Notice of Privacy Practices
Carolina Ear, Nose & Throat – Sinus and Allergy Center • Effective date: 8/19/2026 •
| 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. |
This Notice applies to Carolina Ear Nose & Throat Sinus And Allergy Center PA, doing business as Carolina Ear, Nose & Throat – Sinus and Allergy Center (“Carolina ENT,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), including all of our office locations in Hickory, Lincolnton, Morganton, and Lenoir, North Carolina, and to all of our physicians, providers, and staff.
If you have questions about this Notice, contact our Privacy Officer at (828) 322-2183, by email at privacy@carolinaearnosethroat.com, or by mail at 256 10th Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601.
Your rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
Get a copy of your medical record
- You can ask to see or get a copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this; you may also request records through the patient portal.
- We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, 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. Ask us how to do this.
- We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days, and you have the right to submit a written statement of disagreement that will be kept with your record.
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. We will not ask you the reason for your request.
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 to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
- If you pay for a service or health care item fully out of pocket, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for the purpose of payment or our operations, and we will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share it.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
- You can ask for a list (an “accounting”) of the times we have shared your health information for the six years prior to your request, who we shared it with, and why.
- We will include all disclosures except those about treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as those you asked us to make). We will provide one accounting per year for free but may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests within 12 months.
Get a copy of this Notice
- You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Copies are available at each of our offices and at https://carolinaearnosethroat.com.
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 act.
File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
- You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting our Privacy Officer at (828) 322-2183 or in writing at 256 10th Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601.
- You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201, by calling 1-877-696-6775, or online at 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. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and the 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 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 authorization:
- marketing purposes;
- sale of your information;
Carolina ENT does not use or disclose your health information for marketing, does not sell your health information, and does not use your information for fundraising.
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: we share the results of your sinus CT scan with the surgeon and the surgery center scheduling your procedure, or send a report to the primary care physician who referred you.*
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, review the quality of care our providers deliver, and train staff.*
Appointment reminders and practice communications. We may contact you – by phone, mail, patient portal, email, or text message if you have opted in – to remind you of appointments, deliver pre- and post-visit instructions and forms, notify you about test results being available, and tell you about treatment options or health-related services related to your care. Text messaging is offered only with your consent; see our SMS Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy at https://carolinaearnosethroat.com for details and opt-out instructions.
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, or to obtain prior authorization for a procedure.*
Business associates
We share health information with contractors and vendors (“business associates”) that perform services for us – such as our electronic health record and practice-management system, patient-messaging and check-in platforms, billing and collections services, transcription, and IT support. Business associates must agree in writing to protect your information and may use it only to perform the services we hired them for.
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 have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information, see www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
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; 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 when the research has been approved through a process that protects your privacy, or with your authorization.
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 as permitted by law; 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
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or, in limited circumstances, in response to a subpoena.
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, and we will stop, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on your authorization.
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.
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 each of our offices, and on our website at https://carolinaearnosethroat.com/notice-of-privacy-practices/.
Contact and effective date
| Item | Detail |
| Privacy Officer | Benjamin Ridley, Carolina Ear, Nose & Throat – Sinus and Allergy Center |
| Address | 256 10th Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601 |
| Phone | (828) 322-2183 |
| privacy@carolinaearnosethroat.com | |
| Effective date of this Notice | 8/19/2026(replaces the Notice effective April 14, 2003, last revised July 20, 2013) |