Privacy practices

You can trust Montage Health and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula to keep your personal information private and secure.

HIPAA policies

As a patient of Montage Health, you have a right to privacy. The federal government’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires protection of the privacy and security of your medical information.

HIPAA requires us to give you our Notice of Privacy Practices when you register for any service from Montage Health. You'll also be asked to sign a form indicating that you received the material. You aren't required to read or sign any of it, but we're required to give it to you.

After you receive the notice of privacy practices, you can ask a member of your care team to help you understand how your medical information may be used or shared.

Privacy practices and summaries

Download notices that provide information about how different Montage Health organizations may use or disclose your medical information.

Your privacy rights

As a patient, you have the right to:

• Ask for confidential communication. Let us know if you prefer us to call or text a certain number, not leave voicemail messages, or not communicate with you by text
• File a complaint if you believe there has been a violation of your rights
• Receive a copy of our privacy practices
• Request Montage Health limit what we share and who we share it with

Your medical records

Montage Health complies with state and federal policy laws that are in place to protect your medical information. As a patient, you have the right to:

• Access your medical records
• Get a list of the times we’ve shared your health information
• Request a correction to your medical record
• Request we release or receive medical records to or from another healthcare facility

Montage Health care providers are required by law to keep your medical record confidential. Only members of your healthcare team who need the information to perform their duties and people you have specifically granted permission to may access your medical record. If you want your care team to share information with your family, you may need to sign a form.

For more information, call the Health Information Management department at (831) 625-4577.

What we can share when you’re at the hospital

If you stay at Community Hospital overnight for care or get treatment in our Emergency department, tell us whether you want the hospital to acknowledge that you’re here or not. If you say yes, you can receive phone calls in your room and visitors can be directed to your location. If you say no, we will not give that information to callers or visitors. We will only use it in providing your care and other hospital operations, in billing, and as required by law.

Your friends and family members may have trouble getting detailed information about you when you're a patient. Even if you said it is okay for us to tell people you're here, the only information we’re allowed to give is:

• Your room location
• One-word description of your condition (good, fair, serious, or critical)

However, you may:

• Share information directly with anyone you wish
• Choose someone who will be the hospital staff's primary contact. With your authorization, we will be able to give the details of your care to this person. We encourage you to ask your loved ones to call that person for updates

We appreciate your understanding as we comply with these laws, and we hope you will let us know how we're doing. If you ever feel that our privacy safeguards have failed, contact our Compliance department at (831) 625-4582.

News media policies

Upon admission to Community Hospital, you can grant or deny permission to release information, such as your name and a one-word description of your condition, to the media. If you choose not to have information released, a hospital representative will help you understand the impact of that decision on family and friends. We will do our utmost to protect your privacy.

The hospital's ability to protect your privacy and that of all our patients depends on you immediately notifying the Communication and Marketing department if you have been in contact with the media (a reporter, photographer, or TV crew). Photographers and TV cameras are not allowed on hospital property without clearance from the Communication and Marketing department, which can be reached at (831) 625-4505.

If you’re a member of the media, read our additional guidelines.

SMS mobile messaging policies

Montage Health uses short message service (“SMS”) mobile messaging (i.e., text messages) to notify patients about its services. Learn more.

Website policies

Check out our website privacy policy to learn how we use the information you provide when visiting our website.