NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: September 1, 2026
Sonoma Acupuncture
5755 Mountain Hawk Dr, Suite 201
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Phone: (707) 921-9651
Email: info@SonomaAcupuncture.com
YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can obtain access to that information, and your rights concerning your health information. Please review it carefully.
Sonoma Acupuncture is required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”) and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.
YOUR RIGHTS
Access Your Health Information
You have the right to inspect and obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information that we maintain about you, subject to limited exceptions permitted by law.
We will provide access, a copy, or a summary within the time required by applicable law. We may charge a reasonable fee when permitted by law.
Request a Correction or Amendment
If you believe health information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to correct or amend it.
We may deny a request when permitted by law, but if we do, we will provide an explanation and information about any additional rights available to you.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location, such as by telephone, email, patient portal, or at an alternate mailing address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Request Restrictions on Use or Disclosure
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are generally not required to agree to every requested restriction.
If you pay for a health care item or service completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that item or service to your health plan for payment or health care operations. We will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Receive an Accounting of Certain Disclosures
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the period allowed by law.
The accounting generally does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosures made directly to you; disclosures you specifically authorized; and certain other disclosures excluded by law.
Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose Someone to Act for You
If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a legal guardian, health care agent, or other authorized personal representative, that person may exercise your privacy rights as permitted by law.
We may require documentation verifying that authority before acting on the person’s request.
File a Privacy Complaint
You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
You may contact Sonoma Acupuncture using the Privacy Contact information listed at the end of this Notice. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
Sonoma Acupuncture will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising your privacy rights.
YOUR CHOICES
For certain health information, you may tell us how you want that information shared.
Family Members, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care
You may tell us whether we may share relevant information with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.
If you are unable to tell us your preference, such as during an emergency or when you are incapacitated, we may disclose limited information when permitted by law and when, in our professional judgment, doing so is in your best interest.
We may also disclose information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety, as permitted by law.
Uses Requiring Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information when authorization is required by law.
Examples generally include:
- most uses of PHI for marketing;
- the sale of PHI; and
- most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if we maintain such notes.
If you give us written authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect disclosures already made in reliance on the authorization.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care.
We may share relevant health information with physicians, therapists, laboratories, pharmacies, other health care professionals, or other providers involved in your treatment when permitted by law.
A separate written authorization is generally not required for disclosures made for treatment purposes unless a more protective federal or California law applies.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to bill for services and obtain payment from health plans, insurance companies, workers’ compensation carriers or claims administrators, and other responsible payers.
Examples include eligibility and benefit verification, claim submission, payment processing, utilization review, authorization, billing review, appeals, and collection of amounts properly owed.
Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose health information as necessary to operate our practice and improve the care and services we provide.
Examples include quality assessment, staff training, credentialing, auditing, compliance activities, business planning, record management, technology services, and other administrative activities.
We may disclose PHI to business associates that perform services on our behalf when permitted by law. Business associates are required to appropriately safeguard the health information they receive.
Appointment Reminders and Care Communications
We may use your health information to contact you regarding appointments, appointment changes, treatment, follow-up care, billing, insurance matters, account information, or other matters related to your health care.
Communications may occur through telephone, voicemail, text message, email, patient portal, mail, or other communication methods that you have authorized or that are otherwise permitted by law.
Workers’ Compensation
We may use and disclose health information concerning a work-related injury or illness as permitted or required by California workers’ compensation law and other applicable laws.
This may include disclosures to employers, insurance carriers, claims administrators, third-party administrators, utilization-review organizations, medical provider networks, attorneys, qualified medical evaluators, independent medical reviewers, government agencies, or others involved in the administration of a workers’ compensation claim when authorized or required by law.
Public Health and Safety
We may use or disclose health information for public health and safety activities authorized or required by law. These may include:
- preventing or controlling disease;
- reporting certain injuries or conditions;
- reporting adverse reactions or product-related concerns;
- reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; and
- preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety.
Health Oversight
We may disclose health information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, disciplinary proceedings, and regulatory oversight.
Required by Law
We will disclose health information when federal, California, or other applicable law requires us to do so.
This may include disclosures to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when necessary to demonstrate our compliance with federal privacy requirements.
Law Enforcement and Government Functions
We may disclose health information for certain law-enforcement purposes, government functions, military or national-security activities, or other purposes when permitted or required by law.
Legal Proceedings
We may disclose health information in connection with judicial or administrative proceedings when permitted or required by law, including in response to certain court orders, administrative orders, subpoenas, discovery requests, or other lawful processes.
Additional protections may apply to certain categories of sensitive health information.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation
When permitted by law, we may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, funeral director, or organ-procurement organization for appropriate purposes.
Research
We may use or disclose health information for research when the requirements of applicable federal and California law have been satisfied.
SPECIALLY PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
California law may provide greater privacy protection than HIPAA for certain categories of health information.
Where California law provides greater protection or imposes stricter requirements than federal law, Sonoma Acupuncture will follow the more protective requirement.
Certain information—including some mental health, communicable-disease, genetic, and substance-use-disorder information—may be subject to additional restrictions on use and disclosure.
Substance Use Disorder Records
To the extent that Sonoma Acupuncture receives or maintains substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional federal confidentiality protections apply.
We will not use or disclose information contained in those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without (1) your written consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena, as required by federal law.
Where 42 CFR Part 2 or another applicable law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, Sonoma Acupuncture will follow the more protective requirement.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Sonoma Acupuncture is required to:
- maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
- follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect;
- provide you with a copy of this Notice upon request; and
- notify affected individuals as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of their protected health information.
We will not use or disclose your health information in a manner not described in this Notice unless you authorize us in writing or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
Sonoma Acupuncture may change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices.
Changes may apply to all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.
The current Notice will be available upon request, at our practice location, and on our website.
PRIVACY QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS
If you have questions about this Notice, wish to exercise one of your privacy rights, or want to make a complaint, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Sonoma Acupuncture
5755 Mountain Hawk Dr, Suite 201
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Phone: (707) 921-9651
Email: info@SonomaAcupuncture.com
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Complaints may also be submitted electronically through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Sonoma Acupuncture will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising any privacy right.