Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective date: May 10, 2026 · Last updated: May 10, 2026
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Bay Urgent Care and Family Practice ("Bay UC") is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information ("PHI"), provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
Protected health information is information about you, including basic demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
We will use and disclose your protected health information for the following purposes without your separate written authorization:
Treatment
We will use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. We may share your information with other physicians, nurses, technicians, and members of your care team. For example, if you are referred to a specialist, we may share relevant medical information with that specialist.
Payment
We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services we provide. For example, we may share information with your insurance company to determine eligibility, obtain prior authorization, or submit claims.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your PHI to support our business operations, including quality assessment, staff training, licensing, accreditation, and general administrative activities.
Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Information
We may contact you to remind you of upcoming appointments or to share information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services.
As Required by Law
We will disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law. This includes reporting certain communicable diseases, suspected abuse or neglect, and responding to lawful subpoenas or court orders.
Public Health and Safety
We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities for activities such as preventing disease, reporting births and deaths, reporting reactions to medications or product defects, and notifying persons exposed to a communicable disease.
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose your PHI to health oversight agencies for audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure activities.
Workers' Compensation
We may release your PHI for workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
To Avert a Serious Threat
We may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
Military, Veterans, National Security, and Law Enforcement
We may release medical information of armed forces personnel as required by military command authorities, and to authorized federal officials for national security and intelligence activities and the protection of the President. We may release medical information in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or similar lawful process.
Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care
Unless you object, we may share information directly relevant to your care with a family member, friend, or other person you identify as involved in your health care or the payment for your care. In emergencies or when you are unable to express a preference, we will use professional judgment to determine whether sharing is in your best interest.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Authorization
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (where applicable), uses and disclosures for marketing purposes, and disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI require your written authorization. Other uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke any authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already taken action in reliance on it.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding the protected health information we maintain about you:
- Right to inspect and copy. You may request to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical and billing records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies. Requests must be in writing.
- Right to amend. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend it. We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but we will tell you why in writing.
- Right to an accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI in the six years prior to your request.
- Right to request restrictions. You may request that we restrict how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except in limited circumstances (for example, when you have paid for a service in full out of pocket and ask that we not share that information with your health plan).
- Right to request confidential communications. You may request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a specific way or at a specific location (for example, by mail to a specific address rather than by phone).
- Right to a paper copy of this notice. You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
- Right to be notified of a breach. You have the right to be notified if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer using the information at the bottom of this page.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the revised notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. The current notice will be posted in our office and on our website. The effective date is at the top of this notice.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. To file a complaint with us, contact our Privacy Officer below. To file a complaint with the federal government, you may write to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Or call 1-877-696-6775
Or visit hhs.gov/ocr
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Privacy Officer Contact
To exercise your rights, ask questions, or file a complaint about our privacy practices, contact our Privacy Officer:
Bay Urgent Care and Family Practice
Attn: Privacy Officer
624 Charlevoix Avenue
Petoskey, MI 49770
Phone: (231) 753-1400
Email: support@bayuc.com