Privacy Policy

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Dr. Brian O'Carroll, DPM and Five Cities Foot & Ankle ("we," "us," "our") are committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

Uses and disclosures of your protected health information

We may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and health care operations as permitted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This includes sharing information with other providers involved in your care, billing your insurance, and conducting quality assessments.

Your rights regarding your health information

• The right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records.
• The right to request a correction or amendment to your records.
• The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures.
• The right to receive a list of disclosures of your PHI.
• The right to receive a paper copy of this notice upon request.
• The right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

Website privacy

Most of this website is informational. When you use our appointment request or new-patient intake forms, the information you enter is transmitted to our practice as described below.

Appointment request and new-patient intake forms

When you submit an appointment request or new-patient intake form through our website, the information you provide is transmitted to our practice through our form-processing provider, Jotform, and is used to schedule your appointment and prepare for your visit. We do not sell, rent, or share this information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics, loaded through Google Tag Manager, only on the informational pages of our website to understand how visitors use our content and to improve it. These analytics tags are not loaded on our appointment request, new-patient intake, or confirmation pages.

Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies required for site functionality. On informational pages, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager may also set cookies as described above. We do not use advertising cookies.

Communications

We may contact you by phone, text, or email about appointments, test results, and care coordination. You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time by contacting our office.

Contact us about privacy

If you have questions about this notice or our privacy practices, or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at (805) 946‑1799 or visit us during business hours at our Pismo Beach or Santa Maria office.