Your privacy

Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Effective date: September 18, 2026

Who follows this notice

This notice describes the privacy practices of P & P Health Center LLC, including Dr. Gabriel Barciela, our staff, and anyone who works with us in our office at 30328 Old Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033. It applies to the health information we create or receive about you, which federal law calls protected health information.

Our responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, as required by federal and Florida law.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you give us permission, you may change your mind at any time by letting us know in writing.
• When Florida law gives your information more protection than federal law, we follow Florida law.

How we use and share your health information

We may use and share your health information without your written permission for the following purposes. Not every use or disclosure in each category is listed, but all of them fall within one of these categories.

• Treatment. We use and share your information with other professionals who are treating you. For example, we may send information to a specialist you are referred to, a laboratory that runs your tests, or the pharmacy that fills your prescriptions.
• Payment. We use and share your information to bill and get paid by Medicare, your health plan or others. For example, we give your health plan information about your visit so it will pay for it, or to get approval before a test or treatment.
• Health care operations. We use and share your information to run our practice, improve your care and contact you when necessary. For example, we may review your care to measure quality, train staff, or have our records audited.
• Appointment reminders and health-related services. We may contact you by phone, text, email or mail to remind you of appointments, follow up on your care, or tell you about treatment options and health-related services we offer. We may leave a limited message on your voicemail unless you ask us not to.
• People involved in your care or payment. We may share information with a family member, friend or other person you identify who is involved in your care or helps pay for it, and to notify them of your location or general condition. If you are present, we will give you a chance to object first. We may also share information with disaster relief organizations to coordinate these notifications.
• Business associates. We may share information with companies that provide services to us, such as billing, our electronic health record, or answering services. They must sign a contract agreeing to protect your information.
• Electronic health information exchange and patient portal. We may take part in secure systems that let us exchange information electronically with other providers, pharmacies and health plans for treatment, payment and operations, and we may make your information available to you through a secure patient portal.
• Use of technology. We may use electronic and automated tools, such as scheduling, phone and record systems, to support your care and our operations. These tools are used with appropriate safeguards and do not replace the judgment of our clinicians.
• De-identified information. We may remove information that identifies you so that the remaining information cannot be linked to you. Federal law does not restrict the use of properly de-identified information.

Other uses and disclosures allowed or required by law

We may also use or share your information, without your written permission, in these situations:

• As required by law. When federal, state or local law requires it.
• Public health and safety. To report diseases, injuries, births and deaths to public health authorities such as the Florida Department of Health; to report reactions to medications or problems with products; to help with product recalls; and to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult as Florida law requires.
• Serious threats. To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or that of others, but only to someone able to help prevent the threat.
• Health oversight. To agencies such as Medicare, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health for audits, investigations, inspections and licensure.
• Lawsuits and legal actions. In response to a court or administrative order. Under Florida law, we generally release your records in response to a subpoena only after proper notice has been given to you.
• Law enforcement. For limited law enforcement purposes allowed by law, such as responding to a court order, warrant or similar process, or reporting a crime on our premises.
• Coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors. As needed for them to carry out their duties.
• Organ and tissue donation. To organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue donation and transplantation.
• Workers’ compensation. For workers’ compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
• Special government functions. For military and veterans’ activities, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, and to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials for individuals in custody.
• Research. For research only when you give us written permission, or when an Institutional Review Board or privacy board has approved the research and waived that permission as allowed by law. We will not contact you about research studies or share your information for research recruitment unless you have signed a separate, optional authorization. Your decision never affects the care you receive here.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When the department asks to review our compliance with federal privacy law.

Information with extra protection

Some types of health information have additional protection under federal and Florida law. In these cases we follow the stricter rule, which may mean we need your specific written consent before sharing:

• HIV test results. Under Florida law, we share HIV test results that identify you only with your consent or in the limited situations the law allows, such as providing your care, routine billing, quality review, organ donation, or when a court order specifically requires it.
• Sexually transmitted infections. Information about sexually transmitted infections is confidential under Florida law and is shared only as the law permits, such as required reports to the Florida Department of Health.
• Mental health and substance use treatment. Records of mental health and substance abuse treatment have additional confidentiality protections under Florida law.
• Genetic testing. Under Florida law, the results of DNA analysis are not disclosed without your consent except as the law allows.
• Substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2. If we receive substance use disorder treatment records from a federally assisted program, we will protect them as federal law requires. We will not use or share those records, or testimony about them, in any civil, criminal, administrative or legislative investigation or proceeding against you unless you give written consent or a court issues an order after notice and an opportunity to be heard, accompanied by a subpoena or similar legal requirement. Records we receive under your consent for treatment, payment or health care operations may be used and shared as described in this notice, except as limited here.

Uses that require your written permission

We will ask for your written authorization before we:

• Use or share psychotherapy notes, except in limited situations allowed by law
• Use or share your information for marketing purposes
• Sell your information (we do not sell patient information)
• Use or share your information for any other purpose not described in this notice

You may revoke an authorization at any time by writing to our Privacy Officer. Revoking it will not undo anything we already did based on your permission.

Your rights

You have the following rights regarding your health information:

• Get a copy of your records. You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical and billing records, or ask us to send a copy to someone you choose. We will usually provide it within 30 days and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Ask us to correct your records. If you think your information is incorrect or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it. We may say no, 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, such as only by mail or at a different phone number or 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 information for treatment, payment or operations, or with people involved in your care. We are not required to agree, but if you pay for a service in full out of pocket and ask us not to share it with your health plan, we will agree 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 of the times we shared your information in the six years before your request, who we shared it with, and why. The list will not include disclosures for treatment, payment, operations and certain others, such as those you asked us to make. We provide one list a year for free.
• Get a copy of this notice. You can ask for a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you. If someone is your legal guardian or has your health care power of attorney, that person can exercise your rights. We will confirm that the person has this authority first.
• Be notified of a breach. You will be notified if your unsecured information is affected by a breach.
• File a complaint. See the complaints section below.

How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer in writing at the address below or by email at [email protected]. We may ask you to make certain requests on a form we provide.

Changes to 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 on request, posted in our office, and on our website, and it will show its effective date.

Questions and complaints

If you have questions about this notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact our Privacy Officer:

Mabel Perez, Privacy Officer
P & P Health Center LLC
30328 Old Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033
Phone: (305) 419-0810
Email: [email protected]

You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by writing to 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Nondiscrimination and language help

P & P Health Center complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Free language assistance is available. See our Nondiscrimination Notice. Este aviso está disponible en español en nuestra página en español.