Upstate Caring Partners Privacy Policy

1. NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Effective Date: February 16, 2026

This Notice describes how medical, behavioral health, educational, and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) information may be used and disclosed, and how you may access this information. Please review carefully.

OUR LEGAL DUTIES
We must maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) records, provide this Notice, follow HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and notify you of breaches involving unsecured PHI or SUD 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 in this notice unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

USES AND DISCLOSURES
We may use or disclose PHI for treatment, payment, and health care operations as permitted under HIPAA. We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Additional protections apply to SUD records, which may not be disclosed without written consent, a court order, or an applicable regulatory exception.

HOW ELSE CAN WE USE OR SHARE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. In all cases, including those listed below, if we have substance use disorder patient records about you, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we cannot use or share information in those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without (1) your consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.
Help with public health and safety issues:
• We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research
• We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law
• We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
• We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
• We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We can use or share health information about you:
• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
• We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

YOUR CHOICES
Your Choices You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
• Tell family and friends about your condition
• Provide disaster relief Include you in a hospital directory
• Provide mental health care
• Market our services and sell your information
• Raise funds

STATE REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
As an organization regulated by NYSED, the Justice Center, and OMH/Office of Mental Hygiene, we may disclose information for audits, investigations, compliance monitoring, and safety requirements.

YOUR RIGHTS
You have rights to receive this Notice, request restrictions, request confidential communications, inspect and copy records, request corrections, and receive an accounting of disclosures. You have right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record. You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

COMPLAINTS
You may file complaints with our Privacy Officer. Upstate Caring Partners Privacy Officer is Constantine Gleboff and he can be reached at (315)927-2050 or stan.gleboff@upstatecp.org., also you could mail your complaint to Privacy Officer at 125 Business Park Drive, Utica, NY 13502.
Additionally, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.