Notice of Privacy Practices

How Kinder may use and disclose medical information and how patients can exercise privacy rights.

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Who follows this notice

This notice describes the privacy practices of KPUC LLC d/b/a Kinder Pediatric Urgent Care (“Kinder,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) at its Union, Metuchen, Piscataway, Totowa, and Jersey City locations. It applies to our workforce and to health care professionals who provide care through KPUC. Contractors and business associates, including Urgent Care Management Partners, LLC, must safeguard protected health information under HIPAA and their written agreements with KPUC.

Children and personal representatives

In most circumstances, a parent or legal guardian exercises the privacy rights of a minor patient. New Jersey and federal law allow some minors to consent to particular services and to control the related information. We verify the authority of a person asking to act for a patient and follow applicable confidentiality law and valid court orders or custody restrictions provided to us.

Our responsibilities

We maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
We provide this notice, follow the notice currently in effect, and notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information.
We do not use or share information other than as described here unless you authorize us in writing. You may revoke an authorization in writing, except to the extent we already relied on it.

How we typically use or share information

Treatment

We may use and share information to provide, coordinate, or manage care, including with a primary care clinician, specialist, outside laboratory, radiologist, pharmacy, emergency department, or another treating provider.

Payment

We may use and share information to bill and obtain payment from health plans and other responsible payers.

Health care operations

We may use and share information to operate the practice, improve quality, train staff, review professional performance, conduct compliance activities, manage technology and billing, and contact you about care. We may call a patient’s name in a waiting area or use a sign-in process with limited information.

Other permitted or required uses and disclosures

Public health and safety activities, including disease reporting, recalls, adverse-event reporting, suspected abuse or neglect, and preventing a serious threat.
Health oversight, licensing, audits, inspections, and investigations.
Research that satisfies applicable legal requirements.
Organ and tissue donation; medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors.
Workers’ compensation, qualifying law-enforcement requests, and special government functions.
Court or administrative orders, subpoenas, and other lawful process, subject to safeguards and more protective laws.
Other disclosures required by law, including disclosures to HHS to verify HIPAA compliance.

Uses requiring written authorization

Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if maintained.
Uses and disclosures for marketing when HIPAA requires authorization.
A sale of protected health information.
Other uses or disclosures not described in this notice.

Kinder does not sell patient information. We do not use clinical photographs for advertising, publication, or external teaching without separate written authorization.

Substance use disorder records

Kinder is not a substance use disorder treatment program subject to 42 CFR Part 2. To the extent we receive Part 2-protected records, we will not use or disclose them, or testimony describing them, in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigation or proceeding against the patient without the patient’s specific written consent or a qualifying court order accompanied by a subpoena or similar legal mandate.

Records with additional legal protection

Federal or New Jersey law may give additional protection to HIV/AIDS, genetic, mental-health, substance-use-disorder, reproductive-health, and minor self-consent records. We follow the law that provides greater protection.

Your rights

Inspect or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your record. We generally act within 30 days, subject to lawful extensions or different legal periods.
Request a correction. We generally respond in writing within 60 days, subject to lawful extensions.
Request reasonable confidential communications at a different address or number.
Request restrictions. We must honor a qualifying request not to disclose fully self-paid services to a health plan unless law requires disclosure.
Receive an accounting of certain disclosures during the preceding six years.
Receive a paper copy of this notice at any time.
Have a legally authorized personal representative exercise your rights after we verify authority.

Your choices

You may tell us whether to share information with family, close friends, or others involved in care or payment, and whether to share information in a disaster-relief situation. If you cannot tell us your preference, we may share information when we believe it is in your best interest or to lessen a serious and imminent threat.

Complaints and questions

You may complain without retaliation. Contact the Privacy Officer at KPUC LLC d/b/a Kinder Pediatric Urgent Care, 65 Route 1 South, Metuchen, NJ 08840; telephone 732-917-4454; or email info@kinderpeds.com. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints or 1-877-696-6775.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice and make revised terms effective for all information we maintain. The current notice is available on this website, on request, and at each Kinder location.