Effective date: October 27, 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.
Des Moines Wellness Center (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”), to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. This notice applies to all records of your care that we create or maintain. For how we handle information collected through this website, see our Privacy Policy.
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.
- Get a copy of your medical record. You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. We will provide a copy or a summary, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
- Ask us to correct 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 will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
- Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
- Ask us to limit what we use or share. You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share it.
- Get a list of those with whom we have shared information. You can ask for an accounting of the times we have shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why. We will include all disclosures except those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We will provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another within 12 months.
- Get a copy of this privacy notice. You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
- Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will confirm the person has this authority before we take any action.
- File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated. You can complain to us using the contact information at the bottom of this page. You can also 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 1-800-368-1019, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/ . We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
- Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
- Share information in a disaster relief situation.
If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
- Marketing purposes.
- Sale of your information.
- Most sharing of psychotherapy notes.
We do not use your health information for fundraising. If that ever changes, we will tell you and you will be able to opt out.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Records
Because we provide substance use disorder treatment, records that identify you as seeking or receiving such treatment are also protected by the federal confidentiality regulations at 42 C.F.R. Part 2. In general, we may not tell anyone outside our program that you attend the program, or disclose any information identifying you as having a substance use disorder, unless you consent in writing, the disclosure is allowed by a court order, or the disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency, to qualified personnel for research, audit, or program evaluation, or as otherwise permitted by Part 2. Violation of these federal regulations is a crime, and suspected violations may be reported to the appropriate authorities. Federal law and regulations do not protect any information about a crime committed by a patient at the program or against any person who works for the program, or about any threat to commit such a crime, and do not protect information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported under state law.
Our Uses and Disclosures
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.
- Treat you. We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: a physician treating you for a medical condition asks our clinical team about your medications.
- Run our organization. We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: we use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.
- Bill for your services. We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: we give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.
We are also 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 have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. Where 42 C.F.R. Part 2 applies, we will only make these disclosures as that regulation permits.
- Help with public health and safety issues. Preventing disease, helping with product recalls, reporting adverse reactions to medications, reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
- Do research. We can use or share your information for health research, subject to the conditions required by law.
- 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 are complying with federal privacy law.
- Respond to organ and tissue donation requests and work with a medical examiner or funeral director when required.
- Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests. For workers’ compensation claims, for law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official, with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, and for special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.
- Respond to lawsuits and legal actions. In response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena, as permitted by law.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your 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 here 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.
For more information, see www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/notice-privacy-practices .
State Law
Iowa law may give you additional protections for your medical information and may further restrict how we use or disclose information about mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Where state law is stricter than federal law, we follow the stricter requirement.
Changes to the Terms of This Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, at our facility, and on our website.
Contact Our Privacy Officer
To exercise any of the rights above, to ask questions about this notice, or to file a complaint, contact our Privacy Officer:
Des Moines Wellness Center
Attn: Privacy Officer
5820 Winwood Dr, Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: 888-378-2158
Email: info@desmoinesrecovery.com