HIPAA Notice

Effective Date: June 5, 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.

Brain and Spine Neurosurgical Institute, also known as BSNI, is required by law to protect the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains our legal duties, privacy practices, and your rights regarding your protected health information.

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

You can ask to see or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. We will provide a copy or summary of your health information, usually within the time required by law.

We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

You can ask us to correct health information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may say no to your request, but we will tell you why in writing.

Request confidential communications

You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as by home phone, office phone, or email, or to send mail to a different address.

We will say yes to reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say no if it would affect your care.

If you pay for a service or healthcare item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for payment or operations purposes. We will say yes unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we have shared information

You can ask for a list of certain disclosures of your health information. This is called an accounting of disclosures.

We will include disclosures except for those related to treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and certain other disclosures excluded by law.

Get a copy of this notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

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.

We will verify that the person has this authority before taking action.

File a complaint

You can complain if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may file a complaint with BSNI 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.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share.

You have the right to tell us whether to share information in situations such as:

Sharing information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
Sharing information in a disaster relief situation
Including limited information in certain patient directories, if applicable

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest.

We do not use or share your information for marketing purposes or sell your information without your written authorization, except where permitted by law.

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your health information in the following ways.

Treatment

We may use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.

Example: A physician treating you for a spine condition may ask another provider about your overall health history.

Payment

We may use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We may give information about your visit to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your care.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Example: We may use health information to review the quality of care provided by our clinicians.

Other Uses and Disclosures

We may also use or share your health information for purposes allowed or required by law, including:

Public health and safety
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
Health oversight activities
Lawsuits and legal actions
Law enforcement purposes
Workers’ compensation claims
Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors
Organ and tissue donation organizations
Research, when legal requirements are met
Serious threats to health or safety
Specialized government functions
Compliance with federal, state, or local law

Our Responsibilities

BSNI is required by law to:

Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information
Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information
Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice
Give you a copy of this notice
Not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us in writing that we can

You may change your mind at any time about uses or disclosures you authorized in writing. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this notice. Changes will apply to all health information we have about you. The updated notice will be available on our website and upon request.

Contact Information

For questions about this notice, to exercise your rights, or to file a privacy complaint, contact:

Brain and Spine Neurosurgical Institute
Privacy Officer
1526 Atwood Avenue
Suite 200
Johnston, RI 02919

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices