Privacy Policy: Personal Health Information
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice describes how health information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can get access to this information, and the additional protections that apply to substance use disorder records. Please review it carefully.
Effective Date: August 24, 2026
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to Emergence and its programs and services. Emergence is required by law to protect the privacy and security of your health information. Some substance use disorder records maintained by Emergence are also protected by the federal confidentiality law known as 42 CFR Part 2. Part 2 provides additional protections for information that identifies a person as having or having had a substance use disorder.
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities.
Get an electronic or paper copy of your health information
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you. Ask us how to do this.
We will provide access to your health information within the time required by applicable law. For records subject to Oregon’s behavioral health confidentiality law, access will generally be provided within a reasonable time not to exceed five working days after your written request.
Ask us to correct your health information
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
We may deny your request in some circumstances, but we will tell you why in writing, generally within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as at a particular phone number, or to send mail to a different address.
We will accommodate 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 health care operations. We are not always required to agree to your request. If we agree to a restriction, we will follow it except when disclosure is necessary to provide emergency treatment or as otherwise permitted by law.
If you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you can ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan for payment or health care operations. We will honor that request unless the law requires us to share the information.
Additional protections apply to substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2. We generally may not use or disclose Part 2 records unless you provide written consent or the use or disclosure is otherwise specifically permitted by law.
Get a list of disclosures
You can ask for an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before your request. The accounting will identify who received the information and why it was disclosed.
The accounting does not include certain disclosures, such as some disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations or disclosures you specifically authorized.
You are entitled to one accounting each year at no charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests within the same 12-month period.
You may also have additional rights to an accounting of disclosures involving electronic Part 2 records as provided by federal law.
Get a copy of this Notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. You may also obtain a copy from our website.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone legal authority to act for you, such as through a health care power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian or otherwise authorized by law, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
We will verify that the person has this authority before taking action.
File a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated
You may file a complaint with Emergence if you believe we have violated your privacy rights. Contact:
Clinical Director
Emergence
78 Centennial Loop, Suite A
Eugene, OR
541-393-0777
info@4emergence.com
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights regarding a violation of HIPAA or 42 CFR Part 2.
Emergence will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions when required by law.
Family, 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 in an emergency, HIPAA may permit us to share information when we believe it is in your best interest or when necessary to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Different rules may apply to information protected by 42 CFR Part 2. Part 2 records generally will not be disclosed to family members, friends, or others unless you consent or another provision of law specifically permits the disclosure.
Marketing, sale of information, and psychotherapy notes
We will obtain your written authorization before:
- Using your health information for most marketing purposes;
- Selling your health information; or
- Using or disclosing psychotherapy notes in most circumstances.
Emergence does not sell your health information.
How We May Use and Share Your Health Information
HIPAA permits us to use and disclose health information for certain purposes without your written authorization. When information is protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional restrictions apply and may require your written consent even when HIPAA would otherwise permit the disclosure.
Treatment
We may use your health information and share it with health care professionals involved in your treatment.
For Part 2 records, we may use or disclose your records for treatment, payment, and health care operations when you have provided consent that permits those uses and disclosures, or when another provision of Part 2 permits the disclosure.
Payment
We may use and share your health information to bill and obtain payment from health plans or other entities responsible for paying for your services.
Part 2 records may be used or disclosed for payment when permitted by your consent or otherwise permitted by Part 2.
Health care operations
We may use and share your health information to operate Emergence, improve the quality of our services, train and supervise staff, conduct quality assessment and improvement activities, and perform other health care operations permitted by law.
Part 2 records may be used or disclosed for health care operations when permitted by your consent or otherwise permitted by Part 2.
Business associates and other service providers
We may share health information with persons or organizations that perform services for Emergence when permitted by law. These persons and organizations are required to appropriately safeguard your information.
Additional requirements apply when these activities involve Part 2 records.
Public health and safety
HIPAA allows health information to be used or disclosed for certain public health and safety activities, such as preventing disease, reporting suspected abuse or neglect, preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety, or complying with certain public health reporting requirements.
