Notice of privacy practices.

HIPAA Privacy Notice — Your Privacy Rights

This notice describes how medical information about you may be collected, used, and disclosed, and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

Effective date: January 1, 2026

Download a PDF copy of this notice

The Kinard Center for Communication Development, PLLC ("we," "our," or "the Kinard Center") is required by law to protect your personal and health-related information. This information may include:

  • Notes from your doctor, teacher, or other health care provider

  • Medical history

  • Test results and evaluation reports

  • Treatment notes and progress records

  • Insurance and billing information

A federal rule called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — or HIPAA — requires that you receive a copy of this notice. Before beginning services at the Kinard Center, we will ask you to sign a document acknowledging that you have received this notice. You may read this notice at any time.

How We Collect Your Information

Information You Provide Directly

We collect information when you:

  • Call or email us

  • Complete a form through our clinic, website, or client portal

  • Log into our secure client portal

  • Participate in a clinic session, in-person or via telehealth

  • Submit documents related to insurance billing

This information may include:

  • Name, address, phone number, and email address

  • Information about your or your child's developmental or communication concerns

  • Insurance and payment information

  • Appointment scheduling requests

  • Health history and progress notes

If you are a current or prospective client, any information that identifies you and relates to your health, treatment, or payment is considered Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. We use and disclose PHI only as permitted by law and only for purposes such as treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.

Important: Please do not send PHI via regular email. Use our secure client portal or encrypted messaging system for confidential communication.

Automatically Collected Website Data

We may collect limited, non-identifiable data when you visit our website, such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and referral source. This data is used only to improve our website and does not include PHI.

How Your Information May Be Used or Shared

We use your information to:

  • Communicate with you and respond to inquiries

  • Provide in-person and telehealth therapy services

  • Coordinate care across providers

  • Submit claims to insurance companies

  • Maintain treatment records

  • Improve our services and client experience

  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements

We do not sell or rent your personal or health information.

When Your Permission Is Not Needed

We may use or share your health information without your permission for the following reasons:

  • Treatment. We may share information with doctors and other health care providers who care for you. For example, if your doctor refers you for speech therapy, we may share the results of our evaluation and treatment with that doctor.

  • Payment. We may use and share information to receive payment for services. This may include sharing necessary information with your insurance company to obtain prior authorization, verify coverage, or receive reimbursement.

  • Health Care Operations. We may use and share information to operate the practice and ensure quality care. For example, we may review records to evaluate the effectiveness of our services or to meet accreditation or regulatory requirements.

  • Abuse and Neglect. We may share your information with government agencies when there is evidence of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, as required by law.

  • Appointment Reminders. We will use your information to send you appointment reminders by phone, voicemail, text, or email. If you prefer a specific contact method, please let us know in writing.

  • As Required by Law. We will share your information when required by federal, state, or local law, or when ordered by a court or law enforcement agency.

  • Government Functions. Your information may be shared for national security, military, or veterans' affairs purposes as required by law.

  • Public Health Risks. We may report information to public health agencies as required by law, including to help prevent disease, injury, or disability, or to report medical device safety issues to the FDA.

  • Regulatory Oversight. We may share your information with agencies that oversee health care operations, including for audits, licensure, or inspections.

  • Research. We may share de-identified health information for research purposes through projects that have received appropriate ethical approval and include privacy protections.

  • Threats to Health and Safety. We may share your information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety, or to the health or safety of others.

  • Workers' Compensation. We will share your information with applicable agencies if your case involves a work-related injury or illness.

  • Marketing and Service Updates. We may contact you to inform you about services at the Kinard Center that are directly related to your care, such as new service offerings or relevant community resources. We will not use or disclose your information for other marketing purposes without your separate written authorization.

  • Information About a Person Who Has Died. We may share information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director, as needed.

When Your Permission Is Needed

For any use or disclosure not described above, we will ask for your written authorization before sharing your information. You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing. Revocation will not apply to actions already taken in reliance on your authorization.

Use of Telehealth Services

When you participate in telehealth sessions, your information is transmitted through HIPAA-compliant platforms using encrypted video, audio, and messaging. Telehealth sessions are subject to the same confidentiality and privacy protections as in-person services. We do not record telehealth sessions unless you have explicitly authorized recording in writing.

Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical precautions to protect your information, including:

  • Use of secure, password-protected systems

  • Encrypted client portal and telehealth platforms

  • Limited access to PHI by authorized personnel only

No system is completely immune from risk. We encourage clients to use the secure client portal for sensitive communications.

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies to enhance user experience and analyze traffic. This data is anonymized and used only to improve functionality. You may modify your browser settings to decline cookies. We do not use cookies to collect PHI.

Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for adults seeking services for themselves or their children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under age 13 through our website. Information about children is collected only from parents or legal guardians.

Third-Party Links

Our website may include links to external websites. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or data collection of third-party sites. Please review their privacy policies separately.

Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your health information:

  • Ask us to limit how we use or share your information. You may ask us in writing not to use or share your information for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or with specific individuals involved in your care. We are not required to agree, but we will consider all reasonable requests. We must comply when you pay out-of-pocket in full and ask us not to share information with your insurance for that service.

  • Ask us to contact you privately. You may ask us to reach you only by a specific method (phone, email) or at a specific location (work, not home). We will make every reasonable effort to comply.

  • Look at and copy your health information. You have the right to see and receive a copy of your treatment, medical, and billing records. Some information — such as material compiled for litigation, certain lab results, or copyrighted test materials — may be restricted.

  • Ask for corrections to your health information. If you believe your records are inaccurate or incomplete, you may ask us in writing to make a correction. We may deny the request in certain circumstances but will explain our decision.

  • Get a report of how your information was used or shared. You may request a written accounting of disclosures made over the prior six years. Your first request in any 12-month period is free; we may charge a reasonable fee for additional requests.

  • Get a paper copy of this notice. You may request a paper copy of this Privacy Notice at any time, even if you have previously acknowledged receiving it electronically.

  • File a complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (www.hhs.gov/ocr). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Who Is Covered by This Notice

This notice applies to all individuals who work at or provide services on behalf of the Kinard Center for Communication Development, including:

  • All licensed clinicians and clinical staff

  • Supervised clinical fellows, graduate student clinicians, and interns

  • Administrative staff with access to client records

  • Volunteers assisting with client services

Changes to This Notice

We may update this notice at any time. Updated versions will be posted in the practice and on our website, and will be available upon request. Changes may apply to information already on file. The effective date appears on the first page.

Complaints and Contact Information

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. Complaints must be in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

If you have questions about this notice or your privacy rights, contact us: