At St. Joseph Healthcare, we’re always working to make sure your medical records are secure and confidential, yet easily accessible when you need them. Learn more about how we’re protecting your health information.
Access MyChart – Your Patient Portal
Save time by conveniently accessing MyChart. Through the MyChart Portal, you can view your medical records, request an appointment with your doctor or provider, send secure messages to your care team, request medication refills, view lab and test results and more. Learn More.
Don’t have a MyChart account? There are three ways to sign up:
- Register online. You may have been given a 10-digit activation code at your last doctor’s appointment. If so, click here to register online.
- Register at your provider’s office. It’s quick and easy to set up an account at your health care provider’s office during your next appointment.
- Register by phone. Simply call (888) 727-2017.
Securing and Maintaining Your Medical Record
We Respect Your Privacy
St. Joseph Healthcare is committed to maintaining your medical records securely and in accordance with federal and state regulations.
Although your medical record data belongs to the hospital, the information contained in the record belongs to you. If you would like us to forward a copy of your medical record to another health care facility/provider, insurance company, attorney or another individual, we need your written authorization.
Because of our obligation to protect patient confidentiality, we cannot:
- Fax patient information to a private residence
Request a Copy of Your Medical Records
To request your medical records online, click here.
To submit a signed and dated authorization form via fax:
- Download the “Authorization to Release Protected Health Information” form.
- Print, complete and sign the form.
- Fax the completed form to (207) 907-1916
- You may also mail or hand-deliver your authorization to:
St. Joseph Healthcare
Attn: Health Information Management
P.O. Box 403
360 Broadway
Bangor, ME 04401 - If you need assistance requesting your medical records, please call Customer Service at: (207) 907-3600
You can also view or print a copy of your medical records on MyChart or by visiting our Health Information Office on the ground level near the south elevators at St. Joseph Healthcare. There you will sign a release form and there may be a minimal copying fee for this service. The fee, which is legislated by the State of Maine, is $15.00 for 1-30 pages and $.50 per additional page over 30 pages.
We make every effort to respond to your requests quickly, often within 24 hours. By law, you will receive your records no more than 30 days after your request. Please make sure you provide your phone number and required date if needed for a specific appointment.
Health Record Frequently Asked Questions
There is NO charge if we send records directly to another health care provider. However, there may be a charge for copies of medical records that you pick-up or are mailed directly to you.
Requests for birth/death certificates should be forwarded to the Bangor Town Clerk’s office at (207) 992-4220.
For Diagnostic images/films, please contact the Diagnostic Imaging Department directly at (207) 907-1688.
For St. Joseph Healthcare Physician Practices Records, please download the Medical Release form directly from your practice’s website:
- St. Joseph Family Medicine-Evergreen Woods
- St. Joseph Family Medicine-Broadway
- St. Joseph Family Medicine-Brewer
- St. Joseph Family Medicine-Hampden
- St. Joseph Internal Medicine
After you have been discharged, you may obtain a copy of your medical record.
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment or operations.
We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or operations with your health insurer.
We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
You can ask for an accounting of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, with whom we shared it and why.
We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment and health care operations, and certain other disclosures – such as any you asked us to make. We’ll provide one accounting a year for free, but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
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.
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting our Patient Relations Coordinator at (207) 907-1000.
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices:
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, let us know. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
- Share information with your family, close friends or others involved in your care.
- Share information in a disaster relief situation.
- Include your information in a hospital directory. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
- Marketing purposes
- Sale of your information
- Sharing of psychotherapy notes
Protected Health Information Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.
We can use and share your health information to run our organization, improve your care and contact you when necessary. Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.
We are authorized to share health information about you in certain situations that may be more serious in nature, including:
- Preventing disease
- Helping with product recalls
- Reporting adverse reactions to medications
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence
- Minimizing the risk of serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
We can use or share your information for health research.
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner or funeral director when an individual passes way.
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
We can use or share health information about you:
- For workers’ compensation claims
- For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
- With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
- For special government functions such as military, national security and presidential protective services
Your health information may be used in our Facility Directory. The directory listing will include your name and room.
You may restrict whether your information is included in the directory or to whom we may release such information.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind. For more information see: www.hhs.gov.
If you suspect a breach, please report it to us by phone at 866-894-5534 or send an email to Compliance-privacy@covenanthealth.net
