Foundation at 682-236-5200 to opt out.

Breach Notification

In certain instances, you have the right to be notified in the event that we, or one of our business associates, discover an inappropriate use or disclosure of your health information. Notice of any such use or disclosure will be made as required by state and federal law.

Required Uses and Disclosures

Under the law we must make disclosures when required by the secretary of the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with federal privacy law.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Authorization

Any other uses or disclosures of your health information not addressed in this Notice or otherwise required by law will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization at any time. Specific examples of uses or disclosures requiring authorization include: use of psychotherapy notes, marketing activities and any sale of your protected health information. 

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES:

• HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED
• YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
• HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT CONCERNING A VIOLATION OF THE PRIVACY OR SECURITY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION, OR OF YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING YOUR INFORMATION

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO A COPY OF THIS NOTICE (IN PAPER OR ELECTRONIC FORM) AND TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE PRIVACY OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

If you receive treatment from Texas Health for substance use disorder (SUD) and are enrolled in a SUD treatment program offered by Texas Health, the health information these programs create is protected by the federal regulations governing the Confidentiality of SUD Patient Records listed in 42 CFR Part 2 (“Part 2”). Part 2 requires us to maintain the privacy of your records, to outline our privacy practices with respect to your substance use records, and to notify you of any breach of your unsecured SUD records. We will make any use and/or disclosure of your SUD records in accordance with this Notice of Privacy Practices and will not use or disclose your records for any reason not described in this Notice without your written consent. In general, as a patient of a SUD program, Texas Health may only use or disclose your SUD records with your written consent. However, Part 2 permits us to disclose your SUD records without your written consent only in the limited circumstances described below.

Permitted Uses & Disclosures of SUD Records Without Consent

• Medical Emergency: We may use or disclose your SUD records with health care providers when it is necessary to meet a bona fide medical emergency and your prior written consent cannot be obtained, or when your health may be threatened by an error in the manufacture, labeling, or sale of a product under the control of the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).
• Court Order with Compulsory Process: We may disclose your SUD records in response to a special court order that complies with the requirements of 42 CFR Part 2, Subpart E and is accompanied by a subpoena or similar legal mandate that requires the use or disclosure.
• Research: We may use or disclose your SUD records for research purposes if it is determined that one or any combination of the following is true: - The recipient of the information is a covered entity or business associate as those terms are defined under HIPAA and a patient authorization has been obtained or the authorization requirement has been waived under HIPAA; or- The research is conducted in accordance with the Department of Health and Human Subjects policy on the protection of human subjects research (45 CFR Part 46); or - The research is conducted in accordance with the FDA requirements regarding the protection of human subjects research (21 CFR Parts 50 and 56).
• Audit & Evaluation Activities: We may use and/or disclose your SUD records for auditing or evaluation activities that are performed on behalf of: any federal, state or local government; any third-party payer or health plan that provides insurance coverage to patients in a Texas Health Part 2 program; a quality improvement organization or their contractors; or any entity with direct administrative control over a Texas Health Part 2 program. These disclosures must be made in accordance with the requirements of 42 CFR Part 2, Subpart D.
• Public Health: We may disclose your de-identified substance abuse disorder records for public health purposes to a public health authority pursuant to 42 CFR Part 2, Subpart D.
• Commission of Crime: We may disclose your SUD records to law enforcement if your records are related to your commission of a crime on Texas Health property, against a Texas Health employee, or the threat to do either. Any disclosure for this purpose will be limited to circumstances of the incident, your name, address, and last known whereabouts.
• Child Abuse/Neglect: We may disclose your SUD records when it is necessary to report incidents of suspected child abuse or neglect to the appropriate state or local authorities. However, we may not disclose your SUD records as part of any civil or criminal proceeding against you that may arise from report of suspected child abuse or neglect.
• We may use and disclose your substance use disorder records without your written consent for Other Specified Operations (OSO), including but not limited to quality assessment, training, accreditation, legal compliance, and business planning, as permitted under 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA. 

