Privacy Policy

Overview

Tampa Bay Recovery Care ("we," "our," or "the Practice") is an addiction medicine clinic located at 1501 W Sligh Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33604. We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our patients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information in connection with our clinical services and this website.

This policy is designed to comply with all applicable federal and Florida state laws governing the privacy of health information, including but not limited to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), 42 CFR Part 2 (Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records), the Florida Health Information Act, and the Florida Information Protection Act (FIPA).

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, including through our website contact and appointment request forms. This may include:

• Full name, phone number, and email address
• General inquiries about our services
• Appointment requests and preferred contact times
• Any additional information you choose to include in a message

Clinical Information

When you become a patient of Tampa Bay Recovery Care, we collect health and personal information necessary to provide clinical care. This includes medical history, substance use history, prescription information, insurance details, and other Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined under HIPAA. This information is governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices, which you will receive at your first appointment.

Automatically Collected Website Data

When you visit our website, certain technical data may be collected automatically by our hosting provider (Netlify) including IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and referring URLs. This data is used solely for security and performance monitoring and is not linked to your identity.

HIPAA & Health Information

Tampa Bay Recovery Care is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations, including the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Parts 160 and 164). We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI), provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices, and notify you in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI.

Your PHI will only be used and disclosed as permitted or required by law. Permitted uses and disclosures include treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices. We will not sell your PHI or use it for marketing purposes without your explicit written authorization.

Florida State Privacy Law

In addition to HIPAA, Tampa Bay Recovery Care complies with all applicable Florida state privacy laws governing health information, including:

• Florida Health Information Act (Section 456.057, Florida Statutes) — governs the ownership, maintenance, and release of patient records by healthcare practitioners in Florida. Patients have the right to access, copy, and correct their records.
• Florida Information Protection Act (FIPA, Section 501.171, Florida Statutes) — requires us to implement reasonable measures to protect personal information and to notify affected individuals in the event of a data breach within 30 days.
• Florida Mental Health Act (the Baker Act, Chapter 394, Florida Statutes) — governs the confidentiality of mental health records and applies to co-occurring mental health conditions treated in our practice.
• Florida Confidentiality of HIV/AIDS Information (Section 381.004, Florida Statutes) — protects the confidentiality of HIV/AIDS test results and related health information if applicable to your care.

Under Florida law, you have the right to obtain a copy of your medical records within a reasonable time upon written request. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies as permitted by Florida Statutes Section 456.057.

42 CFR Part 2 — Substance Use Disorder Records

Because Tampa Bay Recovery Care provides substance use disorder diagnosis, treatment, and referral services, records relating to your substance use disorder treatment are protected by a federal law stricter than general HIPAA protections: 42 CFR Part 2 (Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records).

Under 42 CFR Part 2, we are prohibited from disclosing your substance use disorder treatment records to any person or entity without your written consent, except in very limited circumstances including:

• A medical emergency where disclosure is necessary to protect your life
• A valid court order specifically authorizing disclosure
• Qualified service organization agreements where a third party assists us in providing services
• Audit and evaluation activities conducted by authorized government agencies
• Research activities that comply with applicable federal regulations

Any consent you provide for disclosure of your substance use disorder records may be revoked at any time in writing, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on that consent.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to appointment requests and inquiries submitted through our website
• To provide, coordinate, and manage your clinical care
• To process billing and insurance claims as applicable
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• To communicate with you about your treatment, appointments, and follow-up care
• To improve the quality and safety of our clinical services
• To maintain accurate and complete medical records as required by Florida law

We do not use your information for advertising, sell your information to third parties, or use it for any purpose unrelated to your care or our legal obligations without your explicit written consent.

Disclosure of Information

We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With your treating providers — We may share relevant health information with physicians, specialists, pharmacists, or other healthcare professionals involved in your care, as permitted by HIPAA and consistent with 42 CFR Part 2 requirements.
• As required by law — We may disclose information when required by federal or Florida state law, including mandatory reporting obligations, valid court orders, or subpoenas that comply with 42 CFR Part 2.
• Business associates — We may share information with third-party service providers who assist in our operations (such as billing services or electronic health record systems) under HIPAA-compliant Business Associate Agreements that require them to protect your information.
• With your written consent — We will share your information with any individual or organization you authorize in writing, including monitoring programs such as IPN or PRN, in accordance with 42 CFR Part 2.
• Medical emergencies — In a life-threatening emergency, we may disclose limited information to emergency responders as permitted under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2.

We will never disclose your information to employers, family members, insurance companies, or any other party without your written authorization, except as specifically permitted or required by law.

Website Data & Cookies

Our website does not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics services that collect personally identifiable information. Our website is hosted on Netlify, which may collect basic server logs including IP addresses for security and performance purposes. These logs are not linked to your identity and are governed by Netlify's own privacy policy.

Our contact forms are processed through Formspree, a third-party form service. Information submitted through our contact forms is transmitted securely and is governed by Formspree's privacy policy in addition to this policy. We encourage you to avoid including sensitive health or substance use information in website contact forms — please discuss these matters with us directly by phone.

Our website does not knowingly use cookies that track your browsing behavior across other websites. If you use a browser that blocks cookies, your experience on our site will not be affected.

Your Privacy Rights

As a patient of Tampa Bay Recovery Care, you have the following rights regarding your health information:

• Right to Access — You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records. Requests must be made in writing. We will respond within the timeframe required by Florida law.
• Right to Amend — You may request that we correct or amend information in your records that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to Accounting of Disclosures — You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information over the past six years.
• Right to Request Restrictions — You may request that we limit how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
• Right to Confidential Communications — You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location.
• Right to Revoke Consent — Under 42 CFR Part 2, you may revoke any consent you have provided for disclosure of substance use disorder records at any time in writing.
• Right to File a Complaint — You have the right to file a complaint with our practice or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. Filing a complaint will not affect your care.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us in writing at the address or email provided at the end of this policy.

Minors

Our website is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors through this website. If you believe a minor has submitted information through our website, please contact us immediately and we will promptly remove such information.

Clinical treatment of minors is subject to additional consent and confidentiality requirements under Florida law, including Florida Statutes governing parental consent and the confidentiality rights of minors seeking substance use disorder treatment. Please contact our office directly for information regarding treatment of minor patients.

Data Security

Tampa Bay Recovery Care implements administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal and health information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, in compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule (45 CFR Part 164, Subparts A and C) and the Florida Information Protection Act.

These safeguards include access controls, encryption of electronic health information where required, staff training on privacy and security practices, and secure disposal of records.

In the event of a breach of unsecured Protected Health Information, we will notify affected individuals as required by the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR Part 164, Subpart D) and Florida law, including notification within 30 days as required by FIPA where applicable.

While we take all reasonable precautions to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to avoid submitting sensitive health or financial information through website forms.

Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or clinical services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Material changes affecting your rights as a patient will be communicated to you directly in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or wish to file a complaint, please contact us:

To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights regarding potential HIPAA violations, visit hhs.gov/ocr or call 1-800-368-1019. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), visit ahca.myflorida.com or call 1-888-419-3456.