HIPPA Privacy Policy

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES 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.

​

Effective Date: [Current Date, e.g., May 4, 2026]

​

Who Will Follow This Notice

​

This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to Suntree Internal Medicine, LLC (including all locations, such as 6619 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL 32940), its physicians (including Dr. Abe Hardoon, Dr. Scott Hardoon, and other providers), employees, staff, volunteers, and any business associates or affiliated entities that provide services on our behalf. All of these parties follow the terms of this notice.

We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other applicable federal and state laws to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.

​

How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information

​

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:

​

1. Treatment

We may use or disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services. This includes sharing information with other health care providers involved in your care (e.g., specialists, laboratories, pharmacies, or hospitals).

2. Payment

We may use or disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for the services we provide. This may include sharing information with your insurance company, health plan, or other payers.

3. Health Care Operations

We may use or disclose your PHI for our internal operations, such as quality assessment, staff training, accreditation, auditing, and business planning.

4. Other Permitted or Required Uses and Disclosures

We may use or disclose your PHI without authorization in these situations (examples, not exhaustive):

• Required by Law — When required by federal, state, or local law.

• Public Health Activities — To public health authorities for preventing or controlling disease, reporting births/deaths, or other public health purposes.

• Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence — To appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe you are a victim.

• Health Oversight Activities — To government agencies for audits, investigations, or licensing.

• Judicial and Administrative Proceedings — In response to a court order or subpoena.

• Law Enforcement — For law enforcement purposes under specific conditions.

• Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors — To assist them in their duties.

• Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donation — To organ procurement organizations.

• Research — Under certain approved protocols that protect your privacy.

• Threats to Health or Safety — To prevent or lessen a serious threat to you or the public.

• Special Government Functions — For military, national security, or veterans’ affairs purposes.

• Workers’ Compensation — To comply with workers’ compensation laws.

Marketing and Sale of PHI: We will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes or sell your PHI without your written authorization.

Psychotherapy Notes: Special protections apply; most uses require authorization.

Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information

You have the following rights (with some limitations):

• Right to Request Restrictions — You may request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to all requests except for certain payment restrictions when you pay out-of-pocket.

• Right to Confidential Communications — You may request communications in a specific manner or location (e.g., only by phone or at a different address).

• Right to Access and Copy — You may inspect or obtain copies of your PHI (we may charge a reasonable fee for copies).

• Right to Amend — You may request that we amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete.

• Right to an Accounting — You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI (free once per 12 months).

• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice — You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

• Right to Breach Notification — You will be notified of any breach of your unsecured PHI.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this notice at any time. Changes will apply to all PHI we maintain. We will post the revised notice on our website (www.suntreeinternalmedicine.com) and make it available upon request.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Complaints to us will not result in retaliation.

To file a complaint with us or for more information: Contact our Privacy Officer: Suntree Internal Medicine, LLC 6619 N. Wickham Rd. Melbourne, FL 32940 Phone: (321) 259-9500 Email: info@suntreeinternalmedicine.com

To file with HHS: Visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/ or call 1-800-368-1019.

This notice is not a contract and does not create any rights beyond those established by HIPAA and other laws. We will abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.