This web site is provided for information and education purposes only. No doctor/patient relationship is established by your use of this site. No diagnosis or treatment is being provided. The information contained here should be used in consultation with a dentist of your choice. No guarantees or warranties are made regarding any of the information contained within the web site. This web site is not intended to offer specific medical or dental advice to anyone. Dr. Evangeline Shitabata is licensed to practice in the state of California and this web site is not intended to solicit patients from other states. Further, this web site and Dr. Evangeline Shitabata take no responsibility for web sites hyper-linked to this site and such hyper-linking does not imply any relationships or endorsements.
Copyright: Information and names within this web site may be subject to copyright and trademark protection with all rights reserved. Duplication or use without the expressed written permission by Evangeline Shitabata, DMD, MS, subjects the violator to both civil and criminal penalties.
These Health Information Privacy Policies & Procedures implement our obligations to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information that we create, receive, or maintain as a healthcare provider.
We implement these Health Information Privacy Policies and Procedures as a matter of sound business practice; to protect the interests of our patients; and to fulfill our legal obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), its implementing regulations at 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164 (65 Fed. Reg 82462 (Dec. 28, 2000)) ("Privacy Rules"), as amended (67 Fed. Reg. 53182 [Aug. 14, 2002]), and state law that provides greater protection or rights to patients than the Privacy Rules.
As a member of our workforce or as our Business Associate, you are obligated to follow these Health Information Privacy Policies & Procedures faithfully. Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including termination of your employment or affiliation with us.
These Policies & Procedures address the basics of HIPAA and the Privacy Rules that apply in our dental practice. They do not attempt to cover everything in the Privacy Rules. The Policies & Procedures sometimes refer to forms we use to help implement the policies and to the Privacy Rules themselves when added detail may be needed.
Please note that while the Privacy Rules speak in terms of "individual" rights and actions, these Policies & Procedures use the more familiar word "patient" instead; "patient" should be read broadly to include prospective patients, patients of record, former patients, their authorized representatives, and any other "individuals" contemplated in the Privacy Rules.
If you have questions or doubts about any use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information or about your other obligations under these Health Information Privacy Policies & Procedures, the Privacy Rules or other federal or state law, please contact our office. This policy was adopted effective 1/1/2002.