NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The Department of Health (the Department) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
The Department, upon request:
- Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with Department staff, such as:
- Qualified sign language interpreters
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
- Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
- Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
If you need these services, please contact the Department’s health program, service, local health department or health insurance marketplace directly.
If you believe that the Department has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:
Delinda Johnson Blake, Equal Access Compliance Unit, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Maryland Department of Health, 201 West Preston Street, Room 422, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, 410-767-6600 (Voice) (410) 333-5337 (Fax), delinda.blake@maryland.gov (email). Deaf and hard of hearing individuals may use relay.
You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Delinda Johnson Blake is available to help you.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, 1-800-868-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD).
Complaint forms are available at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/civil-rights-complaint-form-11- 30-2019.pdf
It is the policy of the Department of Health (the Department) not to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. The Department has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18116) and its implementing regulations at 45 CFR part 92, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs and activities.
Section 1557 and its implementing regulations may be examined in the office of Delinda Johnson Blake, Equal Access Compliance Manager, Equal Access Compliance Unit, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Maryland Department of Health, 201 West Preston Street, Room 422, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, 410- 767-6600 (Voice), (410) 333-5337 (Fax), delinda.blake@maryland.gov (email), who has been designated to coordinate the efforts of the Department to comply with Section 1557. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals may use relay.
Any person who believes someone has been subjected to discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability may file a grievance under this procedure. It is against the law for the Department to retaliate against anyone who opposes discrimination, files a grievance, or participates in the investigation of a grievance.
Procedure:
- Grievances must be submitted to the Section 1557 Coordinator within (60 days) of the date the person filing the grievance becomes aware of the alleged discriminatory action.
- A complaint must be in writing, containing the name and address of the person filing it. The complaint must state the problem or action alleged to be discriminatory and the remedy or relief sought.
- The Section 1557 Coordinator (or her/his designee) shall investigate the complaint. This investigation may be informal, but it will be thorough, affording all interested persons an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to the complaint. The Section 1557 Coordinator will maintain the files and records of the Department relating to such grievances. To the extent possible, and in accordance with applicable law, the Section 1557 Coordinator will take appropriate steps to preserve the confidentiality of files and records relating to grievances and will share them only with those who have a need to know.
- The Section 1557 Coordinator will issue a written decision on the grievance, based on a preponderance of the evidence, no later than 30 days after its filing, including a notice to the complainant of their right to pursue further administrative or legal remedies.
The availability and use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a person from pursuing other legal or administrative remedies, including filing a complaint of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in court or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. A person can file a complaint of discrimination electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, which is available at: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf or by mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201.
Complaint forms are available at: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/civil-rights-complaint- form-11-30-2019.pdf. Such complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination.
The Department will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency are provided auxiliary aids and services or language assistance services, respectively, if needed to participate in this grievance process. Such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing qualified interpreters, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. If you need these services, please contact the Department’s health program, service, local health department or health insurance marketplace directly. The Section 1557 Coordinator will ensure that the Department provides such services free and upon request in accordance with applicable policies and regulations.
Maryland Department of Health Notice of Privacy Practices
The Dorchester County Health Department is a unit of the Maryland Department of Health. As such, it is subject to and complies with the Maryland Department of Health Privacy Practices.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is committed to protecting your health information. MDH is required by law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI). PHI includes any identifiable information that we obtain from you or others that relate to your physical or mental health, the health care you have received, or payment for health care.
Please visit the MDH Website for complete information on Privacy Practices, including how to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
Privacy Practice documents are available in other languages and alternative formats that meet the guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have questions and would like more information, you may contact:
Lauren Boyce, Esq.
Privacy Officer
MDH Office of the Inspector General
Phone: (410) 767-5411
Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Individual Rights Policy
The Dorchester County Health Department is a unit of the Maryland Department of Health. As such, it is subject to and complies with the Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Individual Rights Policy.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is committed to protecting the health information of Maryland citizens. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), the Omnibus Final Rule of 2013 (collectively, “HIPAA”), and their implementing regulations require that MDH adopt policies on specific issues. The purpose of this policy and related guidelines is to ensure department-wide consistency in fulfilling the individual rights requirements of Federal and State laws regarding protection of health information.
This policy explains the individual rights that are required under the HIPAA standards, including the requirements for adoption and distribution of the Notice of Privacy Practices, the rights of individuals to access and request amendment of their protected health information (PHI), restrictions on use and disclosure of PHI, confidential communications, and accounting of disclosures that have been made of individual’s PHI. Individual rights under the Maryland Confidentiality of Medical Records Act of 1990 (MCMRA) and other applicable Federal and State laws and regulations on health information are also included.
Access the full HIPAA Individual Rights Policy
Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Privacy Administrative Requirements Policy
The Dorchester County Health Department is a unit of the Maryland Department of Health. As such, it is subject to and complies with the Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Privacy Administrative Requirements Policy.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is committed to protecting the health information of Maryland citizens. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), the Omnibus Rule of 2013 (collectively, “HIPAA), and their implementing regulations require that MDH adopt policies on specific issues. The purpose of this policy and related guidelines is to ensure department-wide consistency in fulfilling the administrative and organizational requirements of Federal and State mandates regarding the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI).
The Secretary shall designate one individual as the MDH Privacy Officer. The roles and responsibilities of the Privacy Officer and MDH health care components (Covered Components) are explained. The MDH Privacy Officer shall coordinate activities of the Privacy Office with the Corporate Compliance Office, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and MDH Covered Components to implement, monitor, and enforce the requirements of this and related mandates.
This policy explains the administrative and organizational requirements for privacy in the HIPAA standards including MDH’s need to develop conforming relationships with business associates, a complaint process, sanctions against members of the workforce who violate privacy policies or practices, mitigation procedures should a violation occur, protection for whistleblowers, practices to safeguard PHI, and retention of documentation otherwise required under the law.
The OAG has determined that MDH is a single legal entity that performs a variety of health care and public health activities, thereby meeting the definition of a “hybrid entity” as defined in the HIPAA regulations. This policy serves to meet the organizational requirement that such designation be officially documented and specifically identifies the MDH Covered Components in the appendix.
Access the full HIPAA Privacy Administrative Requirements Policy
Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Breach Response Policy
The Dorchester County Health Department is a unit of the Maryland Department of Health. As such, it is subject to and complies with the Maryland Department of Health HIPAA Breach Response Policy.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is committed to protecting the health information of Maryland citizens. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), the Omnibus Rule of 2013, together known as HIPAA, and their implementing regulations require that MDH adopt policies on specific issues. The purpose of this policy and related guidelines is to ensure department-wide consistency in fulfilling the HIPAA breach response requirements.
The Secretary of MDH has designated a Privacy Officer for MDH within the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), whose duties include working cooperatively with the MDH covered components’ HIPAA privacy contacts to coordinate the duties related to the fulfillment of these responsibilities. This policy explains the breach response procedures that are required under HIPAA standards, including the requirements for notifying affected individuals in the event of a breach of their unsecured Protected Health Information (PHI).