Practices
We value you as a patient in our facilities. We respect your rights but also ask that you recognize your responsibilities. Should you at any time feel that your rights as a patient have not been upheld, or if you have any other complaints, please contact the department chairperson at 605-658-5959.
Patient Rights
As a patient of the Department of Dental Hygiene, you have the right to:
- Safe, considerate, high-quality care, given in a professional, non-discriminatory and respectful manner that meets the standard of care in the profession
Complete and current information about your condition, as well as the treatment, proposed, including advantages and disadvantages, associated risks, alternatives, costs and outcomes
- Information is presented in a manner that you can understand with the opportunity to ask questions
- Continuity and completion of your treatment, as long as your cooperation allows us to follow ethical, legal and professional standards
- Access to and/or copies of your records in a reasonable timeframe
- Confidential treatment of your information
Patient Expectations
As a patient of the Department of Dental Hygiene, you are expected to:
- Provide accurate and current information regarding your personal and health status, including, but not limited to, changes since your last visit, medication (both prescription and over-the-counter) and nutritional supplements you are currently taking
- Follow the suggestions and recommendations that you and your provider agreed upon regarding your treatment
- Inform students and faculty if you do not understand the information presented to you
- Follow the university and department rules and regulations
- Keep your scheduled appointments and arrive on time or call us in advance if you are not able to keep an appointment
- Pay for services
- Act in a manner that is respectful of other patients, staff, students, faculty and facility property
- Refrain from contacting any students, faculty or staff member in any manner other than through the department office.
Failure to meet these expectations may result in termination of the professional relationship between you and our department, which may require you to seek treatment elsewhere.
Privacy Practices
Your Rights and Your Choices
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
- Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
- Ask us to correct your medical record
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this. We may say no to your request, but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
- Request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will say yes to all reasonable requests.
- Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say no if it would affect your care.
If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say yes unless a law requires us to share that information.
- Get a list of those with whom we've shared information
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we've shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with and why. We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We'll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
- Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
- Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
- File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting:
Erik Mutterer, Chairperson
414 E Clark, 120 East Hall
Vermillion, SD 57069
605-658-5964
Erik.J.Mutterer@usd.edu
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
Learn More
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office and on our website.