Since our inception, we have only implemented the highest-level of care for our patients: 92 percent of patients’ families surveyed would recommend Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (the national average is 84 percent), according to a hospice satisfaction survey.
We have consistently ranked significantly higher than the national average:
- Our overall rating of care was 87 percent (compared to 80 percent),
- We ranked 84 percent in receiving timely care (as compared to the national average of 78 percent).
Evidence of our dedication to patient service and making a positive difference in our patients’ lives is reflected in our accreditations and distinctive qualities.
Quality
- New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Columbus Regional Hospital and Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center choose Lower Cape Fear LifeCare as their quality partner to provide palliative care to their patients.
- We are the palliative care provider to more than 40 area assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.
- We are the ONLY hospice in the region with full-time physicians on staff.
- Our clinical team members are experts in pain and symptom management.
- Sixty percent of our physicians, 40 percent of our nurses and 10 percent of our aides have earned their Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care.
- We are dedicated to the specific needs veterans have at the end of their lives. Through our veteran-centered programs and ceremonies, we acknowledge and honor the service they have given our country. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has achieved a Level Five Partnership in the We Honor Veterans program.
- Our care centers are available exclusively for Lower Cape Fear LifeCare patients, and they can be transferred 24-hours-a-day.
- Our care centers have full-time physicians on staff.
- We provide acute, respite and residential patient services to meet all levels of care needs.
Honors and Accreditations
- We are a 2017 Hospice Honors Recipient awarded by Healthcare First.
- We are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.
- We are a “deemed provider” for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This means we have met or exceeded the quality standards required by Medicare and Medicaid.
Compliance Policies and Information
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.
Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated doing business as Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (we/the agency) is committed to protecting the information you share with us. We follow all federal and state laws that require us to keep your information confidential. (The Health Information and Portability and Accountability Act (45 C.F.R. Part 160 and 164 HIPAA)).
The agency will use and disclose your health information when we are required to do so by any federal, state, or local law. Where there is a conflict between state law and federal law, we will follow the stricter law.
This notice describes the agency’s practices at all locations. All employees, contractors, volunteers, and vendors are required to comply with the regulations.
Why we collect personal information
The agency may use or disclose your health information without authorization to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services.
This includes sharing your health information with other healthcare providers for treatment alternatives, disclosing your health information to contracted personnel for training purposes, contacting you for appointments, or contacting you as part of community information and fundraising mailings (unless you tell us you do not want to be contacted).
Payment
The agency may include your health information on Medicare or other insurance for the care you may receive from us.
For example, the agency may be required by your health insurer to provide information regarding your healthcare status so the insurance company will reimburse the agency.
Treatment
The agency may use your health information within the agency and with others involved in your care, such as your attending physician, members of the interdisciplinary team and other healthcare professionals who have agreed to help us coordinate your care.
The agency may also disclose your healthcare information to individuals outside of the agency who are involved in your care, including designated family members, pharmacists, suppliers of medical equipment or other healthcare professionals.
Healthcare operations
The agency may use and disclose healthcare information for our own operations as necessary to provide quality care to all of our patients.
Healthcare operations include:
- Accreditation, licensing, certification, or credentialing activities
- Quality assessment and improvement activities
- Activities designed to improve health or reduce healthcare costs
- Professional review and performance evaluations
- Auditing and compliance reviews, medical reviews, and legal services
- Fundraising, unless you opt out
- Training programs
The agency is also required to collect and send information to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to meet legal requirements.
The agency keeps this information for a minimum seven years after your discharge from services unless you were a minor at the time of service.
The agency is required by law to maintain the privacy of your personal information and to provide you with a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information we collect
Name
Dates of service
Address
Types of service
Phone number
Diagnosis
Social Security number
Medical history
Date of birth
Medicare/other payer infoThe agency is allowed to make changes at any time and make any such change applicable to your protected health information (PHI) obtained before the change. A copy of the current notice will posted on our website at LifeCare.org.
To conduct health oversight activities
The agency may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency for activities including audits, civil administrative or criminal investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary action. We may not disclose your health information if you are the subject of an investigation and your health information is not directly related to your receipt of healthcare or public benefits.
Judicial and administrative proceedings
If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, the agency may disclose health information about you in response to a court order. We also may disclose PHI about you in response to a subpoena or other lawful process by someone else by furnishing your medical records under seal to the court.
