Privacy Policy
Volunteers in Medicine – San Francisco, a California non-profit public benefit corporation, doing business as Clinic by the Bay, recognizes the importance of privacy to our visitors and donors.
We only collect the information we need to serve our patients and inform our supporters. We do not sell this information nor do we collect credit card numbers or other sensitive personal information entered on this site.
We use third party services to process credit card payments (Givesmart, Network for Good) and to maintain this website (Squarespace). Each of these services has its own privacy policy. Please familiarize yourself with the privacy policies of these third party services before choosing to use them.
Email Collection
Should you opt to share your email with us, we will not, under any circumstances, share your personal information with other individuals or organizations without your permission. We may add your email to a emailing list for communications regarding Clinic by the Bay. You may opt-out of future communications by contacting development@clinicbythebay.org, or with the unsubscribe links in those communications.
Phone Number Collection
Should you opt to share your email with us, we will not, under any circumstances, share your personal information with other individuals or organizations without your permission. We may add your phone number to a communications list that will occasionally receive text messages regarding Clinic by the Bay. You may opt-out of future communications by contacting development@clinicbythebay.org.
Corrections or Changes to Personal Data
Please contact us to correct or update any personal information in our database that is incorrect.
Notice of Privacy Practices - Dental Patients
This notice describes how your health information may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. The privacy of your health information is important to us.
Our Legal Duty
Federal and state laws require us to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to provide this notice about our office’s privacy practices, our legal duties and your rights regarding your health information. We are required to follow the practices that are outlined in this notice while it is in effect. This notice takes effect 7/1/2024 and will remain in effect until we replace it.
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this notice and make the new notice available upon request. For more information about our privacy practices or additional copies of this notice, please contact us (contact information below).
Uses and Disclosures of Health Information
We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment and health care operations. For example:
Treatment - We disclose medical information to our employees and others who are involved in providing the care you need. We may use or disclose your health information to another dentist or other health care providers providing treatment that we do not provide. We may also share your health information with a pharmacist in order to provide you with a prescription or with a laboratory that performs tests or fabricates dental prostheses or orthodontic appliances.
Health Care Operations - We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our health care operations. Health care operations include, but are not limited to, quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Your Authorization - In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or health care operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it is in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this notice.
To Your Family and Friends - We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this notice. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosure to family members, other relatives, close personal friends or any other person identified by you.
Unsecured Email - We will not send you unsecured emails pertaining to your health information without your prior authorization. If you do authorize communications via unsecured email, you have the right to revoke the authorization at any time.
Persons Involved in Care - We may use or disclose health information to notify or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition or your death. If you are present, then prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses or disclosures. In the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgment disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your health care. We will also use our professional judgment and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, X-rays or other similar forms of health information.
Marketing Health-Related Services - We may contact you about products or services related to your treatment, case management or care coordination or to propose other treatments or health-related benefits and services in which you may be interested. We may coordinate or manage your health care with a third party, or consultate with other health care providers relating to your care or if we refer you for health care. We will not otherwise use or disclose your health information for marketing purposes without your written authorization. We will disclose whether we receive payments for marketing activity you have authorized.
Change of Ownership - If this dental practice is sold or merged with another practice or organization, your health records will become the property of the new owner. However, you may request that copies of your health information be transferred to another dental practice.
Required by Law - We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Public Health - We may, and are sometimes legally obligated to, disclose your health information to public health agencies for purposes related to preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability; reporting abuse or neglect; reporting domestic violence; reporting to the Food and Drug Administration problems with products and reactions to medications; and reporting disease or infection exposure. Upon reporting suspected elder or dependent adult abuse or domestic violence, we will promptly inform you or your personal representative unless we believe the notification would place you at risk of harm or would require informing a personal representative we believe is responsible for the abuse or harm.
Abuse or Neglect - We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or the possible victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.
National Security - We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials having lawful custody of protected health information of inmates or patients under certain circumstances.
Appointment Reminders - We may contact you to provide you with appointment reminders via voicemail, postcards, texts, e-mails or letters. We may also leave a message with the person answering the phone if you are not available.
Sign-In Sheet and Announcement - Upon arriving at our office, we may use and disclose medical information about you by asking that you sign an intake sheet at our front desk. We may also announce your name when we are ready to see you.
Patient Rights
Access - You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies. We will use the format you request unless we cannot practically do so. You must make a request in writing to obtain access to your health information. You may obtain a form to request access by contacting our office.
Disclosure Accounting - You have a right to receive a list of instances in which we disclosed your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, health care operations and certain other activities for the last six years.
Restriction - You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in emergency).
Alternative Communication - You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or to alternative locations. You must make your request in writing. Your request must specify the alternative means or location and provide satisfactory explanation.
Breach Notification - In the event your unsecured protected health information is breached, we will notify you as required by law. In some situations, you may be notified by our business associates.
Amendment - You have the right to request that we amend your health information. (Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended). We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
Research - Your health information may be disclosed to researchers for research purposes. In this situation, written authorization is not required as approved by an Institutional Review Board or privacy board.
Fundraising - We may use or disclose demographic information and dates of treatment to contact you for fundraising activities. If you no longer wish to receive these communications, notify us at the contact information provided below and we will stop sending further fundraising information.
Questions about our privacy policy can be sent to development@clinicbythebay.org or you may call us at (415) 405-0222
Updated July 2024