We take patient privacy seriously at Penn State Health Children's Hospital. We have policies in place to protect your personal medical information and your child's medical information.
Discussing patient information
Our staff only uses a patient’s medical information to provide treatment to the patient or for billing purposes. We don’t discuss a patient’s health with anyone other than the patient, his or her guardian, and other related care providers.
We ask that you share medical information with your family and friends as you feel appropriate.
Confidential admission
You may request that we “do not list” you or your child as a patient in our directory.
If you make such a request, your callers and visitors will be told that you are not a patient. Mail, gifts, and flowers will be returned to the sender. This designation is usually reserved for legal issues.
Request for privacy
If you are in a non-private room, the nurses might request visitors to step out of the room if you or another patient requests privacy to discuss medical issues with a care provider.
We cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any messages transmitted over the Internet, so please don’t use e-mail to send or request sensitive information. You can send secure messages to your child’s provider through My Penn State Health, our site for patients.
Do not use e-mail to report sudden or significant changes in your child’s health to your care provider.
Privacy notices
Our privacy notice is posted in public locations throughout the hospital. You may also request a privacy notice from your caregiver or by contacting the Privacy Office at 717-531-2081.
Learn more about our commitment to privacy.
Notice of Privacy Practices - HIPAA
The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) Privacy Rule gives individuals a fundamental right to be informed of the privacy practices of their health care providers, and to be informed of their privacy rights with respect to their personal health information (PHI). The required notice is available for you to download below: