At Hygge Behavioral Health & Wellness, your privacy and the security of your medical information have always been a top priority. We have always required a signed release before sharing any of your Protected Health Information (PHI), and this commitment remains unchanged. To continue upholding the highest standards in privacy protection, we’ve updated the existing form required to release your medical records and other PHI with our new Authorization for Release of PHI form. This form includes more specific language regarding secure communication and patient consent. This update is designed to give you even more control and clarity when deciding how your health information is shared, especially in light of recent privacy concerns in our industry. In particular, we’ve added clearer options for you to:

• Choose how you would like your information transmitted, including secure options like encrypted emails or patient portals.

• Acknowledge and accept the risks if you prefer your PHI to be sent via unsecured email or other non-secure methods.

• Ensure that any requests for your information from third parties, such as other healthcare providers or attorneys, are explicitly authorized by you.

Rest assured, these updates do not reflect any change in our fundamental practices, they simply reinforce our ongoing commitment to safeguarding your personal health information while ensuring compliance with all applicable privacy laws. If you have any questions about these updates or would like to review your options for accessing or sharing your medical records, our team is here to assist you. Thank you for your trust and understanding, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.