Website Privacy Policy

We use the information we collect from you only in compliance with our Website Privacy Policy below and our overall Privacy Practices. For more information on our privacy practices, please read our Privacy Practices, also posted on our website.

For any questions regarding our Website Privacy Policy or our overall Privacy Practices, please contact our office at 260-436-7205.

Security: We use all necessary measures to protect the security of your data. However, it is impossible for us, or any company with a website or conducting business on the internet, to completely 100% guarantee that your data will be immune from malicious attack or compromise; as such, you should understand that transmission of personal data through any website, or the internet, is always at your own risk.

Personal Information: As a general policy, we use personal information for normal business purposes only. We do not sell or rent information about you. We will not disclose personal information to third parties without your consent, except as explained in this Privacy Policy or our overall Privacy Practices.

Updating Personal Information: You may correct, update, or change your personal information or adjust or cease the frequency with which you receive messages from us at any time. You may call us directly at 260-436-7205 to make any adjustments to your personal information.

Usage and Analytics Data: We collect website usage data to assess how users access and utilize our website. This data helps us troubleshoot and improve the site's functionality. Usage data may include information such as your device's Internet Protocol address (e.g., IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our website that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We use Google Analytics to monitor and analyze our website analytics. Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our website. You can opt out of having made your activity available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents Google Analytics from sharing information with Google about visits activity. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Cookies: We use website cookies to enhance your website experience and the functionality of the website. Most web browsers are set up to accept cookies. You can reset your web browser to refuse all cookies or indicate when a cookie is being sent. Certain features of the site might not function if you delete or disable cookies. The Site's cookies do not and cannot infiltrate a user's hard drive to collect any information stored on the hard drive.

Ophthalmology Consultants of Fort Wayne P.C. Privacy Practices for Release of Patient Protected Health Information

Under new Federal Regulations (HIPAA), all health care providers are required to notify patients of conditions in which their health care information may be used or disclosed. In an effort to comply with government regulations and to both inform and ensure that patients are comfortable with health care disclosures, the Ophthalmology Consultants of Fort Wayne P.C. would like to notify patients of the following policies.

Personally identifiable Health Care Information and Demographic Data will be disclosed for the following reasons:

Treatment: Disclosures may be made to other health care professionals as needed to ensure standards of medical practice and complete medical treatment. Information may also be released to caregivers as deemed necessary by the patient or persons with a durable power of attorney. Employee access to your records will be limited to employees who must have access to accomplish medical treatment and billing.

Persons seeking care from an alternate health care provider: Information may be released to another Health Care Provider upon the patient's request and signed patient release. Information released will be the minimum amount of information requested by the patient or legal representative. Information will be released only one time per each written request. This will ensure that the patient or legal representative is aware each time medical information is requested and who is requesting the information.

If you are referred to Ophthalmology Consultants of Fort Wayne P.C. by another health care provider for a consultation visit, information concerning that examination and recommended, treatment will be automatically released to the referring physician unless otherwise specified by the patient/guardian at the time of the exam.

Payment: Individually identifiable information can or may be disclosed to the patient's health care insurance provider, Workman’s Compensation provider, or other third-party billing as requested by the patient. The information released will be the minimum required information to accomplish billing for the individual consultation, examination, or treatment of the patient. This information may include patient demographic information, medical information, place of treatment, and provider of medical care. This information may be electronically transmitted.

No medical information will be released to outside collection groups; however, we reserve the right to release the demographic information needed to complete the collection process effectively.

Government oversight activities: Information may be released as required for audits, investigations, licensure requirements, and inspections for compliance with government programs and laws or contractual obligations with insurance payers.

As required by law: Court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful processes when requested by National security, intelligence, and other federal officials and/or when the patient is an inmate or under the custody of law enforcement. As required by military command.

Patient outcome and compliance studies are routinely performed by staff. The information gathered for these studies is patient identifiable but is de-identified for the purpose of reporting. No patient will be identified in any study without prior consent.

Public health responsibilities: Suspected neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, problems with products, reactions to medications, product recalls, disease/infection exposure, and prevention/control of disease injury or death.

Patients have a right to view, copy and amend their own medical records. Such requests must be made in the form of a written release. Requested amendments in medical records cannot be made to reflect the action that may lead to the inference of medical malpractice. The physician reserves the right to make a notation to the medical record reflecting that the record has been amended. Notations must be in keeping with the standards of medical practice. No record will be altered by the patient, physician, or clinic once any litigation has begun. Litigation may include insurance accident claims, liability claims, or issues of a malpractice claim. The physician and clinic reserve the right to retain a copy of the original record as an individually identifiable record not to be released except in case of a subpoena.

Patients have a right to an accounting of all disclosures of their own medical records.

Patients have the right to file a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights (877) 627-7748, or if you have questions regarding any disclosures of medical or demographic information, please feel free to ask at any time.