Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: October 8, 2026

Who this notice applies to

This notice applies to V-Care Family Practice & Urgent Care, formerly SKC Family Clinic, and to everyone at our clinic who works with your health information, including our providers and staff.

In this notice, “health information” means information that identifies you and relates to your health, your care, or payment for your care.

Your rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains them and how we’ll help you use them.

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, on paper or electronically. You can also ask us to send a copy to someone you choose.

We’ll provide a copy, or a summary if you agree to one, within the time the law allows. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. To ask, use our medical records request form, call us, or ask at the front desk.

Ask us to correct your medical record

If you think health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it. Please make your request in writing and tell us why. We may say no, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days, and you can send us a statement of disagreement.

Ask for confidential communications

You can ask us to contact you in a particular way, such as on your cell phone rather than your home phone, or to send mail to a different address. We’ll say yes to all reasonable requests, and we won’t ask why.

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 aren’t required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care.

If you pay for a service or health care item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share information about it with your health insurer for payment or our operations. We’ll say yes unless a law requires us to share it.

Get a list of those we’ve shared information with

You can ask for a list (an “accounting”) of the times we’ve shared your health information in the six years before the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.

The list won’t include sharing for treatment, payment or health care operations, or certain other sharing, such as any you asked us to make. We’ll give you one list a year for free. If you ask for another within 12 months, we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Get a paper copy of this notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. Ask at the front desk or call us, and we’ll give you one promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

If you’ve given someone medical power of attorney, or someone is your legal guardian, that person can use your rights and make choices about your health information. We’ll make sure the person has this authority before we act.

File a complaint if you think your rights were violated

You can complain to us or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. See “How to make a complaint” below.

Your choices

For some health information, you can tell us how you’d like it shared. If you have a clear preference in the situations below, talk to us and we’ll follow your instructions.

You have both the right and the choice to tell us whether to:

• Share information with your family, close friends or others involved in your care or in paying for it
• Share information in a disaster relief situation, for example to let your family know where you are

If you can’t tell us your preference, for example if you’re unconscious, we may share your information if we believe it’s in your best interest. We may also share it when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

Fundraising. If we ever contact you for fundraising, you can tell us not to contact you again.

Marketing. We never use or share your information for marketing without your written permission.

How we use and share your health information

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

To treat you and coordinate your care

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: your V-Care doctor sends your test results to a specialist you’ve been referred to.

To bill for your care

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other payers. Example: we give your health plan information about your visit so it will pay for your care.

To run our practice

We can use and share your health information to run our clinic, improve our services and your care, and contact you when needed. Example: we review records to check the quality of care, or use your phone number to remind you of an appointment.

We may also share information with business associates, the companies that provide services to us, such as our technology provider. Written agreements require them to protect it.

Other ways we may use or share your information

We’re allowed or required to share your information in other ways, usually ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. The law sets conditions we must meet before we share information for these purposes.

• As required by law. We share information when federal, state or local law requires it, including with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to check that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
• Public health and safety. For example, to prevent or control disease, report births and deaths, report reactions to medicines or problems with products, help with product recalls, and report suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
• Health oversight. To agencies authorized by law to oversee the health care system, for activities such as audits, investigations, inspections and licensing.
• Lawsuits and legal actions. In response to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena or other lawful request, as the law allows.
• Law enforcement. To law enforcement officials for purposes the law permits, such as responding to a court order or warrant, or helping to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, missing person or witness.
• Coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors. To help identify a person who has died, find the cause of death, or carry out their duties.
• Organ, eye and tissue donation. To organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue donation and transplants.
• Research. For health research, under rules that protect your privacy, such as approval by a research review board.
• Serious threats to health or safety. To someone able to help prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to you, another person or the public.
• Specialized government functions. For military and veterans’ activities, national security and intelligence, protective services for the President and others, and correctional institutions or law enforcement custody.
• Workers’ compensation. For workers’ compensation claims or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness, as the law allows.

Information with extra protection

Some kinds of health information, such as HIV test results, mental health records, substance use disorder treatment records and genetic information, may have extra protection under federal or Texas law. When another law protects your information more than HIPAA does, we follow that law.

Uses that need your written permission

We won’t use or share your information in ways not described in this notice unless you give us written permission, called an authorization. In particular, we need your written permission for:

• Most uses and sharing of psychotherapy notes
• Marketing
• Selling your health information

If you give us permission, you can take it back (revoke it) in writing at any time. Revoking it stops future uses and sharing, but it can’t undo anything we’ve already done based on your permission.

Our responsibilities

V-Care Family Practice & Urgent Care is required by law to:

• Protect the privacy and security of your health information
• Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
• Tell you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information
• Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect

Changes to this notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all the information we have about you, including information we had before the change. The new notice will be posted on our website and available at our office, and we’ll give you a copy if you ask.

When you register as a new patient, we’ll ask you to confirm that you’ve been offered this notice.

How to make a complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can complain to us, to the federal government, or both. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Complain to us

Contact our Privacy Officer using the details below, ask at the front desk, or use our feedback form.

Complain to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

You can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights:

• Online: hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
• Phone: 1-877-696-6775
• Mail: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201

Questions and contact information

For questions about this notice, or to use any of the rights it describes, contact our Privacy Officer:

• Phone: (281) 984-4550
• Email: contact@v-carehealth.com
• Mail: Privacy Officer, V-Care Family Practice & Urgent Care, 18311 Clay Rd, Ste A7, Houston, TX 77084