The Veranda Policies

• Privacy Statement

• Terms and Conditions of Use

• The Veranda, P.C. Vaccine Policy

Our Privacy Statement:

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.

The Veranda, P.C.
2701 Meredyth Drive, Albany, GA 31707, (229) 883-7010

We are required under the federal health care privacy rules (the "Privacy Rules"), to protect the privacy of your health information, which includes information about your health history, symptoms, test results, diagnoses, treatment, and claims and payment history (collectively, "Health Information"). We are also required to provide you with this Privacy Notice regarding our legal duties, policies and procedures to protect and maintain the privacy of your Health Information. We are required to follow the terms of this Privacy Notice unless (and until) it is revised. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Privacy Notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for the Health Information that we maintain and use, as well as for any Health Information that we may receive in the future. Should the terms of this Privacy Notice change, we will make a revised copy of the notice available to you. Revised Privacy Notices will be available at our office for individuals to take with them and we will post a copy of revised Privacy Notices in a prominent location in our office. Privacy Notices will also be posted and available electronically on our web site.

Permitted Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information

1. General Uses and Disclosures. Under the Privacy Rules, we are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information for the following purposes, without obtaining your permission or Authorization:
• Treatment. We are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information in the provision and coordination of your health care. For example, we may disclose your Health Information to your primary health care provider, consulting providers, and to other health care personnel who have a need for such information for your care and treatment.
• Payment. We are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information for the purposes of determining coverage, billing, and reimbursement. This information may be released to an insurance company, third party payor, or other authorized entity or person involved in the payment of your medical bills and may include copies or portions of your medical record which are necessary for payment of your bill. For example, a bill sent to your insurance company may include information that identifies you, your diagnosis, and the procedures and supplies used in your treatment.
• Health Care Operations. We are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information during our health care operations, including, but not limited to: quality assurance, auditing, licensing or credentialing activities, and for educational purposes. For example, we can use your Health Information to internally assess our quality of care provided to patients.
• Uses and Disclosures Required by Law. We may use and disclose your Health Information when required to do so by law, including, but not limited to: reporting abuse, neglect and domestic violence; in response to judicial and administrative proceedings; in responding to a law enforcement request for information; or in order to alert law enforcement to criminal conduct on our premises or of a death that may be the result of criminal conduct.
• Public Health Activities. We may disclose your Health Information for public health reporting, including, but not limited to: child abuse and neglect; reporting communicable diseases and vital statistics; product recalls and adverse events; or notifying person(s) who may have been exposed to a disease or are at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
• Abuse and Neglect. We may disclose your Health Information to a local, state, or federal government authority, including social services or a protective services agency authorized by law to receive such reports, if we have a reasonable belief of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
• Regulatory Agencies. We may disclose your Health Information to a health care oversight agency for activities authorized by law, including, but not limited to, licensure, investigations and inspections. These activities are necessary for the government and certain private health oversight agencies to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights.
• Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may disclose your Health Information in judicial and administrative proceedings, as well as in response to an order of a court, administrative tribunal, or in response to a subpoena, summons, warrant, discovery request, or similar legal request.
• Law Enforcement Purposes. We may disclose your Health Information to law enforcement officials when required to do so by law.
• Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors. We may disclose your Health Information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to determine a cause of death. We may also disclose your health information to funeral directors, as necessary, to carry out their duties.
• Organ Donation. We may disclose your Health Information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissues.
• Research. Under certain circumstances, we may disclose your Health Information to researchers when their clinical research study has been approved and where certain safeguards are in place to ensure the privacy and protection of your Health Information.
• Threats to Health and Safety. We may use or disclose your Health Information if we believe, in good faith, that the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, or is necessary for law enforcement to identify or apprehend an individual.
• Specialized Government Functions. If you are a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, we may disclose your Health Information as required by military command authorities. We may also disclose your Health Information to authorized federal officials for national security reasons and the Department of State for medical suitability determinations.
• Inmates. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release your Health Information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official, where such information is necessary for the institution to provide you with health care; to protect your health or safety, or the health or safety of others; or for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
• Workers' Compensation. We may disclose your Health Information to your employer to the extent necessary to comply with Georgia laws relating to workers' compensation or other similar programs.
• Fundraising. We may use or disclose your Health Information to make a fundraising communication to you, for the purpose of raising funds for our own benefit. Included in such fundraising communications will be instructions describing how you may ask not to receive future communications.
• Marketing. We may use or disclose your Health Information to make a marketing communication to you that occurs in a face-to-face encounter with us or which concerns a promotional gift of nominal value provided by us.
• Appointment Reminders/Treatment Alternatives. We may use and disclose your Health Information to remind you of an appointment for treatment and medical care at our office or to provide you with information regarding treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
• Business Associates. We may disclose your Health Information to business associates who provide services to us. Our business associates are required to protect the confidentiality of your Health Information.
• Other Uses and Disclosures. In addition to the reasons outlined above, we may use and disclose your Health Information for other purposes permitted by the Privacy Rules.
2. Uses and Disclosures Which Require Patient Opportunity to Verbally Agree or Object. Under the Privacy Rules, we are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information: (i) for the creation of facility directories, (ii) to disaster relief agencies, and (iii) to family members, close personal friends or any other person identified by you, if the information is directly relevant to that person's involvement in your care or treatment. Except in emergency situations, you will be notified in advance and have the opportunity to verbally agree or object to this use and disclosure of your Health Information.
3. Uses and Disclosures Which Require Written Authorization. As required by the Privacy Rules, all other uses and disclosures of your Health Information (not described above) will be made only with your written Authorization. For example, in order to disclose your Health Information to a company for marketing purposes, we must obtain your Authorization. Under the Privacy Rules, you may revoke your Authorization at any time. The revocation of your Authorization will be effective immediately, except to the extent that: we have relied upon it previously for the use and disclosure of your Health Information; if the Authorization was obtained as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage where other law provides the insurer with the right to contest a claim under the policy or the policy itself; or where your Health Information was obtained as part of a research study and is necessary to maintain the integrity of the study.

