NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: April 2, 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 Commitment to Your Privacy
CardioFit Medical Group, Inc. ("CardioFit," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information. We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and other applicable state and federal laws to:
- Maintain the privacy of your protected health information ("PHI").
- Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI.
- Notify you following a breach of your unsecured PHI.
- Abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any changes will apply to all PHI we maintain, including information created or received before the change. The revised Notice will be posted in our office, on our website, and made available to you upon request.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
The following categories describe the different ways in which we may use and disclose your PHI. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed, but all of the ways in which we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of these categories.
1. For Treatment
We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. This includes coordination or management of your care with a third party who has already obtained your permission to have access to your PHI. For example, we may share your
PHI with another physician who is involved in your care, such as your primary care physician or a specialist.CardioFit Medical Group, Inc.
2. For Payment
We may use and disclose your PHI so that we or others may bill and receive payment from you, an insurance company, or a third party for the treatment and services you receive. For example, we may contact your insurance company to verify your coverage, to obtain pre-authorization for a procedure, or to submit claims for payment.
3. For Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose your PHI as necessary to support our business activities and improve the quality of care we provide. For example, we may use your PHI to evaluate the performance of our staff, to conduct training programs, to assess quality improvement activities, or to provide customer service.
4. Appointment Reminders and Health-Related Communications
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders, test results, or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
5. Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care
Unless you object, we may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend, or any other person you identify, your PHI that directly relates to that person's involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment.
6. As Required by Law
We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
7. Public Health Activities
We may disclose your PHI for public health activities, including to: prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and notify the appropriate government authority of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
8. Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure actions.
9. Lawsuits and Disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose your PHI in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
10. Law Enforcement
We may release your PHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons, or similar process; to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; about the victim of a crime under certain limited circumstances; about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct; about criminal conduct at the Practice; and in emergency circumstances to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description, or location of the person who committed the crime.
11. Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may release PHI to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release PHI to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
12. Organ and Tissue Donation
If you are an organ donor, we may release PHI to organizations that handle organ procurement or transplantation, or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
13. Military and Veterans
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release your PHI as required by military command authorities.
14. Workers' Compensation
We may release your PHI for workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
15. National Security and Intelligence Activities
We may release your PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
16. Inmates
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release your PHI to the correctional institution or law enforcement official.
17. To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
We may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
18. Research
Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes, subject to an approval process and additional privacy protections.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
Most uses and disclosures of your PHI that are not described above will be made only with your written authorization. Uses and disclosures that always require your written authorization include:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if applicable).
- Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes.
- Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI.
- Disclosures to any third party not otherwise permitted by law.
You may revoke your authorization, in writing, at any time, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on it.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding the PHI we maintain about you:
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a restriction on the PHI we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as a family member or friend. We are not required to agree to your request, except when the request is for disclosure to a health plan for payment or health care operations purposes and you have paid out-of-pocket in full for the item or service. To request restrictions, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. Your request must state: (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we only contact you by mail or at work. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
Right to Inspect and Copy
You have the right to inspect and copy PHI that may be used to make decisions about your care. To inspect and copy your PHI, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may deny your request to inspect and copy PHI in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access to PHI, you may request that the denial be reviewed.
Right to Request an Amendment
If you believe that PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for the Practice. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to our Privacy Officer. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. We may also deny your request if you ask us to amend information that: (1) was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment; (2) is not part of the PHI kept by or for the Practice; (3) is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (4) is accurate and complete.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures," which is a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI. This list will not include disclosures we made for treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosures you specifically authorized; or certain other limited disclosures. To request this list, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. Your request must state a time period, which may not be longer than six years. Your first request in a 12-month period will be free. For additional requests, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically. You may obtain a paper copy of this Notice by contacting our Privacy Officer at (310) 791-5577 or by visiting our office.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI. We will notify you in writing within 60 days of discovering any breach that compromises the privacy or security of your PHI.
Right to Choose Someone to Act for You
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
How to File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Practice or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
To file a complaint with our Practice, please contact:
Privacy Officer
CardioFit Medical Group, Inc.
23456 Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 250
Torrance, CA 90505
Telephone: (310) 791-5577
To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, please contact:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
You will not be retaliated against, penalized, or have your care affected in any way for filing a complaint.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this Notice, or if you would like to exercise any of your rights described above, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Leonard J. Scuderi, M.D., F.A.C.C.
CardioFit Medical Group, Inc.
23456 Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 250
Torrance, CA 90505
Telephone: (310) 791-5577
This Notice is effective April 2, 2026.
Questions About Our Privacy Practices?
Contact our Privacy Officer or reach out to us directly