Uses and Disclosures With Consent

In addition to the uses and disclosures above, we may only use or disclose your SUD records with your written consent for the purposes described below:

• In Accordance with Consent: We may use and/or disclose your SUD records to a person or class of persons you identify or designate in your written consent, so long as the consent doesn’t obligate us to disclose your records to persons within the criminal justice system and central registries who do not have a need for the information. For example, a consent may authorize us to disclose your SUD records to a family member or a friend.
• Treatment, Payment, or Healthcare Operations: We may use and/or disclose your SUD records for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes, in the same manner as described with regards to your protected health information. When your SUD records are disclosed to another Part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate pursuant to your written consent, they may be further disclosed by that Part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate, without your written consent as allowed in the section above regarding your rights with respect to your protected health information. In addition, to reduce the number of consent forms you must sign, you may choose to provide a single consent for all future uses and/or disclosures of your SUD records that we may make for treatment, payment or healthcare operations purposes.
• Civil, Criminal, Administrative Proceedings: Your SUD records cannot be used or disclosed in legal proceedings against you unless you provide written consent or a court orders the disclosure after specific legal findings. Any consent to use and/or disclose SUD records in a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding may not be combined with a consent for any other purpose.
• SUD Counseling Notes: SUD counseling notes are notes recorded by a SUD provider or mental health professional that document or analyze the content of a conversation with you, whether during a private conversation or a group, joint, or family SUD counseling session. These notes are kept separate from your medical record. We may not use and/or disclose SUD counseling notes without your written consent except in the following circumstances:
  • Use by the SUD provider or mental health professional who created the counseling notes for your treatment; 
  • Use or disclosure by Texas Health for our own training programs in which students, trainees, or practitioners in SUD treatment or mental health learn under supervision to practice or improve their skills in group, joint, family or individual SUD counseling;
  • Use or disclosure by Texas Health to defend itself in a legal action or other proceeding brought against it by you; 
  • Pursuant to a valid court order authorized by 42 CFR Part 2.
• Redisclosure Limitation: SUD records disclosed to a Part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate are prohibited from further redisclosure unless you provide specific written consent or as otherwise permitted by law. Other recipients may not be subject to this prohibition.

Redisclosure Notice Commitment: 

When we disclose your substance use disorder records with your written consent, we will include the required Part 2 redisclosure notice and a copy of your consent (or a clear explanation of its scope) with each disclosure.

Patient Rights

We are fully committed to ensuring you are aware of your rights regarding your records. As a patient of a Texas Health Part 2 Program, you have the following rights:

• The right to request restrictions of disclosures made with prior consent for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations, as provided in 42 CFR § 2.26.
• The right to request and obtain restrictions of disclosures of records under this part to the patient’s health plan for those services for which the patient has paid in full, in the same manner as 45 CFR § 164.522 applies to disclosures of protected health information.
• The right to an accounting of disclosures of electronic SUD records for the past 3 years, as provided in 42 CFR § 2.25.
• The right to a list of disclosures by an intermediary for the past 3 years as provided in 42 CFR § 2.24.
• The right to obtain a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices upon request.
• The right to discuss this Notice of Privacy Practices with the Texas Health Privacy Officer or his or her designee.
• The right to elect not to receive fundraising communications. Additionally, Texas Health may use and/or disclose your SUD records for its own Part 2 programs fundraising purposes only with your consent and only if you are provided a clear opportunity to elect to not to receive fundraising communications.
• You have the right to revoke your written consent except to the extent that we have already relied upon your consent and used and/or disclosed your SUD records. You may revoke your consent by contacting Texas Health’s Privacy Officer in the above identified manner. 

Privacy Complaints

You have the right to file a complaint under HIPAA or Part 2 if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. This complaint may be addressed to the privacy contact listed in this Notice, or to the secretary of the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. There will be no retaliation for registering a complaint. 

Privacy Contact

Address any questions about this Notice or how to exercise your privacy rights to the applicable privacy officer contact listed below. 

Effective Date

This Notice became effective on April 14, 2003. Revised: November 2025. 

Privacy Officer Contacts

• Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital 877-847-7182
  • Texas Health Heart & Vascular Hospital 877-847-0052
• Texas Health Frisco 888-847-0012
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound 877-847-0052
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance 877-847-7549
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle 877-847-7219
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne 877-847-3028
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth 877-847-7229
  • Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Burleson
  • Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Willow Park
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford 877-847-7062
  • Texas Health Springwood Behavioral Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford 877-847-7633
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake 877-847-0052
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth 877-847-3032
  • Texas Health Hospital Clearfork 877-847-3032
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville 877-847-2877
• Texas Health Hospital Rockwall 877-847-0052
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen 877-847-7535
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas 877-847-7282
  • Texas Health Behavioral Health Dallas 877-847-7633
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton 877-847-7584
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman 877-847-7371
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano 877-847-7391
  • Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery Plano 877-847-0052
  • Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Prosper
  • Texas Health Seay Behavioral Health Plano 877-847-7633
• Addiction Recovery Center by Texas Health 877-847-7633
• Texas Health Specialty Hospital Fort Worth 877-847-2839
• Texas Health Physicians Group 214-860-6540
• Texas Health Urgent Care 833-847-0003
• Texas Health Care at Home 833-847-0003