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Notice of Privacy Practices

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Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

Effective: April, 2004
Last revised: Feb 2026

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. 

Who will follow this Notice

This notice describes the practices of Renown Health. Renown Health includes its employees, physician staff, trainees, volunteer groups, medical students, anyone authorized to enter information into your medical record, contracted employees, business associates and their employees, and other health care personnel. For the purposes of this notice, the entities, will be referred to in this notice as “Renown Health.” Locations who are subject to this notice include but are not limited to: Renown Regional Medical Center, Renown South Meadows Medical Center, Renown Rehabilitation Hospital, all Renown Medical and Specialty Groups, Renown Urgent Care, Lab, and Imaging locations, and Renown Home Health.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
  • Ask us to correct your paper or electronic medical record
  • Request confidential communication
  • Ask us to limit the information we share
  • Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
  • Choose someone to act for you
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

  • Tell family and friends about your condition
  • Provide disaster relief
  • Include you in a hospital directory
  • Provide mental health care
  • Market our services and sell your information
  • Raise funds

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information to:

  • Treat you
  • Run our organization
  • Bill for services provided to you
  • Help with public health and safety issues
  • Do research
  • Comply with the law
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
  • Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
  • Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you.
    View ways to request a copy at: Medical Records
  • We will provide a copy within 30 days of your request. In exceptional circumstances, we may notify you of a delay and provide it within 60 days.
  • We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

  • You can ask us to correct health information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
  • We may say “no” to your request, but we will explain why in writing within 60 days.
  • To request an amendment, mail your request to:

Renown Regional Medical Center – Release of Information
1155 Mill St, Mailstop O12
Reno, NV 89502

Request confidential communications

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone, or by email) or send mail to a different address.
  • We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

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 operations.
    We are not required to agree, and we may say “no” if it affects your care.
  • If you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer.
    We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share it.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

  • You can request a list (accounting) of disclosures for six years prior to your request, including who we shared information with and why.
  • This excludes disclosures for treatment, payment, and operations, and certain other disclosures (such as those you asked us to make).
  • We provide one free report per year. Additional requests within 12 months may include a reasonable fee.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

  • You can request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
  • We will provide it promptly.
  • You may also view it online:
    renown.org/about/notice-of-privacy-practices

Choose someone to act for you

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or they are your legal guardian, they may exercise your rights and make decisions about your health information.
  • We will verify their authority before taking action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

  • If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact us at:
    1-800-611-5097
  • Or submit a written complaint to:

Renown Health Compliance/Privacy Officer
1155 Mill St, Mailstop N-14
Reno, NV 89502

  • You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights: Filing a Complaint
    1-877-696-6775

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your preferences about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. We may contact you by phone, text, or email. You can update your preferences at any time through MyChart or during registration.

In these cases, you have the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation
  • Include your information in a hospital directory

If you are not able to tell us your preference (for example, if you are unconscious), we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your information without written permission:

  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your information
  • Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the case of fundraising

  • We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can ask us not to contact you again.
  • To opt out, notify us in writing:

Renown Health Chief Compliance/Privacy Officer
1155 Mill St, Mailstop N-14
Reno, NV 89502

Our Uses and Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information?

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

Treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals treating you.

Example:
A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization

We use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when needed.

Example:
We use your health information to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for services provided to you

We use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other entities.

Example:
We share information with your health insurance plan so it can pay for your services.

Notice to Patients Regarding the Destruction of Health Care Records

In accordance with Nevada law (NRS 629.051):

  • Health records are retained for five years after receipt or production, unless otherwise required by federal law.
  • If you are under 23 years old, your records will not be destroyed.
  • After age 23, records will be destroyed following the five-year retention period, unless otherwise required by law.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We may share your information in ways that support the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet legal requirements before doing so.

For more information: HIPAA for Individuals

Help with public health and safety issues

We may share health information for situations such as:

  • Preventing disease
  • Assisting with product recalls
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety

Do research

We may use and disclose health information for research purposes under certain conditions.

  • All research projects go through a special approval process.
  • This process balances research needs with patient privacy.
  • Researchers may review information to prepare studies but cannot remove or copy it.

We may contact you about research opportunities unless you opt out.

To opt out:

  • Phone: 775-982-2781
  • Email: opt-out@renown.org

Comply with the law

We will share your information if required by state or federal law, including with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We may share your health information with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We may share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when someone dies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support:

  • Treatment
  • Payment
  • Healthcare operations

Examples include:

  • Assisting clinicians in reviewing information
  • Reviewing claims
  • Improving service efficiency
  • Enhancing care coordination

All AI tools operate under our direction and follow HIPAA privacy and security requirements.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We may use or share your health information:

  • For workers’ compensation claims
  • For law enforcement purposes
  • With health oversight agencies
  • For government functions (military, national security, presidential services)

We may share health information in response to:

  • Court or administrative orders
  • Subpoenas

Nevada Attorney General and Grand Jury Investigations

We may disclose health information to investigators or a grand jury related to:

  • Patient neglect
  • Elder abuse
  • Medicaid fraud
  • Workers’ compensation violations

Nevada Board of Medical Examiners / State Board of Osteopathic Medicine

If a provider is unable to continue practice (due to death, disability, incarceration, etc.):

  • The Board may take possession of patient records
  • Records may be shared with patients or transferred to a new provider

State-Based Health Information Exchange (HIE)

This facility may participate in a statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE).

  • Your information may be shared to improve care coordination and decision-making
  • You may be asked to opt in
  • You can change your preference anytime by contacting HealthHIE Nevada

Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records (42 CFR Part 2)

Certain health information we maintain is subject to additional federal privacy protections.

If we create, receive, maintain, or transmit records that identify you as having sought or received substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis, treatment, or referral, those records may be protected under 42 CFR Part 2, which is more restrictive than HIPAA.

How we may use and disclose Part 2 records

  • We may use and disclose these records only as permitted by both HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2.
  • If you provide valid written consent for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, we may use and disclose your Part 2 records as described in this notice.
  • Except as otherwise permitted by law, Part 2 generally prohibits use or disclosure without your written authorization.
  • Part 2 records—and any testimony describing them—may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you unless:
    • You provide specific written consent
    • OR a court order authorizes the use or disclosure after proper notice and opportunity to be heard
  • Any court order must also be supported by a subpoena or other legal process before records are disclosed.

Your rights regarding Part 2 records

  • Receive notice about how your records may be used or disclosed and any limitations
  • Provide written consent for uses or disclosures beyond what is permitted by law
  • Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures, as allowed by law
  • File a complaint if you believe your Part 2 privacy rights have been violated

Our responsibilities (Part 2)

  • Protect the confidentiality of these records
  • Provide notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
  • Follow the terms of this notice and notify you of material changes

Redisclosure notice

  • Federal law (42 CFR Part 2) protects these records
  • Records may only be redisclosed as permitted by federal law
  • Unauthorized use or disclosure is prohibited, including use in legal proceedings, unless allowed by law, your written consent, or a court order

Other Uses of Your Health Information

Uses and disclosures not covered in this notice or by applicable law will only be made with your written authorization.

  • You may revoke your authorization at any time, in writing
  • Once revoked, we will no longer use or disclose your information for those purposes

Our Responsibilities

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information
  • We will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may affect your information
  • We must follow the privacy practices described in this notice and provide you a copy
  • We will not use or share your information beyond what is described here unless you give written permission

If you give permission, you may change your mind at any time by notifying us in writing.

For more information: Health Information Privacy

Changes to the Terms of this Notice

We may change the terms of this notice. Any changes will apply to all health information we maintain about you.

The updated notice will be available:

  • Upon request
  • In our offices
  • On our website
ER Wait Times

How are wait times calculated?

Our estimated ER wait times reflect the average time from check-in to being seen by a medical professional during triage, where patients are prioritized based on the severity of their condition.

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