NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Attune Menopause Care PLLC
1564 N Damen Ave, Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: (872) 253-4891
Fax: (872) 241-0328
Email: office@attunemenopausecare.com
Effective Date: Jan 17, 2026
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.
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ABOUT THIS NOTICE
This Notice of Privacy Practices explains how your medical information may be used and disclosed, as well as your rights regarding your health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable laws.
"Protected health information" (PHI) refers to data about you, including demographic details, which may identify you and pertains to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, condition, and associated healthcare services.
We recognize that your medical information is of a personal nature, and we are dedicated to safeguarding it. The records we maintain regarding the care and services you receive are essential to ensure we deliver the highest quality care while adhering to specific legal requirements.
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HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes:
TREATMENT
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your medical care and treatment. This may include sharing your information with healthcare professionals involved in your care, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, or other healthcare providers who have a role in your treatment.
Example: We may share your treatment plan and prescription information with your pharmacy to coordinate your medication therapy.
PAYMENT
We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for the services we provide to you. This may include sharing your information with insurance companies or other third-party payers to obtain authorization for treatment and to process claims.
Example: We may send your health information to your insurance company to determine coverage for your visit or to submit a claim for payment.
HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
Your health information may be employed as needed to support our daily operations and management. This may include quality assessment activities, staff training, accreditation, budgeting and financial purposes, legal compliance, and participating in government-mandated reporting.
Example: We may review your medical records as part of quality improvement initiatives to ensure we are providing excellent care.
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS AND HEALTH-RELATED COMMUNICATIONS
We may contact you to:
- Remind you of upcoming appointments
- Notify you about test results
- Provide follow-up care instructions
- Inform you about treatment alternatives or other health-related services that may be of interest to you
You may request that we contact you using specific methods (such as through your patient portal only) or at specific locations. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
REQUIRED BY LAW
We may use or disclose your health information when required by federal, state, or local law. Examples include:
- Reporting certain diseases to public health authorities
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to appropriate authorities
- Complying with court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes
- Responding to requests from law enforcement officials
- Cooperating with health oversight agencies for activities such as audits and investigations
WORKER'S COMPENSATION
We may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with worker's compensation laws if your treatment relates to a work-related injury or illness.
PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTING
We may disclose your health information to public health agencies as mandated by law. For example, certain communicable diseases must be reported to the state's public health department in accordance with legal requirements.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
We may use or disclose your health information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public. Any disclosure would only be to someone able to help prevent or reduce the threat.
MILITARY, VETERANS, AND NATIONAL SECURITY
If you are or were a member of the armed forces, we may disclose your health information as required by military command authorities or to the Department of Veterans Affairs. We may also disclose health information for national security purposes, such as protecting the President or conducting intelligence operations.
CORONERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS
We may disclose health information to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors to enable them to carry out their duties, such as identifying deceased persons or determining cause of death.
ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION
If you are an organ donor, we may disclose your health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or transplantation.
RESEARCH
Under certain circumstances, we may use or disclose your health information for research purposes. All research projects must be approved through a special review process that evaluates the research proposal and protocols to ensure patient privacy. In most cases, we will ask for your specific authorization before using your health information for research purposes.
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USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
The following uses and disclosures of your health information will be made only with your written authorization:
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
We do not currently use or disclose your health information for marketing purposes. If we wish to do so in the future, we will obtain your written authorization first.
SALE OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We will not sell your health information without your written authorization.
PSYCHOTHERAPY NOTES
If we maintain psychotherapy notes (detailed notes from mental health counseling sessions kept separate from your medical record), we will not use or disclose these notes without your written authorization, except in limited circumstances permitted by law.
OTHER USES
Any other use or disclosure of your health information not described in this notice will only be made with your written authorization.
RIGHT TO REVOKE AUTHORIZATION
If you provide us with written authorization to use or disclose your health information, you may revoke that authorization at any time by submitting a written revocation. Your revocation will not affect any uses or disclosures we made in reliance on your authorization before we received your revocation.
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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 that may be used to make decisions about your care. This includes medical and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes.
To inspect and copy your health information, you must submit a written request to:
Margaret Ladner, CNM
1564 N Damen Ave, Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60622
Email: office@attunemenopausecare.com
We may charge a reasonable fee for copying and mailing costs. In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request to inspect or copy your health information. If we deny your request, you may request a review of that denial.
RIGHT TO RECEIVE AN ELECTRONIC COPY
If we maintain your health information in an electronic health record, you have the right to request an electronic copy of your records. We will provide your health information in the electronic format you request if it is readily producible. If not, we will work with you to agree on a format.
RIGHT TO REQUEST AMENDMENTS
If you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend your records. Your request must be in writing and must explain why the information should be amended.
We may deny your request if:
- The information was not created by us
- The information is not part of the records we maintain
- The information is accurate and complete
- You would not be permitted to inspect or copy the record in question
If we deny your request, you have the right to submit a statement of disagreement, which will be included in your record.
RIGHT TO AN ACCOUNTING OF DISCLOSURES
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information. This accounting will not include:
- Disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations
- Disclosures made to you or with your authorization
- Disclosures for facility directories or to persons involved in your care
- Disclosures for national security or intelligence purposes
- Disclosures to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials
To request an accounting of disclosures, you must submit a written request specifying the time period (which may not exceed six years). The first accounting you request within a 12-month period will be provided free of charge. For additional requests within that 12-month period, we may charge a reasonable fee.
RIGHT TO REQUEST RESTRICTIONS
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. You may also request limits on disclosures to family members or others involved in your care.
We are not required to agree to your request for a restriction. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide emergency treatment.
SPECIAL RESTRICTION RIGHT: If you pay for a service or healthcare item out-of-pocket in full, you have the right to request that we not disclose information about that service or item to your health insurance plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes. We must agree to this restriction unless disclosure is required by law.
To request restrictions, submit a written request to Margaret Ladner, CNM at the address listed above.
RIGHT TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a specific manner or at a specific location. For example, you may request that we contact you only at work or only through written correspondence.
We will accommodate reasonable requests. To request confidential communications, submit a written request to Margaret Ladner, CNM at the address listed above. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
RIGHT TO A PAPER COPY OF THIS NOTICE
You have the right to request a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you have previously received an electronic copy. To obtain a paper copy, contact us at (872) 253-4891 or office@attunemenopausecare.com.
RIGHT TO BE NOTIFIED OF A BREACH
You have the right to be notified if we discover a breach of your unsecured health information. We will notify you in writing if such a breach occurs and provide information about the breach, what information was involved, and steps you can take to protect yourself.
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OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
We are legally required to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information
- Provide you with this notice of our privacy practices and legal duties
- Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect
- Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
- Notify you if a breach of your unsecured health information occurs
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this notice. If we make changes, the new notice will apply to all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change. We will post the current notice at our facility and on our website at [INSERT WEBSITE]. You may also request a copy of our current notice at any time.
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HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated or if you are not satisfied with our privacy practices, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH US:
Submit your complaint in writing to:
Margaret Ladner, CNM
1564 N Damen Ave, Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: (872) 253-4891
Email: office@attunemenopausecare.com
TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/
YOU WILL NOT BE RETALIATED AGAINST FOR FILING A COMPLAINT. There will be no penalties or changes to your care as a result of filing a complaint.
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QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices or our privacy practices, please contact:
Margaret Ladner, CNM
1564 N Damen Ave, Suite 207
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: (872) 253-4891
Email: office@attunemenopausecare.com
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT
By signing the acknowledgment form, you confirm that you have received a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
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This notice is effective as of Jan 17, 2026 and replaces any previous notices.