For organ, eye, tissue, or body donation
If you are a patient, the agency may use or disclose your health information to organ procurement organizations for the purpose of facilitating the donation and transplantation. If you are an organ or tissue donor, we are required to provide medical information about you after your death to the agency that received the donation.
For research purposes
If you are a patient, the agency may, under select circumstances, use your health information for research. Before being used or disclosed, the project will be subject to an extensive approval process.
Fundraising activities
The agency may use or disclose health information about you, including disclosures to a foundation to contact you to raise money for our facility and its operations. We would only release contact information and the dates you received services. If you do not want to be contacted in this way, you must notify us in writing.
To coroners and medical examiners
Your health information may be disclosed to coroners and medical examiners for purposes of determining your cause of death or for other duties, as authorized by law.
To funeral directors
The agency may disclose your health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law and if necessary, to carry out their duties with respect to your funeral arrangements.
To report abuse, neglect or domestic violence
The agency will notify authorities as required by law, if staff in good faith believe a patient is a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
For risks to public health
The agency may disclose health information for public health activities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability, vital events such as birth and death and for conducting public health surveillance, investigations, or interventions. We may report adverse events, product defects, track products or enable product recalls, repairs and replacements and to comply with requirements of the Food and Drug Administration.
For specified government functions
The agency will use or disclose your health information to facilitate government functions related to the military and veterans, national security, and intelligence activities.
For workers’ compensation
If you are a patient, the agency may release your PHI for workers’ compensation or similar programs under appropriate circumstances.
A serious threat to health and safety
The agency may use or disclose your health information to prevent or lessen a serious or imminent threat to you or the public. Any disclosure would be to an entity that could prevent the threat and be consistent with applicable law and ethical standards.
Any other uses or disclosures not already outlined in this notice are prohibited unless authorized by you, your personal representative, or permitted by state or federal laws.
YOUR RIGHTS RELATED TO YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
The right to request limits on the uses and disclosures of your health information
You may request limits on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You have the right to request a limit on the agency’s disclosure of your health information to someone who is involved in your care or the payment of your care. This includes disclosures to a health plan when you have paid your bill in full, out of pocket, at the time of service. We are not responsible for notifying providers downstream of any restrictions. Any such request must be submitted in writing to our Privacy Officer. We are required to restrict disclosures to your health plan only if you paid 100 percent out of pocket; otherwise, we do not have to accept your request for restriction.
The right to choose how we communicate with you
You have the right to ask that the agency send information to you at a specific address (for example, at work rather than at home) or in a specific manner (for example, by email rather than mail). We must agree to your request as long as it is not disruptive to our operations to do so. You must submit a request in writing to our Privacy Officer.
The right to choose to see and copy your health information
You have the right to look at and copy your health information, including billing records. You must submit a request in writing to the Privacy Officer. In certain situations, the agency may deny your request, but if we do, we will tell you in writing of the reasons for the denial and explain your rights and how to have the denial reviewed.
If you ask the agency for a copy of your health information, we may charge you a reasonable fee as allowed by law. Alternatively, we may supply you with a summary or explanation of your health information, as long as you agree to the cost in advance. If desired, you may request and receive a copy of your records in an electronic format.
The right to correct or update your health information
If you believe the health information the agency has is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it. A request must be submitted in writing to the Privacy Officer and must include the reason why you think the amendment is appropriate.
If the agency agrees to make the amendment, we will ask you to tell us who else you would like us to notify of the amendment. We may deny your request to amend information that was not created by us, is not part of our records, if the information you wish to amend is not part of the health information you or your representative are permitted to inspect and copy, or if, in the opinion of the agency, the records containing your health information are accurate and complete. If we deny the amendment, we will tell you in writing how to submit a statement of disagreement, or to request to include your documents to amend in your health information.
The right to receive a list of the disclosures we have made
You have the right to receive a list of disclosures of your health information by the agency. The list will not include disclosures we have made for treatment or operations purposes, or for those that were made with your authorization. You may request a list of disclosures by submitting a request to the Privacy Officer. The request should specify the time period. The first list within a 12-month time period will be free. We will charge you our costs for any additional list within that 12-month period.
