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NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES AND PATIENT COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

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Patients First Direct Primary Care, PLLC
7616 Branford Pl Suite 220
Sugar Land, TX 77479
832-409-7063 | patientsfirstdpc.com

Effective Date: 10/27/2026

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THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU MAY ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

This Notice explains how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you may access that information. Please review it carefully.

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If you have questions about this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer at 832-409-7063 or Dr.Bazai@patientsfirstdpc.com

YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to:

  • Obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record;

  • Ask us to correct information in your medical record;

  • Request confidential communications;

  • Ask us to limit how we use or share your information;

  • Request a list of certain disclosures of your information;

  • Choose someone to act on your behalf;

  • Receive a paper copy of this Notice; and

  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
     

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Patients First Direct Primary Care, PLLC (“the Practice”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information.

We are required to:

  • Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;

  • Follow the privacy practices described in this Notice;

  • Provide you with a copy of this Notice; and

  • Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
     

We will not use or share your information for a purpose not described in this Notice unless you give us written permission or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

If you give us written permission, you may revoke it at any time by notifying us in writing. Revocation will not affect information already used or disclosed based on your authorization.
 

HOW WE MAY USE AND SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

Treatment

We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care.

For example, we may share relevant information with a pharmacy, laboratory, specialist, hospital, emergency department, telehealth provider, or another healthcare professional involved in your care.

Payment and Membership Administration

We may use your information to process membership payments, HSA card payments, and other authorized payment transactions. We may also use your information to administer your direct primary care membership, including membership enrollment, renewal, cancellation, payment status, and other account administration, and to respond to payment, membership, or account questions.

Membership in the Practice is not health insurance. The Practice does not bill health insurance for direct primary care services covered by your membership.

Membership fees, payment schedules, renewal and cancellation requirements, refund restrictions, appointment-related fees, and other financial terms are governed by the Practice’s Financial Policy and applicable membership agreement. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how information may be used or disclosed in connection with those activities and does not modify the terms of the Financial Policy or membership agreement.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and share your information to operate the Practice and improve the quality of our services. These activities may include compliance, quality review, staff training, licensing, credentialing, accounting, legal services, technology support, security monitoring, and business planning.

Business Associates

We may share information with service providers that assist the Practice, including our electronic medical record provider, patient portal provider, payment processor, secure communications provider, laboratory, accountant, attorney, technology provider, and data-storage provider.

When required by law, these service providers must agree in writing to protect your information.

Appointment Reminders and Care Communications

We may contact you regarding appointments, test results, prescription requests, preventive-care reminders, follow-up care, office closures, or other matters related to your healthcare or membership.

Family Members, Caregivers, and Emergency Contacts

With your permission, we may share relevant information with a family member, caregiver, emergency contact, personal representative, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care.

Identifying someone as your emergency contact does not automatically give that person access to your complete medical record.

Public Health and Safety

We may share information when required or permitted for public health purposes, including reporting certain diseases, suspected abuse or neglect, medication reactions, product recalls, or serious threats to health or safety.

Legal and Government Requirements

We may share information when required or permitted by law, including for health oversight activities, workers’ compensation matters, court or administrative proceedings, law-enforcement purposes, organ or tissue donation, coroners or medical examiners, approved research, and government compliance investigations.

We will comply with applicable state or federal laws that provide greater protection for certain types of health information.

USES REQUIRING YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION

Unless otherwise permitted or required by law, we will obtain your written authorization before:

  • Using your information for marketing;

  • Selling your protected health information; or

  • Disclosing psychotherapy notes maintained separately from your medical record.

The Practice does not sell patient health information.

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RECORDS

Certain substance use disorder treatment records may receive additional protection under federal law.

If the Practice creates, maintains, or receives records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, those records generally may not be used against you in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding unless you provide written consent or a qualifying court order authorizes the use or disclosure.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRACTICE

Patient Portal

The patient portal is our preferred method for confidential electronic communication.

You may use the portal for routine medical questions, appointment matters, prescription requests, and other non-emergency communications. Portal messages may become part of your medical record.

The portal is checked regularly, and we generally respond within 48 hours. Responses may take longer during weekends, holidays, office closures, emergencies, or circumstances outside the Practice’s reasonable control.

Authorized Practice personnel and technology providers may access or process portal messages when necessary for treatment, scheduling, technical support, or Practice operations.

DO NOT USE THE PATIENT PORTAL FOR AN EMERGENCY.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Telephone and Voicemail

We may call the telephone number you provide regarding appointments, test results, prescriptions, follow-up care, or other healthcare matters.

You may tell us whether we may leave a detailed voicemail, leave only a callback request, or refrain from leaving voicemail messages.

Text Messages and Email

Standard text messages and ordinary email may not be fully secure. We will use them only as permitted by law and consistent with your communication preferences.

If you request communication through ordinary email or text message after being informed of the potential privacy risks, we may honor your request when reasonably feasible.

Telehealth

Telehealth visits may involve the electronic transmission of your image, voice, and medical information. The Practice will use reasonable safeguards and appropriate technology to protect telehealth communications.

You are responsible for participating from a reasonably private location and protecting access to your telephone, computer, email account, and patient portal credentials.

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS IN DETAIL

Accessing Your Medical Record

You may request an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information maintained by the Practice.

We will provide access within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted.

In limited circumstances, we may deny access to certain information. If we deny your request, we will explain the reason in writing and advise you of any available review rights.

Correcting Your Medical Record

You may ask us to correct information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. Your request must be submitted in writing and explain the requested correction.

We may deny the request when permitted by law. If we do, we will explain the reason in writing. You may submit a written statement of disagreement for inclusion in your medical record.

Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you through a particular method or at a particular location. For example, you may request that we use a specific telephone number, mailing address, email address, or other communication method.

We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Requesting Restrictions

You may ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are generally not required to agree to your request.

If you pay for a healthcare item or service in full out of pocket and ask us not to disclose information about that item or service to a health plan for payment or healthcare operations, we will honor the request unless disclosure is required by law.

Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before your request.

The accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, it generally will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or disclosures made directly to you.

Personal Representatives

If someone has legal authority to act on your behalf, that person may exercise your privacy rights to the extent permitted by law.

We may request documentation establishing the person’s legal authority.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We may change the terms of this Notice. Any revised Notice may apply to all information maintained by the Practice, including information created or received before the revision.

The current Notice will be available at the Practice, on our website or patient portal, and upon request.

QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS

If you have questions about this Notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact:

Privacy Officer: Dr. Henna Bazai
Practice: Patients First Direct Primary Care, PLLC
Address: 7616 Branford Pl Suite 220
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Telephone: 832-409-7063
Email: Dr.Bazai@patientsfirstdpc.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
Website: www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint

The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising a privacy right.

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