HIPAA Notice
Nutrition By Shanon PLLC d/b/a Nourish Center
Effective Date: October 10, 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.
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Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Nutrition By Shanon PLLC, doing business as Nourish Center ("we," "us," or "our"), is required by law to protect the privacy of your protected health information ("PHI"). PHI is information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future health, the care you receive, or payment for that care. This includes your intake forms, nutrition assessments, session notes, lab results you share with us, care plans, and billing records.
We are required by law to:
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Keep your PHI private and secure.
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Give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
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Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
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Notify you if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI.
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This Notice applies to everyone who works with our practice, including our dietitians, any future practitioners, supervised students or interns, and staff.
How We May Use and Share Your Health Information
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Treatment
We use your PHI to provide your nutrition care, and we may share it with other healthcare providers involved in your care. For example, we may send a progress summary to your physician, or speak with your doctor about lab results. Where practical, we will tell you before we contact another provider about you.
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Payment
We use and share your PHI to bill and get paid by your health plan or others. For example, we send your insurance company information about your visit, including diagnosis codes, so it can pay for your care.
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Health Care Operations
We use your PHI to run our practice, improve the quality of care, and train and supervise practitioners. For example, we may review your record to make sure our services meet professional standards.
Business Associates
We work with companies that help us run our practice, such as Practice Better (client records, scheduling, and telehealth), Zoom (telehealth video), and billing services. These "business associates" must sign agreements promising to protect your PHI and use it only as we allow.
Appointment Reminders and Care Communications
We may use your contact information to send appointment reminders, follow-up messages, and information about your care plan, including through Practice Better.
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Uses and Disclosures Where You Have a Choice
People Involved in Your Care
We may share relevant PHI with a family member, friend, or other person you identify who is involved in your care or in paying for it, unless you tell us not to. If you cannot tell us your preference, for example in an emergency, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest, and we will give you a chance to object as soon as possible.
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Referral Partners
If you were referred to us by a physician or other provider, we may share information with that provider for your treatment. Any other sharing with a referral partner requires your written authorization.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
We will never do the following without your written authorization:
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Marketing: We will not use or share your PHI for marketing.
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Sale of PHI: We will not sell your PHI.
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Testimonials or stories: We will not use your name, photo, results, or story publicly.
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Psychotherapy notes: We do not keep psychotherapy notes. If we ever do, they will not be shared without your authorization except as the law allows.
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Any other use not described in this Notice.
You may cancel an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted on it.
Uses and Disclosures Allowed or Required by Law
In limited situations, the law allows or requires us to share your PHI without your authorization. We share only the minimum information needed, and only when the law permits:
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As required by law, including federal, state, or local law.
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Public health and safety, such as preventing disease, reporting adverse reactions to products, or preventing a serious threat to someone's health or safety.
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Abuse or neglect, to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to appropriate authorities as required by law.
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Health oversight, for audits, investigations, inspections, and licensing activities by government agencies.
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Lawsuits and legal proceedings, in response to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena or other lawful request if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information.
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Law enforcement, for certain law enforcement purposes allowed by law.
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Coroners and medical examiners, as allowed by law.
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Research, only when approved under federal rules that protect your privacy, or with your authorization.
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Specialized government functions, such as military, national security, or correctional settings, as allowed by law.
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Workers' compensation, as required by workers' compensation laws.
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Health and Human Services, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asks to review our compliance with privacy laws.
New York law sometimes gives more protection to certain information, such as HIV-related information, genetic test results, and certain mental health information. When New York law is stricter than federal law, we follow New York law.
Substance Use Disorder Records (42 CFR Part 2)
We are not a substance use disorder treatment program. However, if we receive records about substance use disorder treatment that are protected by the federal law known as 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2 records"), those records receive extra protection:
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Part 2 records, or testimony describing their content, will not be used or shared in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you unless you give written consent, or a court issues an order after you (or the record holder) receive notice and an opportunity to be heard. A court order must be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure.
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If Part 2 records are shared with us based on your written consent for treatment, payment, or health care operations, we may further use and share them as HIPAA allows, consistent with this Notice.
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We do not conduct fundraising. If we ever do, you will have the chance to opt out before receiving any fundraising communication.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
To exercise any of these rights, send a written request to the contact listed at the end of this Notice or message us in your Practice Better client portal.
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Get a copy of your records. You may ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your health and billing records. We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
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Ask us to correct your records. You may ask us to correct information you believe is wrong or incomplete. We may say no, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
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Request confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, only by cell phone) or at a different address. We will agree to all reasonable requests.
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Ask us to limit what we use or share. You may ask us not to use or share certain PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care. However, if you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you may ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan, and we will agree unless the law requires us to share it.
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Get a list of those we've shared information with. You may ask for a list (accounting) of the times we shared your PHI in the six years before your request, who we shared it with, and why. This does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or operations, or those you authorized. We will provide one list a year for free and may charge a reasonable fee for additional lists within 12 months. We will respond within 60 days.
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Get a copy of this Notice. You may ask for a paper or electronic copy at any time. It is also posted at nourishcenter.com/privacy-practices.
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Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your PHI.
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Be notified of a breach. You have the right to be notified if your unsecured PHI is affected by a breach.
Changes to This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be posted on our website, available in your client portal, and provided on request.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints, calling 1-877-696-6775, or writing to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Contact Us
Privacy Officer: Shanon Whittingham
Nutrition By Shanon PLLC d/b/a Nourish Center
2918 Avenue I, Suite 1350
Brooklyn, NY 11210
Email: info@nourishcenter.com
Phone: 914-353-0362
This Notice is effective as of October 10, 2026, and replaces all earlier versions.