The right to notification of breach
If the agency determines that there has been a breach of your protected health information, we will provide you or your representative with written notice directly, by first class mail, or by email if you agree to receive electronic notice.
The notification will be provided no later than 60 days following discovery of the breach. The notification will include a description of the breach; description of the type of information involved in the breach; steps you or your representative should take to protect you from harm; a brief description of what the agency is doing to investigate the breach, mitigate the harm and prevent further breaches; and contact information for the agency.
The agency may notify you by phone as well as written notice if determined to require urgency because of possible misuse of protected health information.
The right to receive a paper copy of this notice
You may receive a paper privacy notice even if you have received the notice by email. You may obtain a paper copy by contacting the agency’s Privacy Officer.
How to file a complaint about our privacy practices
The agency has a legal duty to protect health information about you. If you think we have violated your privacy rights, or you want to complain to us about our privacy practices, you can contact our Privacy Officer.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights at the federal or regional level if you feel your privacy rights have been violated.
You may fax, email, or mail your complaint.
To file online, go to http://www.hhs.gov/ocr. The complaint must be filed within 180 days of when you knew the act occurred. An extension may be given for “good cause.”
Our Privacy Officer is available to assist you in filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Civil Rights office.
Personal information in other databases
The agency may receive personal information about you from other government agencies and other healthcare providers involved in your care. Examples of agencies could include: Hospitals, Dept. of Social Services, Courts, Doctors and Labs.Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated doing business as Lower Cape Fear LifeCare assumes no liability for the use, misuse, or re-disclosure of information considered confidential under state or federal regulations that are housed in databases in other agencies or health information exchanges. The agency takes reasonable steps to assure information is not improperly disclosed but cannot oversee the actions of other agencies.
Regional Manager,
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
Atlanta Federal Center, STE-3B70
61 Forsyth St. SW
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (404) 562-7886
Fax: (404) 562-7881
TDD: (404) 331-2867Director, Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Blvd. SW
Room 509F, HHH Bldg.
Atlanta, GA, 30303-8909Questions about this notice?
Contact our privacy officer:
1414 Physicians Drive
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-796-7900
Fax: 910-796-7901
Email: privacy@Lifecare.orgDISCRIMINATION IS AGAINST THE LAW
Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated, doing business as Lower Cape Fear LifeCare complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated, d/b/a Lower Cape Fear LifeCare does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated d/b/a Lower Cape Fear LifeCare:
Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, 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, contact Lower Cape Fear LifeCare’s Compliance Officer or designee. If you believe that Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Incorporated, doing business as Lower Cape Fear LifeCare 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 the Compliance Officer listed below. You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Compliance Officer is available to help you.
Doronda Stroud-Garm, Compliance Officer
1414 Physicians Drive
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-796-7900
Fax: 910-796-7901
Email: doronda.stroud-garm@lifecare.orgYou 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/portal/lobby.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
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD).Complaint forms are available at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html
English: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-910-796-7900.
Spanish: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo.
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-910-796-7900.
Vietnamese: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. tuân thủ luật dân quyền hiện hành của Liên bang và không phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da, nguồn gốc quốc gia, độ tuổi, khuyết tật, hoặc giới tính.
CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-910-796-7900.
Chinese: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. 遵守適用的聯邦民權法律規定，不因種族、膚色、民族血統、年齡、殘障或性別而歧視任何人。
注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-910-796-7900.
Korean: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. 은(는) 관련 연방 공민권법을 준수하며 인종, 피부색, 출신 국가, 연령, 장애 또는 성별을 이유로 차별하지 않습니다.
주의: 한국어를 사용하시는 경우, 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 이용하실 수 있습니다. 1-910-796-7900 번으로 전화해 주십시오.
French: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. respecte les lois fédérales en vigueur relatives aux droits civiques et ne pratique aucune discrimination basée sur la race, la couleur de peau, l’origine nationale, l’âge, le sexe ou un handicap.
ATTENTION : Si vous parlez français, des services d’aide linguistique vous sont proposés gratuitement. Appelez le 1-910-796-7900.
Arabic: وانین الحقوق المدنیة الفدرالیة المعمول بھا ولا یمیز على أساس العرق أو اللون أو Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. یلتزم
الأصل الوطني أو السن أو الإعاقة أو الجنس.