Part 2 records will be disclosed for these purposes only when permitted by Part 2 and other applicable law.
Comply with the law
We may disclose health information when federal or state law requires us to do so.
Because behavioral health information may be protected by HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Oregon law, or a combination of these laws, we will apply the confidentiality requirements that govern the information before making a disclosure.
Health oversight activities
We may disclose health information to authorized health oversight agencies for activities permitted by law, such as audits, inspections, investigations, and licensing or regulatory activities.
Part 2 records will be disclosed for oversight activities only as permitted by Part 2.
Research
We may use or disclose health information for research when the requirements of applicable law have been met.
Additional requirements apply to the use or disclosure of Part 2 records for research.
Workers’ compensation and other government programs
We may use or disclose health information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws and certain other government programs.
Part 2 records will be disclosed only when permitted by Part 2.
Medical examiners and funeral directors
We may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when permitted by law.
Part 2 records will be disclosed only as permitted by Part 2.
Lawsuits, legal proceedings, and law enforcement
HIPAA permits certain disclosures of health information in response to court or administrative proceedings, subpoenas, law enforcement requests, and other legal processes.
Substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2 receive additional protection. Part 2 records, or testimony describing information contained in those records, generally may not be used or disclosed in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you unless you provide specific written consent or a court order meeting the requirements of Part 2 is obtained.
A subpoena, warrant, or other legal demand by itself does not necessarily authorize Emergence to disclose Part 2 records.
We will disclose health information for legal or law enforcement purposes only when the requirements of all applicable federal and state confidentiality laws have been satisfied.
Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records
Federal law and regulations protect the confidentiality of certain substance use disorder patient records maintained by Emergence.
Generally, Emergence may not disclose information identifying you as having or having had a substance use disorder, or disclose other Part 2-protected information, unless:
- You provide valid written consent;
- A court order authorizes the disclosure in accordance with Part 2; or
- Another provision of Part 2 specifically permits the use or disclosure.
You may provide consent allowing your Part 2 records to be used or disclosed for treatment, payment, and health care operations as permitted by law. When Part 2 records are disclosed pursuant to a consent for treatment, payment, and health care operations, certain recipients that are HIPAA covered entities or business associates may redisclose the information as permitted by HIPAA, except for uses and disclosures in legal proceedings against you, which remain subject to the special protections of Part 2.
You may revoke your consent in writing, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on it.
Your Part 2 records generally cannot be used to investigate you or initiate or substantiate criminal charges against you, or used in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you, unless you specifically consent in writing or a court order meeting Part 2 requirements authorizes the use or disclosure.
Part 2 does not prevent Emergence from making disclosures that Part 2 specifically permits, including certain disclosures related to medical emergencies, research, audits and evaluations, or reports of crimes committed on program premises or against program personnel.
Other Privacy Protections Under Oregon Law
Oregon law provides additional privacy protections for health and behavioral health information. These protections include Oregon laws governing protected health information and the confidentiality of records maintained by behavioral health providers. Certain mental health, substance use disorder, HIV/AIDS, genetic, and other health information may also be subject to additional protections.
When Oregon or other federal law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, Emergence will follow the law that provides the greater protection.
Our Responsibilities
Emergence is required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information and Part 2 records;
- Follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect;
- Provide you with a copy of this Notice;
- Notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information; and
- Comply with applicable federal and state confidentiality laws.
We will not use or disclose your health information other than as described in this Notice unless you authorize us to do so in writing or the law otherwise permits or requires the use or disclosure.
If you give us written authorization or consent, you may revoke it in writing as permitted by law. Your revocation will not affect actions we already took in reliance on your authorization or consent.
Changes to This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice and make the new Notice apply to all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.
When we make a material change, the new Notice will be available upon request, at our offices, and on our website.
Questions or Complaints
For questions about this Notice, to exercise your privacy rights, or to file a complaint, contact:
Clinical Director
Emergence
78 Centennial Loop, Suite A
Eugene, OR
541-393-0777
info@4emergence.com