Your Privacy Matters to Us

At Community Hearing Center, we treat our patients like family, and that includes protecting your personal information. This policy explains how we handle your information and your rights regarding your privacy. As the only independently-owned audiology practice in Jackson, we take personal responsibility for safeguarding your trust and maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection.

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Information We Collect

We collect information that helps us provide you with the best possible hearing care. This includes basic contact details like your name, address, phone number, and email, as well as health information related to your hearing needs. We also collect insurance information for billing purposes and your communication preferences, including whether you'd like to receive text message reminders. We only collect information that's necessary for your care and never gather more than we need.

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What We Collect:

• Basic contact information (name, address, phone, email)
• Health information needed for your hearing care
• Insurance information for billing
• Communication preferences (including SMS/text messaging consent)

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Why We Collect It:

• To provide quality hearing healthcare
• To schedule appointments and send reminders
• To process insurance and billing
• To communicate important updates about your care

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Text Messaging (SMS)

We offer convenient text messaging to help you stay connected with your hearing healthcare. When you provide your mobile number and consent to receive texts, we'll use this service to send appointment reminders, notify you of office schedule changes, and provide follow-up care reminders. This service is completely optional and designed to make managing your hearing care easier. You always have control over these communications and can change your preferences at any time.

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Important SMS Information:

• Standard message rates may apply
• Text frequency varies based on your appointments
• Reply STOP to any message to opt out
• You can also call us to change your preferences

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How We Protect Your Information

Your privacy and security are paramount to us. We follow all HIPAA regulations and implement industry best practices to keep your information safe. Your records are stored securely, whether they're physical files in our office or electronic records in our system. Only authorized staff members who need your information to provide care can access your records. Most importantly, we never sell, share, or disclose your information to third parties for marketing purposes.

• We follow HIPAA regulations and industry best practices
• Your information is stored securely
• Only authorized staff access your records
• We never sell your information to third parties

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Your Rights

As our patient, you have complete control over your personal information. You can request to see your records, get copies for your own files, and ask us to correct any errors. You also have the right to choose how we communicate with you – whether by phone, email, text, or traditional mail. If you ever want to change your communication preferences or opt out of certain types of messages, just let us know. We respect your choices and will update your preferences immediately.

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You have the right to:

• See and get copies of your records
• Request corrections to your information
• Choose how we contact you (phone, email, text, or mail)
• Opt out of communications at any time

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Questions or Concerns?

We're here to help with any privacy questions or concerns you may have. Dr. Kelli Bogue serves as our Privacy Officer and personally oversees our privacy practices. You can reach out to us anytime by phone, email, or in person during your visits. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the Office for Civil Rights. We take all concerns seriously and will work to address them promptly.

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Contact our Privacy Officer:
Dr. Kelli Bogue, Au.D.
Community Hearing Center
2027 4th Street
Jackson, MI 49203
Phone: (517) 888-5055

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For privacy complaints, you may also contact:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Office for Civil Rights
www.hhs.gov/ocr

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By using our services or providing your information, you acknowledge that you understand this policy. This policy meets Blueprint OMS requirements for healthcare practices using SMS communication.