Our Philosophy

Mission Statement

The mission of Ezras Choilim is to deliver patient centered care in a manner that is linguistically and culturally sensitive and tailored to the needs of the entire community we have the privilege of serving.

At Ezras Choilim, our focus is on compassion, integrity and accountability. We provide every patient with the highest quality of care possible and emphasize a relationship-based approach that caters to the whole person. Our dedicated and compassionate team of professionals comes from culturally-diverse backgrounds and we share the common vision of providing our outpatient population with the best primary and preventative health care available.

Ezras Choilim services all those who might not otherwise have access to affordable medical care. We accept most commercial forms of insurance, Medicare and Medicaid and operate on a sliding fee scale. Most importantly, no one is ever turned away due lack of insurance or an inability to pay.

Our Vision

At Ezras Choilim, we view each patient holistically and truly care about the overall patient experience. We embrace a value driven approach to health care that is high-quality, comprehensive, and supported with best in class technology and people. Our philosophy is that partnering with patients and their families requires a thorough understanding and respect of each patient’s unique needs, culture, values and treatment preferences.

As part of our comprehensive approach, we coordinate care across all elements of the broader healthcare system, including access to additional specialty care, hospitals, home health care, and other community services. We collaborate with leading medical facilities and providers throughout Orange and Rockland Counties and beyond including Orange Regional Hospital, Nyack Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center. In addition, we partner with Orange County’s Department of Health in order to facilitate population health management and improvement. Plans are also under way to join a regional health information exchange that will connect us to NYS Shin-NY Platform.

Our History

Ezras Choilim Health Center is a community-based health center providing primary and specialty care, helping our patients prevent disease and maintain good health. Since 1998, we’ve been providing affordable, accessible, comprehensive medical services to thousands of otherwise underserved patients.

Core Values

1. We care for our community

• Patients consistently get what they need when they need it- we put patients first.
• Our community has access to skilled care that is integrated across the organization.
• We provide compassionate care: We actively listen and comfort without judgment.

2. We care for ourselves and each other

• We are continually learning, growing, and developing as people and professionals.
• We seek to find joy in what we do and who we do it with.
• We show appreciation for others’ contributions- we say thank you.
• We value every team member and their contribution- we respect and support one another.
• We appreciate the commitment and service of our colleagues, those who are new and those who have supported the organization for a long time.

3. We are active community partners

• We will provide ongoing education throughout the community that is accurate, current, accessible, and that they appreciate.
• We will work with other community groups to empower and educate our community.
• We are always looking to deepen our relationship with the community through honest two-way communication.
• We honor and respect the norms of our community.

4. We value the importance of communication.

• Our communicationwith staff and the community will be aligned with our goals and values by being timely, accurate, consistent, respectful, culturally sensitive, and friendly.
• We ensure that our colleagues are includedin community communications so they can continue to provide the best care possible.
• Our communications with one another will exemplify our values.

“This Health Center receives HHS funding and has Federal PHS deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.”

A. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY

Ezras Choilim Health Center is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (PHI).  In conducting our business, we will create records regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you.  We are required by law (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA) to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies you.  We also are required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain in our health center concerning your PHI.  By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of the notice of privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.

We realize that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:

• • • • Your privacy rights concerning your PHI
      • How we may use and disclose your PHI
      • Our obligation concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your PHI that are created or retained by Ezras Choilim Health Center.  We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices.  Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our health center has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records that we may create or maintain in the future.  Ezras Choilim Health Center will post a copy of our current notice in our offices in a visible location at all times, and you may request a copy of our most current Notice at any time.

B. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NOTICE, PLEASE CONTACT:

Dr. David B. Pinkus, Privacy Officer    49 Forest Rd Monroe, NY 10950    Phone:  (845) 782-3242

C. Uses and Disclosures of Health Information

For Treatment:  We may use your PHI to provide you with medical treatment or services.  We may disclose your PHI to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other personnel who are involved in taking care of you now or in the future.  We also may disclose your PHI to people outside of the health center who may be involved in your medical care. 

We may also use your PHI to call you, or send you a letter to remind you about an appointment, to follow up with diagnostic tests results, or to provide you with information about other treatment and care that could benefit your health

For payment:  We may use and disclose your PHI so that the treatment and services you receive at the health center may be billed and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party.

For healthcare operations:  Our health center may use and disclose your PHI to operate our business.  As examples of the ways in which we may use and disclose your PHI for our operations, our health center may use your PHI to evaluate the quality of care you received from us, or to conduct cost-management and business planning activities for our health center. 

D. Other Disclosures

Business Associates:  We will share your PHI with our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the PHI is necessary for such functions or services.  Whenever any arrangement between our health center and a business associate involves the use of disclosure of your PHI, we will have a written contract with the business associate that contains terms that will protect the privacy of your PHI.

Communication with others involved with your care:  Our health professionals may, in the event you are incapacitated or in an emergency circumstance, using their judgment, disclose to a family member, or other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, your PHI directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Research:  Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes.  All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process designed to protect the privacy of your PHI.

Required by law:  We may use or disclose your PHI to the extent that the use or disclosure is required by law.  The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law.  You will be notified, if required by law, of any such disclosures.

Public Health Risks:  Our health center may disclose your PHI to public health authorities that are authorized by law to collect information for the purpose of:

• Maintaining vital records, such as births and deaths
• Reporting child abuse or neglect
• Preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability
• Notifying a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease
• Notifying a person regarding a potential risk for spreading or contracting a disease or condition
• Reporting reactions to drugs or problems with products or devices
• Notifying individuals if a product or device they may be using has been recalled or withdrawn, needs repairs or replacement
• Notifying appropriate government agency (ies) and authority (ies) regarding the potential abuse or neglect of an adult patient (including domestic violence); however, we will only disclose this information if the patient agrees or we are require or authorized by law to disclose this information
• Notifying your employer under limited circumstances related primarily to workplace injury or illness or medical surveillance

Health Oversight Activities:  Our health center may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law.  Oversight activities can include, for example, investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensure and disciplinary actions; civil, administrative, and criminal procedures or actions; or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance with civil rights laws and the health care system in general.

