Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 08/25/2026

If you have any questions about this notice, you may contact the Privacy Officer at Summit Medical Center, 307-232-6600, and request assistance from the appropriate department or staff member.

This notice describes the practices of Summit Medical Center and any programs, clinics, departments, workforce members, volunteers, staff, medical staff members, trainees, and other personnel authorized to enter information into your medical record or otherwise assist with your care. These persons and entities will follow the terms of this notice and may share medical information with one another for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations as described below.

Our promise regarding your medical information

Summit Medical Center understands that medical information about you and your health is personal. Summit Medical Center is committed to protecting medical information about you. A record of the care and services you receive is created and maintained to provide quality care and to comply with legal requirements.

This notice describes the ways in which medical information about you may be used and disclosed. It also describes your rights and certain obligations Summit Medical Center has regarding the use and disclosure of medical information.

Summit Medical Center is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of your protected health information.
• Provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices regarding protected health information.
• Notify you following a breach of unsecured protected health information when required by law.
• Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

Summit Medical Center reserves the right to change this notice and to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information already maintained, as well as for information received in the future. The current notice will be posted on the website and made available upon request.

How we may use and disclose health information about you

The following categories describe different ways medical information about you may be used and disclosed. Not every possible use or disclosure will be listed, but all permitted uses and disclosures will fall within one of the categories below.

For treatment

Medical information about you may be used to provide you with medical treatment or services. Medical information may be disclosed to physicians, nurses, technicians, therapists, pharmacists, students, or other personnel who are involved in taking care of you. Different departments of Summit Medical Center may also share medical information about you to coordinate the services you need. Medical information may also be disclosed to people outside Summit Medical Center who may be involved in your medical care after you leave, such as family members, caregivers, home health agencies, laboratories, pharmacies, or other healthcare providers.

For payment

Medical information about you may be used and disclosed so that the treatment and services you receive may be billed to and payment collected from you, an insurance company, a health plan, or another third party. For example, information may be provided to your health plan to obtain prior approval for a procedure or to determine whether your plan will pay for treatment.

For healthcare operations

Medical information about you may be used and disclosed for healthcare operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run Summit Medical Center and make sure all patients receive quality care. For example, medical information may be used to review treatment and services, evaluate staff performance, conduct quality assessment and improvement activities, provide training, support accreditation, licensing, compliance, auditing, credentialing, and business planning activities.

Appointment reminders, treatment alternatives, and health-related benefits

Summit Medical Center may use and disclose medical information to contact you with appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives, or information about health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Fundraising

Summit Medical Center may contact you as part of fundraising efforts permitted by law. If you receive a fundraising communication, you will have the opportunity to opt out of receiving future fundraising communications.

Facility directory

Unless you object, Summit Medical Center may include certain limited information about you in a facility directory while you are a patient. This information may include your name, location in the facility, general condition, and religious affiliation. Directory information, except for religious affiliation, may be given to people who ask for you by name. Religious affiliation may be given to members of the clergy even if they do not ask for you by name, unless you object.

Individuals involved in your care or payment for your care

Medical information about you may be released to a family member, friend, personal representative, or other person involved in your care or payment for your care, to the extent relevant to that person’s involvement. Medical information may also be disclosed to an organization assisting in disaster relief efforts so that your family or others responsible for your care can be notified of your location, condition, or death.

Quality reviews and improvement activities

Information in your health record may be used to assess care and outcomes in your case and similar cases in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare and services provided.

Business associates

Some services are provided through contracts with business associates. Examples may include billing support, legal services, auditing, data analysis, accreditation support, patient communication services, technology support, and other operational services. When these services are needed, medical information may be disclosed to business associates so they can perform the work requested, provided they agree to appropriately safeguard the information.

Research

Under certain circumstances, medical information about you may be used and disclosed for research purposes, subject to applicable legal requirements and review processes. In some cases, your authorization may be required.

As required by law

Medical information about you will be disclosed when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

To avert a serious threat to health or safety

Medical information about you may be used and disclosed when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure would be made only to someone able to help prevent or lessen the threat.

Special situations

Organ and tissue donation

If you are an organ donor, medical information may be released to organizations involved in organ procurement, eye or tissue donation, banking, or transplantation, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and veterans

If you are a member of the Armed Forces, medical information may be released as required by military command authorities. Medical information may also be released about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.

Workers’ compensation

Medical information about you may be released for workers’ compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Public health risks

Medical information about you may be disclosed for public health activities. These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify individuals of recalls; notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease; and report to the appropriate government authority if there is a reasonable belief that a patient has been a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence where permitted or required by law.

Health oversight activities

Medical information may be disclosed to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, certification, and accreditation activities.

Lawsuits and disputes

If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, medical information about you may be disclosed in response to a court or administrative order. Medical information may also be disclosed in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process if the legal requirements for that disclosure are satisfied.

