HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: January 1, 2025  |  Last Updated: July 2026

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Texas Diabetes & Wellness Clinic, operated by Dr. Zehra Jaffer, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CDCES (referred to as "the Clinic," "we," "us," or "our"), is committed to protecting your health information. We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Texas Medical Privacy Act to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.

We are required to abide by the terms of this notice currently in effect. We may change the terms of our notice at any time, and the new notice will be effective for all PHI we maintain. The current version will always be posted on our website.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose health information. Not every use or disclosure will be listed.

Treatment

We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your medical care. For example, we may share information with other physicians or healthcare providers involved in your treatment, order laboratory tests, or refer you to a specialist.

Payment

We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for the services we provide to you. For example, we may submit a claim to your insurance company that includes information about your diagnosis and treatment.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose your health information for the normal business activities of our Clinic. For example, we may use your information to evaluate the quality of care you received, conduct training programs, or perform administrative functions.

Appointment Reminders & Health Communications

We may use your contact information — including phone number and email address — to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, health tips, and clinical communications. If you have provided your phone number, we may contact you via phone call, voicemail, email, or text message (SMS) for these purposes. You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP.

Required by Law

We will disclose health information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

Public Health Activities

We may disclose health information for public health activities such as reporting communicable diseases, reporting adverse events related to medications or products, or notifying individuals who may have been exposed to a disease.

Reporting Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence

We may disclose health information to government authorities authorized by law to receive reports of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose health information to health oversight agencies (such as the Texas Medical Board or CMS) for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings

We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.

Law Enforcement

We may release health information for law enforcement purposes as required or permitted by law, such as to identify or locate a suspect or to report certain crimes.

Workers' Compensation

We may release health information for workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Serious Threats to Health or Safety

We may use or disclose health information when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you, another person, or the public.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights regarding your health information:

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information, including your medical records. To request access, submit a written request to our office. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Right to Amend

If you believe that information in your health record is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend it. Submit a written amendment request with your reason for the change. We may deny the request under certain circumstances, and we will explain the reason in writing.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of disclosures we have made of your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and certain other permitted disclosures. The accounting will cover the six years prior to your request.

Right to Request Restrictions

You may request that we restrict how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to every requested restriction, but we will honor your request if the disclosure is to a health plan for purposes of payment or operations and the information relates only to a service you paid for out of pocket in full.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only by email or only at a specific phone number. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to Receive a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Contact our office to request a copy.

Right to Opt Out of Text Messages

If you have consented to receive text messages (SMS) from us, you may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any text message we send. You may also contact us directly to update your communication preferences.

Our Duties

• 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 by letting us know in writing.

How to File a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with us, contact:

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization

For uses and disclosures not described in this notice, we will ask for your written authorization. Most uses of psychotherapy notes, uses for marketing purposes, and the sale of your health information require your authorization. You may revoke any authorization you give us in writing at any time.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice and the new notice will be effective for all PHI we maintain at that time. The current notice will be posted on our website and is available at the front desk of our clinic.

This notice is effective as of January 1, 2025. For questions about this notice or your health information rights, contact us at (713) 581-4237 or zehra@doctorjaffer.com.