1-910-796-7900
ملحوظة: إذا كنت تتحدث اذكر اللغة، فإن خدمات المساعدة اللغویة تتوافر لك بالمجان. اتصل برقم
Gujarati: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. લાગુ પડતા સમવાયી નાગરિક અધિકાર કાયદા સાથે સુસંગત છે અને જાતિ, રંગ, રાષ્ટ્રીય મૂળ, ઉંમર, અશક્તતા અથવા લિંગના આધારે ભેદભાવ રાખવામાં આવતો નથી.
સુચના: જો તમે ગુજરાતી બોલતા હો, તો નિ:શુલ્ક ભાષા સહાય સેવાઓ તમારા માટે ઉપલબ્ધ છે. ફોન કરો 1-910-796-7900.
Hmong: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. ua raws cov kev cailij choj yuam siv ntawm Tsom Fwv Nrub Nrab Teb Chaw hais txog pej xeem cov cai (Federal civil rights laws) thiab tsis ciav-cais leejtwg vim nws hom neeg, nqaij tawv, lub tebchaws tuaj, hnub nyoog, kev tsis taus, los yog poj niam txiv.
LUS CEEV: Yog tias koj hais lus Hmoob, cov kev pab txog lus, muaj kev pab dawb rau koj. Hu rau 1-910-796-7900.
Russian: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. соблюдает применимое федеральное законодательство в области гражданских прав и не допускает дискриминации по признакам расы, цвета кожи, национальной принадлежности, возраста, инвалидности или пола.
ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы говорите на русском языке, то вам доступны бесплатные услуги перевода. Звоните 1-910-796-7900.
German: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. erfüllt geltenden bundesstaatliche Menschenrechtsgesetze und lehnt jegliche Diskriminierung aufgrund von Rasse, Hautfarbe, Herkunft, Alter, Behinderung oder Geschlecht ab.
ACHTUNG: Wenn Sie Deutsch sprechen, stehen Ihnen kostenlos sprachliche Hilfsdienstleistungen zur Verfügung. Rufnummer: 1-910-796-7900
Tagalog: Sumusunod ang Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. sa mga naaangkop na Pederal na batas sa karapatang sibil at hindi nandidiskrimina batay sa lahi, kulay, bansang pinagmulan, edad, kapansanan o kasarian.
PAUNAWA: Kung nagsasalita ka ng Tagalog, maaari kang gumamit ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika nang walang bayad. Tumawag sa 1-910-796-7900.
Mon-Khmer, Cambodian:
Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. អនុវត្តតាមច្បាប់សិទ្ធិពលរដ្ឋនៃសហព័ន្ធដែលសមរម្យនិងមិនមានការរើសអើសលើមូលដ្ឋាន នៃពូជសាសន៍ ពណ៌សម្បុរ សញ្ជាតិដើម អាយុ ពិការភាព ឬភេទ។
ប្រយ័ត្ន៖ បើសិនជាអ្នកនិយាយ ភាសាខ្មែរ, សេវាជំនួយផ្នែកភាសា ដោយមិនគិតឈ្នួល គឺអាចមានសំរាប់បំរើអ្នក។ ចូរ ទូរស័ព្ទ 1-910-796-7900។
Japanese: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. は適用される連邦公民権法を遵守し、人種、肌の色、出身国、年齢、障害または性別に基づく差別をいたしません。
注意事項：日本語を話される場合、無料の言語支援をご利用いただけます。1-910-796-7900 まで、お電話にてご連絡ください。
Hindi: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. लागू होने योग्य संघीय नागरिक अधिकार क़ानून का पालन करता है और जाति, रंग, राष्ट्रीय मूल, आयु, विकलांगता, या लिंग के आधार पर भेदभाव नहीं करता है।
ध्यान दें: यदि आप हिंदी बोलते हैं तो आपके लिए मुफ्त में भाषा सहायता सेवाएं उपलब्ध हैं। 1-910-796-7900 पर कॉल करें।
Portuguese: Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Inc. cumpre as leis de direitos civis federais aplicáveis e não exerce discriminação com base na raça, cor, nacionalidade, idade, deficiência ou sexo.
ATENÇÃO: Se fala português, encontram-se disponíveis serviços linguísticos, grátis. Ligue para 1-910-796-7900
