Your privacy on is of the utmost importance to us. Because we gather certain types of information about our visitors, we feel you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the use of that information. This statement discloses what information we gather, and how we use it. We offer the same privacy measures which we ourselves would desire, and given the sensitive nature of our clinics, we understand that patients would not want their privacy jeopardized. So, we do not share, sell, trade, rent, discuss, transmit, or show your personal information to anyone excepting yourself and the attending physician who will be at your appointment, simple as that.

What information do we collect? When we mail you forms, we need to know where to send them. When you use your credit card to pay, we need to know your name, mailing address, credit card number, and expiration date. Of course, we also need to figure out exactly when your appointment will be. These are the only reasons we use your personal information. It is possible, if you download the forms off the site and you pay your deposit by cash, that the only information we would have would be a name or nickname, an appointment time and contact phone number or email; only the doctor would know who you are. Once your appointment is over, we do not access your information again. We consider the following to be personal information: your name, address, phone number, credit card information, any medical information, appointment time and data about the pages you visited on our site.
This information is treated confidentially within our organization as well, and we use a variety of security measures to maintain that confidentiality. All electronic user information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible to COHAS board members who have special access rights to systems. We try to store as little patient information as possible, but when we do, all information is encrypted in a secure database which is also located behind secured networks. All sensitive/credit information supplied by users over the internet is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted in databases. In layman's terms, your information is more secure than most banks.

COHAS will in special circumstances, hold medical records for patients. In most cases we will refuse to accept a patient's medial records, so please call before having records sent to us. Any unknown records will be shredded if they arrive by fax and we will return them to the sender unopened if they arrive by mail. Medical records will only be released to the patient themselves or to the attending physician at the clinic. COHAS stores these records in locked security boxes held in a secure area. COHAS will not, under any circumstances open sealed envelopes that are believed to contain a patent's medical records.


The preceding paragraph is to be understood as our best practices, however please note that for the legal protection of both parties, each has rights as shown on the Authorization to Release Medical Information form. To wit: "If we are requesting this Authorization from you for our own use and disclosure or to allow another health care provider or health plan to disclose information to us:

1. We cannot condition our provision or services or treatment to you on the receipt of this signed authorization;
   
2. You may inspect a copy of the protected health information to be used or disclosed;
   
3. You may refuse to sign this Authorization; and
   
4. We must provide you with a copy of the signed authorization.