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Patient Privacy Information

Johns Hopkins is committed to protecting your health information. Our Notice of Privacy Practices [link should jump down to “Notice of Privacy Practices”] explain how all members of the Johns Hopkins organizations will safeguard your privacy.

HIPAA and What it Means to You

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which became a law in 1996. All Johns Hopkins health care providers and health insurance plans must comply with HIPAA.

HIPAA is complex and has many components. Two major areas addressed include:

Privacy. It provides rules regarding how your health information may be used and disclosed.
Security. It requires specific security measures to protect health information that is sent or stored electronically.

Your Rights Under HIPAA

Some of the rights you have under HIPAA include the right to:

Receive a copy of the Johns Hopkins Notice of Privacy Practices
Review and get a copy of your health and billing information
Ask that your health and billing information be amended (changed)
Ask for restrictions on the use of your health and billing information
Ask for confidential communications
Find out, in some circumstances, who outside of Johns Hopkins has been given your health information within the last 6 years
File a complaint with Johns Hopkins or with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you feel your privacy has been violated

Exercising your privacy rights

If you would like to obtain information on how to request to inspect and/or receive a copy of your health information; request a restriction on the use or disclosure of your health information; request confidential communications; request a disclosure of your health information; or for other questions, please contact the medical records department (sometimes referred to as health information services or something similar) at your Johns Hopkins health care provider or the plan administrator at your Johns Hopkins health plan.

Some of those key numbers include:

For providers

for Johns Hopkins Hospital: 410-955-5226
for Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center: 410-550-0688
for Howard County General Hospital: 410-740-7953
for Johns Hopkins Community Physicians: 410-338-3480
for Johns Hopkins Home Care Group: 410-288-8174
for Suburban Hospital: 301-896-37777
for Sibley Memorial Hospital: 202-537-4088
for Signature Ob/Gyn: 410-884-8131

For Health Plans

for Johns Hopkins HealthCare/Employee Health Programs: 410-424-4450
for Uniformed Services Family Health Plan at Johns Hopkins: 410-424-4528
for Priority Partners Managed Care Organization: 410-424-4500

If you would like to request an amendment to your health information; request an accounting of disclosures of your health information; or raise a privacy complaint, please contact the Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer as specified below.

What do you do if you have any questions or would like further information?

Please contact:
Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer
5801 Smith Avenue
McAuley Hall, Suite 310
Baltimore, MD 21209
Phone: 410-735-6509
Fax 410-735-6521
Email: hipaa@jhmi.ed

Notice of Privacy Practices

Below is the Notice of Privacy Practices for Johns Hopkins Health Care Providers and for various Johns Hopkins Health Plans: (Note: You will need Acrobat Reader to view some of these files.)