HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

1. The following notice describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review the information carefully. The notice is provided in two layers: This top layer briefly summarizes how we handle your health information, and the attached bottom layer provides further details of our privacy policies and procedures.

2. How we may use and disclose your health information. We use health information about you for treatment, to get paid for treatment, for administrative purposes, and to evaluate the quality of care that you receive. For example, your health information may be shared with other providers to whom you are referred. Information may be shared by paper, mail, fax, or other methods. We may use or disclose your health information without your authorization for several reasons. But beyond those situations, we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information. If you sign an authorization to disclose information, you can later revoke it to stop any future uses and disclosures.

3. Your rights. In most cases, you have the right to look at or get a copy of your health information that we use to make decisions about you. If you request copies, we may charge you a cost-based fee. You also have the right to request a list of certain types of disclosures of your information that we have made. If you believe your health information is incorrect or information is missing, you have the right to request that we correct the existing information or add the missing information.

4. Our legal duty. We are required by law to protect the privacy of your health information, provide this notice about privacy practices, follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice, and seek your acknowledgement of receipt of this notice. We may change our privacy policies at any time. Before we make a significant change in our policies, we will change our notice and post the new notice. You can also request a copy of our notice at any time. For more information about our privacy policies, contact the person listed below.

5. Privacy complaints. If you are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights, our privacy policies, or if you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information, you may contact the Human Resources Department at 218-546-7000. You also may send a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This address can be provided upon request.

If you have any questions regarding our privacy policies or this notice, please contact: Health Information Services Director/Privacy Officer at 218-546-2313.

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES SUMMARY LAST REVISION: 10/06