Privacy Policy
SOUTHDALE DENTAL ASSOCIATES
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU 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
We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This Notice takes effect February 2, 2026, 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 the 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.
You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment: We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.
Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.
Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare 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 healthcare 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 of disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was 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. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you agree that we may do so.
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 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 healthcare. 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 will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
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 an inmate or patient under certain circumstances.
Telephone, Text and Email Communications: We may use or disclose your health information to contact you regarding appointment reminders, treatment information, or other healthcare-related communications using telephone calls, voicemail messages, text messages, emails, postcards, or letters. You may opt out of text messaging at any time by typing the word STOP.
PATIENT RIGHTS
Access: You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You must make a request in writing. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Disclosure Accounting: You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures of your health information made over the last six years.
Restriction: You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. We are not required to agree, but if we do, we will comply except in emergencies or as required by law.
Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or locations. Requests must be made in writing.
Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information. Requests must be in writing and include a reason. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
Breach Notification: You have the right to be notified in the event that we (or one of our business associates) discover a breach of your unsecured health information. Notification will be provided without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days following discovery, as required by law.
Special Federal and State Protections: Certain sensitive categories of information have additional protections that may require written consent or authorization under federal or state law. Examples may include substance use disorder treatment records, mental health records, HIV/AIDS status, and genetic information. Certain state statutes prohibit or limit release of personal health data without explicit consent, in some cases more strictly than HIPAA requires.
Electronic Notice: If you receive this Notice on our website or by electronic mail (email), you are entitled to receive this Notice in written form. Please contact our office for a copy of this Notice.
QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us.
If you are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information or in response to a request you made, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below. You may also submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201.
We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Southdale Dental Associates
7373 France Ave S, Suite 600
Edina, MN 55435
Phone: 952-896-1111
Privacy Officer: Deb Hoch