Law enforcement

Medical information may be released if requested by a law enforcement official in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons, or similar lawful process. Medical information may also be disclosed for law enforcement purposes in circumstances permitted by law, such as identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; reporting certain crimes; or reporting criminal conduct occurring on the premises.

Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors

Medical information may be released to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or determine cause of death. Medical information may also be released to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

National security and intelligence activities

Medical information about you may be released to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, protective services for the President or others, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Inmates

If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or in the custody of a law enforcement official, medical information may be released to the correctional institution or law enforcement official when necessary for your healthcare, for the health and safety of you or others, or for the safety and security of the correctional institution.

Substance Use Disorder Records

Certain records relating to substance use disorder diagnosis, treatment, or referral for treatment may be protected by federal law and regulations, including 42 CFR Part 2, in addition to HIPAA and other applicable law. If Summit Medical Center maintains or receives records that are subject to 42 CFR Part 2, those records generally will not be used or disclosed unless the patient provides written consent or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law. Records protected by 42 CFR Part 2 that are disclosed with patient consent generally may not be redisclosed in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against the patient unless the patient separately provides specific written consent for that use or disclosure, or the disclosure is expressly permitted by a court order after notice and an opportunity to be heard as required by law. Summit Medical Center may use and disclose Part 2 records for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as permitted by law, including on the basis of a single patient consent for future uses and disclosures when allowed by applicable federal requirements. When Part 2 applies, Summit Medical Center will comply with the additional restrictions and patient protections required by federal law. Patients may request more information about whether a particular program, department, or record is subject to 42 CFR Part 2 by contacting the Privacy Officer using the contact information in this notice.

Ownership disclosure

Summit Medical Center is a physician-owned facility. This means that the hospital has one or more physicians with ownership or a financial interest in this facility. The physician who referred you to Summit Medical Center for a surgical procedure may be one of the physicians that have ownership or financial interest in this facility. This facility maintains a list of all physician owners, which is available upon request. This information is being provided in order to assist you in making an informed decision about your care. You are free to choose another facility in which to receive the services that have been ordered by your physician.

Protection of Health Information

This facility is dedicated to the protection of your personal health information. We follow the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Civil Rights. You can visit their website for more information: www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.

Independent Contractor Notice

The physicians and other specialized medical service providers using this facility, including anesthesia, radiology or pathology, are independent contractors and are not employees or agents of the facility. Since they are independent contractors, the facility is not responsible or liable for their acts or omissions.

Advance Directives

There are several types of advance directives; the two most common forms are living wills and a durable power of attorney designation. Summit Medical Center does not honor previously signed advance directives. All patients are therefore asked to sign a written consent at registration that allows the hospital to initiate resuscitation efforts and a transfer to a higher level of care should they suffer a cardiac or respiratory arrest or other life-threatening situation.

Notice of Visitation Rights

Summit Medical Center encourages and facilitates visitation in a manner that promotes healing, balances the needs of all patients and visitors, and creates a safe and secure environment. In fulfilling this purpose, Summit Medical Center recognizes the right of all patients to choose who may visit them during an outpatient recuperation or overnight hospitalization. Visitors of choice may include spouses, domestic partners (including same-sex domestic partners), family members, friends or other individuals regardless of formal relationship status, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

There are times when clinically necessary or reasonable restrictions on visitation may be required. The following are examples of some of these times, but is not considered an all-inclusive list:

• Any court order limiting or restraining contact.
• Persons in custody of law enforcement.
• A patient’s need for rest or privacy.
• Disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior of any kind exhibited.
• When visitation would interfere with the care of patient or other patients.
• Patient’s risk of infection by visitor.
• Visitor’s risk of infection by patient.
• Extraordinary measures during a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak.

Visitation while the patient is undergoing an intervention or procedure is subject to the clinical judgment of hospital caregivers, wishes of the patient, physical limitations of the patient’s room or recuperation area, or when the intervention or procedure requires maintenance of aseptic technique.

Reasons for visitation restrictions, when required, will be clearly communicated to patients and their support persons by hospital caregivers. Patients or their representatives may file a grievance with hospital administration if they believe their visitation rights have been violated.

Visitor Responsibilities

All visitors must wear an identification badge! Please wear the badge above your waist throughout your visit. Visitors should check in/out with receptionist staff when arriving/leaving the facility. Normal visiting hours are 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. Patient needs are primary factors in deciding whether to allow extended or overnight visitation.

Patients under the age of 18 must have an adult present during the entire time of their hospitalization including overnight stays. Siblings and other visiting children are not allowed to stay overnight. Latex balloons are not allowed at the bedside due to allergy and choking risks. For the safety of all children, please have a non-patient adult supervise children under the age of 12 at all times.

Please help prevent the spread of infection by washing your hands often and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

Cell phone use is permitted in non-patient care areas. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on hospital property (including all parking lots).