Notice of Privacy Practices

As a client of The Natural BirthHouse you have the following rights regarding your health information:

Right to Access: You have the right to access and obtain a copy of your health records, subject to certain limitations and fees as allowed by law.

Right to Amend: If you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request an amendment. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, but you have the right to submit a written statement of disagreement.

Right to Restrict Use and Disclosure: You have the right to request restrictions on how your health information is used and disclosed. However, we are not required to agree to your request if it interferes with providing you with appropriate care or if it would impact the safety or privacy of others.

Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request alternative methods of communication or to receive communications in a confidential manner. We will accommodate reasonable requests whenever possible.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made by us, except for disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or as authorized by you.

Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or, if unsatisfied, you may file a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authorities such as the Louisiana Department of Health

Our Commitment to Privacy
The Natural BirthHouse understands the importance of protecting your health information and maintaining your privacy. We have implemented strict security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your health information. These measures include:

Physical Safeguards: We maintain secure facilities and restrict access to authorized personnel only. We have security systems in place to protect against unauthorized access, theft, or damage to your health records.

Technical Safeguards: We utilize industry-standard security measures, such as firewalls, encryption, and password protection, to safeguard your electronic health information.

Administrative Safeguards: We have policies and procedures in place to train our staff on privacy and security practices yearly. Our employees are required to adhere to strict confidentiality agreements, and access to your health information is limited to those who have a legitimate need for it in providing your care.

Business Associates: We may disclose your health information to third-party vendors and contractors who perform services on our behalf, such as billing companies, IT support, our Medical Director, State Agencies who may require chart review such as Louisiana Department of Health, Commission of Accreditation of Birthing Centers, Louisiana State Board of Medical
Examiners, etc…These entities are also bound by strict confidentiality agreements and are also
required to safeguard your information.

Breach Notification: In the event of a breach of your health information that poses a significant risk of harm, we will notify you in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Research: We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health
information for research purposes except in limited circumstances permitted by law.

Marketing & Community Sharing| Right to RESPECTED PRIVACY:

We highly value your privacy and understand that you may have valid concerns about the
sharing of your personal and/or health information, especially in the context of public exposure
on social media or other online platforms. Our utmost commitment is to honor your privacy preferences and prevent any unauthorized disclosure or public exposure without your explicit consent, whether verbal or in writing. While we take measures to protect your information, it’s important to note that we cannot guarantee absolute assurance when information is shared by non-staff members, such as chance encounters with acquaintances or relatives at our birth center or insinuations if you publicly like, tag, comment or post on our social media platforms. We cannot be held responsible for the reuse, unauthorized disclosures, or exposures of your content or information that may occur outside the realm of our non-staff members, privacy policies and/or HIPAA compliance.

We want to assure you that obtaining your consent is essential before using or disclosing your
information for marketing purposes. It is only with your permission that The Natural BirthHouse and/or CajunStork, LLC may utilize photos, birth announcements, birth stories, testimonials, and similar content in electronic or printed form for advertising or educational purposes. It’s important to note that consenting to the public posting of this information is entirely optional, and your decision will not impact the quality of care you receive. You also retain the right to revoke your consent at any time in writing. Our usual platforms for sharing such content include Instagram, Facebook, Blog, and/or YouTube.

Continued Notice of Online Presence/Social Media:

If you choose to post and/or tag us in photographs, social media postings, or other publicly accessible platforms, please be aware that we reserve the right to consider this information as
public knowledge. While we make every effort to protect your privacy, we encourage you to
exercise caution and carefully consider your own privacy settings when sharing personal or sensitive information online. Consequently, we may reshare the posted content for marketing purposes when the “share” option is allowed. (For example, if you take a picture in front of our birth center and tag its location or use recognized hashtags like #geauxnatural, we may use these materials to promote our services). By sharing such content with privacy settings that allow for sharing or reposting, you grant us permission to use it in alignment with our marketing efforts at any time present or future until revoked in writing.

When using and/or resharing/reposting your content for marking & community sharing we do
want to be transparent about the potential monetary value that your posts, photos, and other
publicly shared content may hold for our business. Please understand that any content you post,
share, or consent to, including photos, birth announcements, birth stories, testimonials, and
more, may contribute to increased monetary benefits for our business. If you desire to receive
monetary compensation or decide to make any financial claims for the use of your content, you
must first notify us in writing via certified mail and include the exact content and its posted
location(s) that may warrant compensation separately and independently, giving us the
opportunity to opt out and remove your content(s) from our platform(s) within 3 business days
without any financial compensation to you, past, present, or future. By posting, sharing, and
consenting to the use of your content, you indicate your agreement to this arrangement,
acknowledging that prior to written notification via certified mail, all funds, monetary benefits,
and payments allocated for the use of your content shall belong to the business. We cannot and
shall not be held responsible for the reuse, unauthorized disclosures, or exposures of your
content or information that may occur outside the realm of our non-staff members.

If you find any part of this above arrangement unacceptable or at any time wish to have any of
your content removed immediately without regard to financial compensation claims, please
notify us in writing via email at naturalbirthhouse@gmail.com.We value your preferences and
will promptly address your concerns.

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy practices or wish to exercise your rights
regarding your health information, please contact our Birth Center Director at 337-412-4373 or
naturalbirthhouse@gmail.com

Changes to this Notice: We reserve the right to modify or update this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised notice in our facility and on our website. We encourage you to review this notice periodically to stay informed about how we protect your health information.