CERTIFICATE OF PRIVACY ASSURANCE TO PATIENTS The protection of your health information is a high priority in our office.  The confidence and trutst you have placed with us is appreciated and honored. Under the new federal rules passed in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), your personal and health care information could be obtained by many third parties (especially government agencies) without your consent.  The new rules for HIPPA entity offices only require notification or a log that your records have been sent. Any health care provider (physician, doctor) who engages in any electronic transactions with others is considered under the law to be a HIPPA entity.  The initial objective of the law was to stop and prevent the abuses that took place when patient health information entered the electronic world.  However, under this new HIPP law, thousands of workers and many government agencies could have virtually unrestricted access to your health care records!  It is not possible to protect patient information once records have entered computer networks, no matter how many rules are in force to protect you. Our office will enure that your records will NOT be disclosed nor released to anyone without your written consent (unless specifically required by law). We will continue to honor your trust in us and to protect your health information.  As a HIPPA- compliant office we can and will maintain the highest standards of excellence in privacy matters.