Legal Proceedings:  We may disclose your PHI in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, in certain conditions in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful purpose.

Law Enforcement:  We may release PHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:

• Regarding a crime victim in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement
• Concerning a death we believe may have resulted from criminal conduct
• Regarding criminal conduct at on our premises
• In response to a warrant, summons, court order, subpoena or similar legal process
• To identify/locate a suspect, material witness, fugitive or missing person.
• In an emergency, to report a crime (including the location or victim(s) of the crime, or the description, identity or location of the perpetrator)

Deceased Patients:  Our health center may release PHI to a medical examiner or coroner to identify a deceased individual or to identify the cause of death.  If necessary, we also may release information in order for coroners, medical examiners or funeral directors to perform their jobs.

Organ and Tissue Donation:  If you are an organ or tissue donor, our health center may release your PHI to organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue procurement or transplantation, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Serious Threats to Health or Safety:  Our health center may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to reduce or prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another individual or the public.  Under these circumstances, we will only make disclosures to a person or organization who may be able to help prevent or lessen the threat.

Military:  Our health center may disclose your PHI if you are a member of the U.S.  Armed Forces, a veteran, or a member of foreign military forces for activities deemed necessary by appropriate military command authorities, including the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for the purpose of your eligibility for or entitlement to certain benefits provided by law.

National Security:  Our health center may disclose your PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence and national security activities authorized by law.  We also may disclose your PHI to authorized federal officials in order to protect the President, other officials or foreign heads of state, or to conduct investigations.

Inmates:  Our health center may disclose your PHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official.  Disclosure for these purposes would be necessary:  (a) for the institution to provide health care services to you; (b) for the health, safety and security of the institution, and its officers and employees and/or (c) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of other individuals.

Workers Compensation:  Our health center may release your PHI for workers compensation and similar programs.

Required Uses and Disclosures:  Under the law, we must make disclosures to you and, when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirement of Section 164.500 et. seq.

We will not use your PHI for marketing purposes.
Other uses and disclosures from your medical record will be made only with your written authorization or approval.  This includes most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, unless the disclosure is required by law and for other limited purposes.  It also includes disclosure of your PHI that would constitute a “sale” of the PHI.

E. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI

You have the following rights regarding the PHI that we maintain about you:

1. Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location.  For instance, you may ask that we contact you at home, rather than work.  In order to request a type of confidential communication, please contact the Privacy Officer at the address or phone number listed in paragraph B, above, to make an appointment to complete the form.  We will accommodate reasonable requests.  You do not need to give a reason for your request.

2. Requesting Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment or health care operations.  Additionally, you have the right to request that we restrict our disclosure of your PHI to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as family members and friends.  We are not required to agree to your request, except for certain disclosures to health plans as noted below.  However, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required by law, in emergencies, or when the information is necessary to treat you.  In order to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Officer at the address or phone number listed in paragraph B, above.  Your request must describe in a clear and concise fashion:

(a)        the information you wish restricted;
(b)        whether you are requesting to limit our health center’s use, disclosure or both; and
(c)        to whom you want the limits to apply.

3. Inspection and Copies. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records.  However, you may not obtain psychotherapy notes or information compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding.  You must submit your request in writing using the contact information below in order to inspect and/or obtain a copy of your PHI.  Our health center may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, labor and supplies associated with your request.  Upon request, we will provide you with an electronic copy of the PHI that we maintain electronically.

4. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by our health center.  To request an amendment, your request and reason for the request must be made in writing.  You must provide us with a reason that supports your request for amendment.  Our health center will deny your request if you fail to submit your request (and the reason supporting your request) in writing.  Also, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that is in our opinion:  (a) accurate and complete; (b) not part of the PHI kept by or for the health center; (c) not part of the PHI which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (d) was not created by our health center, unless the individual or entity that created the information is not available to amend the information.

5. Accounting of Disclosures. All of our patients have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures”.  An “accounting of disclosures” is a list of certain non-routine disclosures our health center has made of your PHI for non-treatment or operations purposes.  Use of your PHI as part of the routine patient care in our health center is not required to be documented.  For example, the doctor sharing information with the nurse; or the billing department using your information to file your insurance claim.  In order to obtain an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Privacy Officer at the address or phone number listed in paragraph B, above.  All requests for an “accounting of disclosures” must state a time period, which may not be longer than six (6) years from the date the “accounting of disclosures” is requested.  The first list you request within a 12-month period is free of charge, but our health center may charge you for additional lists within the same 12-month period.  Our health center will notify you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur any costs.

6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You are entitled to receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy practices.  You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time by contacting the Privacy Officer at the address or phone number listed in paragraph B, above.

7. Right to File a Complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Ezras Choilim Health Center or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.  To file a complaint with our health center, use the contact information below.

8. Right to Provide an Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures. Our health center will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law.  Any authorization you provide to us regarding the use and disclosure of your PHI may be revoked at any time in writing.  After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your PHI for the reasons described in the authorization.  Please note:  We are required to retain records of your care.

9. Right to Restrict Disclosures to Your Health Plan. If you have paid out-of-pocket in full for any services provided at our health center, and you ask us not to disclose that PHI to your health plan, we will honor the request, except where we are required by law to make a disclosure. 

10. Right to Notification of a Breach of Your PHI. If there is improper access, use or disclosure of your PHI that meets the legal definition of a “Breach” of your PHI, we will notify you in writing.