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We protect your privacy

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics is committed to protecting your health information.

Medical providers are required by law to maintain the privacy of your medical information. We are required to notify you of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding your medical information and abide by those practices described in the  Joint Notice of Privacy Practices form that you receive upon admission.

With a few exceptions, patients who are admitted to the hospital will be listed in a facility directory that gives their location and a one-word description of their condition (serious, stable, etc).

To opt out of being listed in the facility directory, patients admitted to the hospital may request to be listed as “strictly no information” (SNI). Staff will not acknowledge and disclose your presence in the hospital to visitors, guests or other requestors (such as the media). Certain patients are automatically granted SNI status, for example in cases where there is a safety risk.

During the admission process, the registrar will share a four-digit code (PIN) with you. You should give this number to anyone you want additional health information shared with (such as a family member). If someone calls the hospital requesting information about you, beyond location and condition, they will have to provide the PIN before being given more detailed information. Your PIN will be provided to you on a form similar to this:

PIN form example for SNI patients in the patient guide

To read our full privacy policy (English or Spanish), please go to our Notice of Privacy Practices page.

If you have a HIPAA privacy question or want to report a concern, you may email the organization Privacy Officer at PrivacyOfficer@salemhealth.org or call the Corporate Integrity Hotline at 1-800-944-4908.

If you would like to review your medical records, visit our Health Information Management page for more information.