Notice of Privacy Practices
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry, PLLC
190 Russell Street, Suite 1 | Hadley, MA 01035
413-341-9701 | info@pioneervalleypsychiatry.com
Effective Date: September 21, 2026
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can obtain access to this information, and your rights concerning your health information. Please review it carefully.
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry (“PVP”) is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Massachusetts law provides additional confidentiality protections for certain mental health information. When Massachusetts or another applicable law provides greater privacy protection than federal law, PVP will follow the more protective law.
Your Rights
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
You may ask to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information PVP maintains about you. PVP will generally provide a copy or summary of your health information within the time required by law. A reasonable, cost-based fee may be charged when permitted by law. Certain information may be subject to special rules or limitations on access.
Ask PVP to correct your medical record
You may ask PVP to correct health information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. PVP may deny your request in some circumstances, but if the request is denied, PVP will explain the reason in writing as required by law.
Request confidential communications
You may ask PVP to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location. For example, you may ask that PVP call a particular telephone number or send correspondence to a particular address. PVP will accommodate reasonable requests.
Ask PVP to limit what is used or shared
You may ask PVP not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. PVP is not generally required to agree to such a request. If you pay for a health care service or item entirely out of pocket, you may ask PVP not to disclose information about that service or item to your health plan for purposes of payment or health care operations. PVP will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Receive an accounting of certain disclosures
You may ask for an accounting of certain disclosures PVP has made of your health information during the period provided by law. The accounting does not include certain disclosures, including many disclosures made for treatment, payment, and health care operations or disclosures you specifically authorized. PVP will provide one accounting within a 12-month period without charge. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to additional requests when permitted by law.
Receive a copy of this Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose someone to act for you
If another person has legal authority to act as your personal representative, that person may exercise rights concerning your health information as permitted by law. PVP may request documentation establishing that person's authority before acting on the person's request.
File a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with PVP by contacting the Privacy Contact listed at the end of this Notice. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. PVP will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
Sharing with family or others
For certain health information, you may tell PVP your preferences about what information is shared. Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, this may include sharing information with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care. If you are unable to express a preference, PVP may disclose information when permitted by law and when necessary to protect your interests or to prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Marketing, sale of information, and psychotherapy notes
PVP will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information for purposes requiring authorization under applicable law, including most uses and disclosures for marketing, the sale of protected health information, and most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes when psychotherapy notes as defined by HIPAA are maintained. PVP does not sell patient information. An authorization may generally be revoked in writing at any time, except to the extent PVP has already acted in reliance on it.
How PVP Typically Uses and Discloses Health Information
Treatment
PVP may use your health information to provide psychiatric care and may disclose information to other health care professionals involved in your treatment when permitted by applicable law. Because Massachusetts provides heightened confidentiality protections for mental health information, some disclosures that HIPAA might otherwise permit may require your written authorization under Massachusetts law. PVP will follow applicable Massachusetts confidentiality requirements when they provide greater protection.
Payment
PVP may use and disclose health information as permitted by law to bill for services and obtain payment from health plans or other responsible parties. For example, PVP may provide information required by your insurance plan to process a claim or determine coverage.
Health care operations
PVP may use and disclose health information as permitted by law for activities necessary to operate the practice, such as quality assessment, credentialing, compliance, business administration, and practice management.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
Public health and safety: PVP may disclose information when legally permitted or required for public health and safety purposes, such as reporting suspected abuse or neglect, reporting certain threats to health or safety, reporting matters required by public health law, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to a person's health or safety.
Required by law: PVP may disclose information when federal or Massachusetts law requires the disclosure.
Health oversight: PVP may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, and other regulatory activities.
Judicial and administrative proceedings: Health information may sometimes be disclosed in connection with judicial or administrative proceedings when authorized or required by applicable law. Mental health records and communications receive additional protection under Massachusetts law. A subpoena or request for records does not necessarily mean that PVP may disclose confidential mental health information. PVP will evaluate such requests under applicable federal and Massachusetts law and will disclose information only when legally permitted or required.
Special Protection for Mental Health Information
PVP is a psychiatric practice. Information obtained in connection with psychiatric evaluation and treatment may receive greater confidentiality protection under Massachusetts law than health information generally receives under HIPAA.
This may include information concerning the fact and dates of treatment, psychiatric symptoms, diagnoses, testing, treatment plans, medications, and confidential communications made in connection with psychiatric care.
PVP will not disclose confidential mental health information unless the disclosure is authorized by the patient or the patient's legally authorized representative, or is otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.
Massachusetts law also recognizes a psychotherapist-patient privilege protecting certain confidential communications concerning diagnosis or treatment of a patient's mental or emotional condition. The application of that privilege depends on the circumstances and applicable law.
Children, Adolescents, Parents, and Guardians
For a minor patient, a parent, legal guardian, or other legally authorized representative generally exercises privacy rights on the child's behalf.
There are circumstances, however, in which Massachusetts or federal law permits a minor to consent to particular health care services or gives the minor control over information relating to those services. There are also circumstances in which a parent or guardian may not be entitled to particular information.
PVP will determine access to and disclosure of a minor patient's health information according to the patient's age, the nature of the care, custody or guardianship arrangements when relevant, and applicable federal and Massachusetts law.
PVP also recognizes that appropriate confidentiality can be important to effective psychiatric treatment of adolescents. Clinical expectations concerning parent involvement and adolescent confidentiality will be discussed as appropriate, but those clinical practices do not alter legal rights of access or disclosure established by applicable law.
Our Responsibilities
PVP is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information. PVP will notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information. PVP must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect. PVP will not use or disclose your health information other than as described in this Notice unless you provide written authorization or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law. When written authorization is required, you may generally revoke it in writing at any time, except to the extent PVP has already acted in reliance on the authorization.
Questions or Complaints
For questions about this Notice, requests concerning your privacy rights, or complaints about PVP's privacy practices, please contact:
John Diggins, MD — Privacy Contact
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry
190 Russell Street, Suite 1
Hadley, MA 01035
413-341-9701
info@pioneervalleypsychiatry.com
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. PVP will not retaliate against you for exercising your privacy rights or filing a complaint.