Skip to Content

Student Health Services

Confidentiality & HIPAA

In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was endorsed by the US Congress as a result of the American public's concern about how patient health information was stored, accessed, disclosed and shared. The HIPAA Privacy Rule provided the first nationally-recognized and enforced set of regulations concerning the use and disclosure of what is commonly called “protected health information.”

HIPAA requires all health care professionals and those with access to patient data to operate within strict standards to safeguard protected health information. The US Department of Health and Human Services enforces HIPAA law and imposes penalties on institutions that do not make good-faith efforts to ensure the privacy and security of protected health information.

Student Health Services operates in strict adherence to HIPAA laws and regulations. HIPAA requirements are incorporated into policies and procedures department-wide, and are a vital, required component of new employee and annual staff refresher training.

Notice of Privacy Practices

Student Health Services' Notice of Privacy Practices posters and forms detail the organization’s maintenance of medical information as required by law, and use and disclosure of that information to the extent necessary to provide high quality health care.

Included in the Notice of Privacy Practices is detailed information about how patients can:

  • Obtain a copy of their health information.
  • Request UHS amend health information in their patient records.
  • Receive an accounting of certain disclosures made of their health information.
  • Request UHS restrict the use and disclosure of their health information.
  • Request information regarding how UHS may contact them about medical matters.
  • Receive notification of how UHS may use protected health information.

The notice is available upon request to students at each UHS check-in desk. It is posted in common and lobby areas of each department, and is accessible to students at MyHealthSpace, the patient appointment and communication portal.

Report a Concern

If you wish to report a privacy concern, please email the Student Health Services Privacy Officer at shspo@mailbox.sc.edu.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©