Patient Rights

You have the following rights concerning your Health Information:

1. Right to Inspect and Copy Your Health Information. Upon written request, you have the right to inspect and copy your own Health Information contained in a designated record set, maintained by or for us. A "designated record set" contains medical and billing records and any other records that we use for making decisions about you. However, we are not required to provide you access to all the Health Information that we maintain. For example, this right of access does not extend to psychotherapy notes, or information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or for use in, a civil, criminal or administrative proceeding. Where permitted by the Privacy Rules, you may request that certain denials to inspect and copy your Health Information be reviewed. If you request a copy or summary of explanation of your Health Information, we may charge you a reasonable fee for copying costs, including the cost of supplies and labor, postage, and any other associated costs in preparing the summary or explanation.
2. Right to Request Restrictions on the Use and Disclosure of Your Health Information. You have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your Health Information for treatment, payment and health care operations, as well as disclosures to persons involved in your care or payment for your care, such as family members or close friends. We will consider, but do not have to agree to, such requests.
3. Right to Request an Amendment of Your Health Information. You have the right to request an amendment of your Health Information. We may deny your request if we determine that you have asked us to amend information that: was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available; is not Health Information maintained by or for us; is Health Information that you are not permitted to inspect or copy; or we determine that the information is accurate and complete. If we disagree with your requested amendment, we will provide you with a written explanation of the reasons for the denial, an opportunity to submit a statement of disagreement, and a description of how you may file a complaint.
4. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures of Your Health Information. You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your Health Information made by us within six (6) years prior to the date of your request. The accounting will not include: disclosures related to treatment, payment or health care operations; disclosures to you; disclosures based on your Authorization; disclosures that are part of a Limited Data Set; incidental disclosures; disclosures to persons involved in your care or payment for your care; disclosures to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials; disclosures for facility directories; or disclosures that occurred prior to April 14, 2003.
5. Right to Alternative Communications. You have the right to receive confidential communications of your Health Information by a different means or at a different location than currently provided. For example, you may request that we only contact you at home or by mail.
6. Right to Receive a Paper Copy of this Privacy Notice. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Privacy Notice upon request, even if you have agreed to receive this Privacy Notice electronically. If you want to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer. All requests must be submitted to us in writing on a designated form (which we will provide to you), and returned to the attention of our Privacy Officer at the address below.

