Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: June 19, 2026
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.
Our Legal Duty
The Mugford Center is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI, and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to abide by the terms of the version of this Notice currently in effect.
Protected health information (PHI) is information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, the health care services you receive, or payment for those services.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
The following describes the ways we may use and disclose your PHI without your written authorization.
Treatment
We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your dental and periodontal care. For example, we may share information with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment, such as your referring dentist, physician, or a specialist.
Payment
We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for the services we provide. For example, we may submit claims to your dental insurance plan or contact you about a balance on your account.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your PHI to support the day-to-day operations of the practice. This includes quality assessment activities, staff training, scheduling, and business management functions necessary to run the practice and maintain the quality of care we provide.
Appointment Reminders
We may contact you to remind you about upcoming appointments or follow up on your care, using phone, text, email, or mail.
Treatment Alternatives
We may use your PHI to tell you about treatment options or health-related services that may be of interest to you.
Business Associates
We may share your PHI with third-party service providers (known as Business Associates) who perform functions on our behalf, such as billing services or technology providers. These Business Associates are required by law to protect your information and use it only as permitted.
As Required by Law
We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including disclosures to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for compliance investigation or enforcement purposes.
Public Health Activities
We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities authorized to collect information for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your PHI to law enforcement officials for purposes such as identifying or locating a suspect, reporting a crime on our premises, or complying with a court order or subpoena.
Serious Threats to Health or Safety
We may use or disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Workers’ Compensation
We may disclose your PHI to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
The following uses and disclosures will only be made with your written authorization:
- Marketing — We will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes without your written authorization, except for face-to-face communications we may make with you or promotional gifts of nominal value.
- Sale of PHI — We will not sell your PHI without your written authorization.
- Psychotherapy Notes — We will not disclose psychotherapy notes (if applicable) without your written authorization, except as permitted by law.
- Other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice.
You may revoke any written authorization at any time by submitting a written request to our office. Your revocation will be effective going forward and will not affect any actions we have already taken based on your prior authorization.
Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
Right to Inspect and Copy
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI that we maintain in a designated record set. Requests must be submitted in writing. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request.
Right to Request Amendment
You have the right to request that we amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. Your request must be in writing and include the reason for the amendment. We may deny your request under certain circumstances and will explain the reason in writing.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made in the six years prior to the date of your request. This right does not apply to disclosures made for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or to disclosures you authorized.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except: if you request that we not disclose your PHI to your health plan for services you paid for in full out of pocket, we are required to honor that request.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your PHI in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we only contact you at a specific phone number or by mail. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Please contact our office to request one.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified if your unsecured PHI has been breached in a manner that compromises the privacy or security of your information.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of the rights described above, please submit a written request to:
The Mugford Center — Privacy Officer
1660 Village Green
Crofton, MD 21114-2033
Phone: (410) 721-7801
How to File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us directly at the address above, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775
Website: hhs.gov/ocr/privacy
We will not retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. If we make material changes, the revised Notice will be posted on our website at mugfordcenter.com and will be available at our office. The effective date of the current version will always be displayed at the top of this Notice.
Contact Us
For questions about this Notice or your privacy rights, please contact:
The Mugford Center
1660 Village Green
Crofton, MD 21114-2033
Phone: (410) 721-7801
