The Medical Records Department at Parmer Medical Center (“PMC”) is dedicated to providing optimal custodial management of all medical records, to assuring record keeping practices conform to industry standards and meet or exceed regulatory and licensing standards, and to maintaining the privacy, security, and confidentiality of patient information in accordance with state and federal regulations. We are committed to providing service excellence to all our customers. As a valued customer, we will extend to you the utmost courtesy, responsiveness, and professionalism as our commitment to service excellence.
Our normal hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
If you have any questions, please contact us at (806) 250-2754 extension 160, 161, or 162.
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Who owns my medical record? |
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Your medical record is the property of Parmer Medical Center and is maintained by the hospital for your benefit for continuity of care purposes. Although the physical records (paper or electronic) are maintained by the hospital, generally but with a few exceptions, you have the right to view or to request a copy of your medical record.
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How can I obtain a copy of my medical record? |
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You may complete an authorization form to request copies of your medical records.
Under Texas law, a disclosure authorization to a hospital is valid only if it is:
(1) is in writing;
(2) is dated and signed by the patient or the patient's legally authorized representative;
(3) identifies the information to be disclosed; and
(4) identifies the person or entity to whom the information is to be disclosed.
A downloadable copy of the authorization form is at this link:
AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
The hospital must ensure that you are the person who has the legal right to obtain copies of your medical records before releasing it. For example, the hospital may ask to see a photo identification card such as a driver's license to verify your identity.
You may mail or fax the authorization form to the Medical Records Department:
Parmer Medical Center
Medical Records Department
1307 Cleveland Avenue
Friona, TX 79035-1121
Secure Medical Records Fax: (806) 250-2486
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How can I obtain a copy of my child’s medical record? |
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For your child who is 17 years of age or younger, you may complete an authorization form to request copies of your child’s medical records. Please see above.
Once your child reaches the age of 18, your child has the right to view and obtain a copy of his/her own medical record. This includes access to records that were created when the child was younger. Once the child reaches the age of 18, as a parent, you usually no longer have the right to view or obtain your child’s medical record.
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What are the fees charged for obtaining a copy of my medical record? |
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The hospital does not charge a fee for providing copies of medical records for continuity of care purposes to you or your provider.
Under certain limited situations other than providing copies of medical records for continuity of care purposes, hospitals in Texas are allowed to charge you a reasonable fee for copying your medical record. Under Texas law as of September 9, 2011, PMC may charge you no more than the following amounts for copies.
| Paper Records: |
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Cost per page: |
| 0-10 |
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Reasonable cost-based fee |
| 11-60 |
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$1.51 |
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$0.75 |
| 400+ |
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$0.40 |
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| Microfilm or other electronic media: |
| Pages |
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Cost per page: |
| 0-10 |
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Reasonable cost-based fee |
| 11+ |
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$1.51 per page thereafter |
These fees are adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. The hospital may also charge you for the actual cost of mailing, shipping, or delivery if you request that the copies be sent to you.
If you have any questions concerning whether a charge is associated with providing copies of medical records to you, please contact the Medical Record Department for clarification.
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Does the hospital charge a fee for sending/faxing a copy of my medical records to my physician for continued treatment? |
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No. The hospital does not charge a fee for providing copies of medical records for continuity of care purposes.
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How are the fees determined for obtaining a copy of my medical record? |
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The State of Texas sets the fees, if any, associated with providing copies of medical records. If you have questions regarding the fee for copying medical records, you may contact the Medical Records Department or the Department of State Health Services, Facility Licensing Group, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, Texas 78714-9347, telephone: (512) 834-6648.
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If I signed a medical records release form to obtain copies of my medical records, can I send my spouse/sibling/child/other family member to pick up the copies of my records? |
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Generally, your medical records can only be released to the person authorized to obtain the copies of the medical records. There are two ways to facilitate a third-party pick up of medical records:
On the signed authorization form, specify that your records can be released to the particular person; or provide a letter with your signature, the date and authorization for the person to pick up your medical records. The Medical Record Department personnel must be able to confirm that it is actually your signature and must also be able to confirm the identity of the person picking up your medical records.
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Will the copy of my medical records include radiology images? |
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If you had an x-ray or other radiology imaging performed at the hospital, your medical record will contain the radiology interpretation report only. The actual radiology images are not contained within your medical record. You may request a copy of your radiology images by contacting the Medical Records Department at (806) 250-2754.
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Can I get billing statements for my hospital visit from Medical Records? |
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Billing statements are maintained separately from your medical record. You may obtain a billing statement and other financial information from the hospital’s Business Office. You may reach the Business Office at (806) 250-2754.
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If I request a copy of my medical records for my personal use, how soon can I expect to receive a copy of my medical records? |
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Upon receipt of a valid authorization form submitted to the Medical Records Department, typically, your request for a copy of your records will be processed within one business day; however, in some cases such as retrieving the information from microfilm, the processing time may be longer. In accordance with Texas statutes, the Medical Records Department will respond to requests for copies of medical records no greater than 15 days after the date of the request. If the request for medical information is urgent, please call the Medical Records Department to discuss your needs.
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How quickly can a copy of my medical records be mailed/faxed to my physician’s office for an upcoming appointment? |
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Typically, pertinent medical record information is timely provided to your ordering/treating physician at no charge for continuum of care purposes. If you request a copy of your medical records to be mailed/faxed to your physician’s office or if your physician’s office contacts the Medical Records office to request copies of your medical records, the Medical Records Department will make every effort to mail/fax the pertinent information as soon as possible. If you need a copy of your medical records or radiology images for a provider other than your ordering/treating physician such as a specialist, please contact the Medical Records Department so that we can make timely arrangements to provide the needed information.
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Can I obtain any medical record information verbally? |
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Medical records may contain reports, test results, and other notes that only a physician can interpret. To help prevent information contained in the record from being misunderstood, the Medical Records Department cannot provide medical information to a patient verbally.
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If I was born or my child was born at the hospital, how do I obtain a birth certificate? |
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You may request a copy of the birth certificate from the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Vital Statistics office in Austin, Texas. The Vital Statistics office phone number is (888) 963-7111. You may also obtain more information from the Vital Statistics’ website at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/certified_copy.shtm. You may also contact the Parmer County Clerk’s office, Farwell, Texas, at (806) 481-3691 or its website at http://www.co.parmer.tx.us/ips/cms/countyoffices/countyClerk.html.
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Can you tell me my blood type if I had blood drawn at the hospital? |
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Blood typing is not routinely performed. Unless your physician specifically ordered a test to type your blood, the hospital will not have this information. If blood typing was ordered by your physician and performed, the Medical Record’s Department will need a completed patient authorization form to process the request for this information.
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How long does the hospital keep my medical record? |
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Parmer Medical Center (“PMC”) maintains medical records in accordance with state retention guidelines. PMC may authorize the destruction of medical records relating to you or your minor child either (1) on or after the 10 year anniversary after you were last treated at PMC, or (2) in cases when a patient was younger than 18 years of age when last treated, PMC may authorize the destruction of medical records relating to the minor patient on or after the date of the patient’s 20th birthday, or on or after the 10 year anniversary of the date on which the patient was last treated, whichever date is later.
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Who can I contact for questions or more information regarding my medical records? |
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The Medical Records Department is typically open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Generally, our department is closed on weekends and major holidays. For questions or additional information, please call
(806) 250-2754 ext. 160, 161, or 162.
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