Contact Information and How to Report a Privacy Rights Violation

If you have questions and/or would like additional information regarding the uses and disclosures of your Health Information, you may contact our Privacy Officer at:

The Veranda, P.C.
2701 Meredyth Drive
Albany, GA 31707
Attn: Privacy Officer
Telephone: (229) 883-7010
Fax: (229) 435-4022

If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated or that we have violated our own privacy practices, you may file a complaint with us. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201. Complaints filed directly with the Secretary must be made in writing, name us, describe the acts or omissions in violation of the Privacy Rules or our privacy practices, and must be filed within 180 days of the time you knew or should have known of the violation. Complaints submitted directly to us must be in writing and to the attention of our Privacy Officer. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

The Effective Date of this Privacy Notice is March 20, 2003.

Website Terms & Conditions of Use:

Please read these Terms and Conditions of Use Carefully

This site and related services are provided subject to your compliance with the Terms and Conditions of Use specified below. Your continued use of this site will indicate your agreement to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Use. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Use, please exit this site promptly.

1. Use of Site. The information contained within this site is offered solely for your consideration, and is subject to your verification. It is not to be taken as a warranty or representation for which The Veranda, P.C. or any of its affiliates assumes legal responsibility, nor does The Veranda, P.C. or any of its affiliates grant permission to use or practice anything contained therein, or recommend such use or practice.

The contents of this site may be viewed and accessed only for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that all copyright and other proprietary notices are retained on any copies made of the materials. The materials at this site may not be modified in any way or reproduced or distributed or used for any public or commercial purpose unless expressly permitted. Any use or display of the materials on this site on any other website or networked computer environment for any purpose is prohibited. The materials at this site are copyrighted and any unauthorized use of these materials may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws. If you breach any of these terms, your authorization to use this site is terminated and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed materials.

Please note that theveranda.org is not responsible for the content or activities associated with any site or entity that is linked to this site.

2. Copyright. Copyrights for the materials contained in this site, including all text, graphics, and photos, are owned by The Veranda, P.C. Copyright (c) The Veranda, P.C. All rights reserved. The use, reproduction, and/or re-transmission by any means of any of the material contained in this site without the written permission of The Veranda, P.C. is strictly prohibited.

3. Trademark. Any trademarks appearing on pages linked to this site are the property of the respective owners and/or operators of those sites. Hidden text used by web search engines to find websites, also known as metatarsi, may not be embedded into your website using any trademarks or service marks of The Veranda, P.C. or its affiliates, whether those trademarks or service marks are registered or unregistered. Any such use will be considered trademark infringement and will be prosecuted.

4. Links to Other Sites. Links to third party websites on this site are provided solely as a convenience. If you use these links, you will leave this site. The Veranda, P.C. does not claim to have reviewed these third party sites in their entirety, nor does it control these sites. The Veranda, P.C. is not responsible for any of these sites or their content. Moreover, The Veranda, P.C. does not endorse or make any representations about any of the websites for which links are provided, or any information, software or other products or materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to this site, you do so entirely at your own risk.

5. Disclaimer THE MATERIALS PROVIDED AT THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. The Veranda, P.C. further does not warrant the accuracy and completeness of the materials at this site. The Veranda, P.C. makes no commitment to update the materials at this site, even if out of date. Information published at this site may refer to products, programs or services that are not available in your country or region.

