Privacy

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.

If you have questions about this notice, please contact the Stratford EMS Privacy Officer at (203) 385-4060.

On this page: Who follows this notice • How we use and share your information • Your choices • When we need your permission • Substance use disorder records • Your rights • Complaints • Website use and privacy

Notice of Privacy Practices

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Who Follows This Notice

This notice applies to Stratford Emergency Medical Service (Stratford EMS or SEMS), a department of the Town of Stratford, Connecticut. It also applies to our career and volunteer members, students, and the companies that work on our behalf, such as our billing company.

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Your health information is personal, and Stratford EMS is committed to protecting it. The law requires us to:

  • keep your protected health information (PHI) private. PHI is health information that could be used to identify you;
  • give you this notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices;
  • follow the terms of the notice currently in effect; and
  • notify you if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs.

How We May Use and Share Your Health Information

The categories below describe how we may use and disclose your PHI. Not every use or disclosure in a category is listed. For any purpose not described in this notice, we will use or disclose your PHI only with your written permission.

Treatment. We may use and share your PHI to treat and transport you. For example, we may share information with doctors, nurses and other health care professionals involved in your care. We may also give information to a hospital or dispatch center by radio, telephone or electronic means, and provide the hospital with a copy of the patient care report we create.

Payment. We may use and share your PHI to bill and receive payment from you, your insurance company or other third parties. For example, we may give your health plan information it needs to pay for our services. Our billing company handles this on our behalf.

Health care operations. We may use and share your PHI to run our service and improve care. Examples include quality improvement reviews, training and education, licensing and accreditation, handling complaints, legal and accounting services, business planning, and reports that do not identify you.

Other Uses and Disclosures Allowed Without Your Permission

The law permits or requires us to use or disclose your PHI without your written permission in the following situations:

  • When required by law, but only to the extent the law requires.
  • For public health activities, such as preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, reporting births and deaths, and reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.
  • To a social service or protective services agency authorized by law to receive reports of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. Whenever possible we will ask for your permission first; in some cases, the law requires or allows us to report without it.
  • For health oversight activities, such as audits, inspections and licensing.
  • For judicial and administrative proceedings, in response to a court order, subpoena or other lawful process.
  • For law enforcement purposes, including: (i) reporting certain types of injuries as required by law; (ii) responding to a court order, warrant, subpoena or other lawful process; (iii) helping identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person; (iv) providing information about a crime victim when we cannot obtain the victim’s permission; (v) reporting a death we believe may be the result of a crime; (vi) reporting a crime on our premises; and (vii) in an emergency, reporting a crime, the location of a victim or the identity of the person responsible.
  • To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors.
  • To organ and tissue procurement organizations.
  • For approved medical research.
  • To prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety.
  • For military and veterans activities, national security and other specialized government functions.
  • For workers’ compensation or similar programs, as permitted by law.

Your Choices: Family, Friends and Disaster Relief

Unless you object, we may share relevant information with a family member, friend or other person you identify who is involved in your care or in paying for your care. We may also use or share your information to tell family members or your personal representative about your location and condition.

If you are unable to agree or object, such as in an emergency, we will share only what we reasonably believe is in your best interest. When the emergency has passed, we will tell you about the disclosure and give you the chance to object to future disclosures. Unless you object, we may also share information with organizations assisting in disaster relief, such as the American Red Cross.

Uses That Require Your Written Permission

Any use or disclosure of your PHI not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. Your written authorization is always required for:

  • most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes;
  • uses and disclosures of your PHI for marketing; and
  • the sale of your PHI.

You may revoke an authorization at any time by writing to the Privacy Officer at the address below. We will stop further uses and disclosures under that authorization, but we cannot take back disclosures we already made in reliance on it.

When we disclose your PHI as permitted by this notice, the person or organization that receives it may share it again, and it may no longer be protected by federal privacy law.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Records

If we receive records from a substance use disorder treatment program that are protected by federal law (42 U.S.C. 290dd-2 and 42 CFR Part 2), we will follow the additional protections that apply to those records. These records, or testimony describing their contents, will not be used or disclosed 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 the disclosure. Stratford EMS does not use these records for fundraising.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

To use any of these rights, send a written request to the Privacy Officer at the address below unless otherwise noted.

  • Get a copy of your records. You may ask to see or get a paper or electronic copy of your PHI, with limited exceptions. We will respond within 30 days. If we deny your request, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to request a review. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as allowed by law; routine electronic copies are normally provided at no charge. You can use our EMS Records Request and Authorization Form.
  • Ask us to correct your records. If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it. Please include the reason for your request. We will respond within 60 days. If we deny your request, we will explain why and tell you how to submit a statement of disagreement.
  • Ask for confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific place, such as a work address or a different phone number. We will agree to all reasonable requests.
  • 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, except that we must agree not to share information with your health plan for payment or operations if you or someone on your behalf paid for the service in full out of pocket, unless the law requires the disclosure. If we agree to a restriction, we will put it in writing and follow it, except when the information is needed to treat you in an emergency.
  • Get a list of disclosures. You may ask for a list (accounting) of certain disclosures we made in the six years before your request. The list does not include disclosures for treatment, payment or health care operations, disclosures made to you or with your permission, and certain others. The first list in any 12-month period is free; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional lists.
  • Get a paper copy of this notice. You may ask for a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
  • Choose someone to act for you. If someone has your medical power of attorney or is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will confirm the person has this authority before we act.
  • Be notified of a breach. We will notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.

Changes to This Notice

We are required to follow the terms of this notice as currently in effect. We may change this notice and our privacy practices at any time, and the changes will apply to all PHI we hold. The current notice is always available on this page, and you may request a copy from the Privacy Officer.

Questions and Complaints

If you have questions about our privacy practices, or believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact:

Michael A. Loiz, Director of EMS & Privacy Officer
2712 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615
Phone: (203) 385-4060
Email: mloiz@stratfordems.org

You may also use our Public Complaint Form. Please do not include medical details in an email.

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, by calling 1-800-368-1019, or online at www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Effective date: November 1, 2026.

Website Use and Privacy

This section applies to your use of www.stratfordems.org.

Not for emergencies. This website, its forms and our email addresses are not monitored for emergencies. For a medical emergency, always call 9-1-1.

Information we collect. We collect personal information only when you choose to provide it, such as when you send a message, submit a form or apply to join. We use it only to respond to you and to provide our services. We do not sell your information.

Site statistics and cookies. Like most websites, we use basic statistics tools and cookies to understand how visitors use the site, such as which pages are viewed. This information is used in summary form to improve the site and does not identify you personally.

Health information. Please do not send medical details through the website or by regular email. To request your records, use the EMS Records Request and Authorization Form.

Links to other websites. Our site links to other organizations, such as our billing company and training partners. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites.

Content and accuracy. Information on this site is provided for general public information and is not a substitute for medical advice. We work to keep it accurate and up to date but cannot guarantee it is complete at all times. Text, photos and graphics on this site belong to Stratford EMS or the Town of Stratford and may not be reused without permission.

Accessibility. We want this site to be usable by everyone. If you have trouble accessing any content, please call (203) 385-4060 and we will help.