6. Limitation of Liability IN NO EVENT WILL CHILDREN'S MEDICAL ASSOCIATES, ITS AFFILIATES, SUPPLIERS, OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES MENTIONED AT THIS SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE, INABILITY TO USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE OF THIS SITE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO THIS SITE, OR THE MATERIALS OR INFORMATION CONTAINED AT ANY OR ALL SUCH SITES, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY AND WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

7. User Submissions. Subject to the theveranda.org Privacy Statement, any material, information or other communication you transmit or post to this site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. The Veranda, P.C. will have no obligations with respect to the such communications. The Veranda, P.C. and its designees will be free to copy, disclose, distribute, incorporate and otherwise use the communications and all data, images, sounds, text, and other things embodied therein for any and all commercial or non-commercial purposes. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting to or from this site any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, or other material that would violate any law.

8. Choice of Law and Venue. These Terms and Conditions of Use are entered into in the State of Georgia and shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, exclusive of its choice of law rules. Each party to these Terms and Conditions of Use submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia for any dispute with theveranda.org, or its affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunication providers, and content providers.

If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms and Conditions, which shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any of these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition.

9. Revisions. The Veranda, P.C. may revise and update these Terms and Conditions of Use at any time. Please periodically review the terms, conditions, and privacy statements posted on the veranda.org website. Continued usage of the theveranda.org website will be considered acceptance of any changes. Certain provisions of these terms and conditions may be superseded by expressly designated legal notices or terms on particular pages at this site.

Contacting Us: The Veranda, P.C. welcomes your questions and comments regarding our Terms and Conditions of Use and anything else on this site. Please e-mail us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Veranda, P.C. is sensitive to the expectation of privacy by those who access this site. For a complete statement of our policies on privacy, please read our Privacy Statement.

The Veranda, P.C. Vaccine Policy:

The physicians and staff of The Veranda, P.C. are committed to the health care and safety of your child. Part of that commitment includes our recommendations for preventative health care, including vaccinations. We recommend that all children and young adults receive the routine vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Vaccinating children and young adults is one of the most important aspects of the health care we provide to your children. As a parent, choosing to immunize your child is one of the greatest protections you can offer to them.

We know of the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives. Additionally, we have confidence in the safety record of the vaccines. The recommended vaccines and schedule are the result of years and years of scientific research and study by our best scientists and physicians. In fact, we anticipate that the ongoing research will continue to lead us toward providing even greater protection for the children and grandchildren of the next generation.

These things being said, we recognize that there has always been and will likely always be controversy surrounding vaccination. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin, persuaded by his brother, was opposed to smallpox vaccine until scientific data convinced him otherwise. Tragically, he had delayed inoculating his favorite son Franky, who contracted smallpox and died at the age of 4, leaving Ben with a lifetime of guilt and remorse. Quoting Mr. Franklin’s autobiography:

In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the smallpox…I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, my examples showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether they should be given. Because of vaccines, most parents have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, whooping cough, bacterial meningitis, or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, will lead to tragic results.

Over the past several years, many people in Europe have chosen not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine after publication of an unfounded suspicion (later retracted) that the vaccine caused autism. As a result of underimmunization, there have been outbreaks of measles and several deaths from complications of measles in Europe.

In recent years, we also have had questions regarding autism spectrum disorders. It is our firm opinion, based on the scientific research and our experience, that neither vaccines nor vaccine preservatives cause autism or other development disabilities.

We are making you aware of these facts, not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. However, we believe that vaccinating children according to the recommended schedule is the right thing to do. Delaying or “breaking up” the vaccine scheduled goes against expert recommendations and can put your child at risk for serious illness and disability (or even death) and is against our medical advice. Finally, if you should absolutely refuse to vaccinate your child despite our recommendations, we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views.

As medical professionals, we feel strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccinations is a vital aspect of the health care we provide for your family. Thank you for taking the time to read this policy, and please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about vaccines with any one of us.

Sincerely,
David A. Wahbeh, M.D.