Alamo Liver Institute PLLC ("we," "our," or "the Practice") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy and HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we collect, use, and disclose information about you — including through our website at alamoliver.com, by phone, by email, and by text message (SMS) — and explains your rights under federal and state law.
If you have questions about this Notice, please contact us at (210) 405-9000 or write to us at the address below.
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to abide by the terms of this Notice.
Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually identifiable health information, including demographic data, that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition; the provision of healthcare to you; or the payment for your healthcare.
We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised Notice effective for PHI we already hold. We will post any revised Notice in our office and on our website. You may request a paper copy at any time.
How We Use Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:
Treatment
We use your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services, including sharing information with other providers involved in your care (e.g., referring physicians, labs, hospitals).
Payment
We may use your PHI to bill and collect payment for services, including submission to your health insurance plan, Medicare, Medicaid, or other payers.
Healthcare Operations
We may use your PHI for quality assessment, staff training, accreditation, licensing, and other business activities necessary to operate our practice.
Appointment Reminders
We may contact you by phone, text, or email to remind you of upcoming appointments or follow-up care. You may opt out of any of these channels at any time.
As Required by Law
We will disclose PHI when required by federal, state, or local law, including public health reporting, law enforcement, court orders, and oversight activities.
Disclosures to Family / Friends
With your agreement, we may share relevant health information with a family member, close friend, or other person involved in your care or payment for care.
Your Rights as a Patient
You have the following rights regarding the PHI we maintain about you:
Right to Access
You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your medical record and billing records. Many records are available directly through the athenahealth Patient Portal. For complete records, requests must be submitted in writing. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
Right to Amend
If you believe your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment. We may deny the request in certain circumstances and will explain our decision in writing.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us in the six years prior to your request, other than disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree unless the disclosure is to a health plan and you paid out-of-pocket in full.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location (e.g., call you at work rather than home). We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured Protected Health Information, as required by the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR §§ 164.400–164.414). We will notify you without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery of a breach.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our office in writing at the address listed in Section 12.
Appointment Information
When you request or schedule an appointment — whether by phone, online form, or in person — we collect the following information to facilitate your care:
- Full name, date of birth, and other identifying information needed for scheduling and care
- Contact information (phone number, email address, mailing address)
- Reason for visit or clinical concern
- Insurance carrier, plan name, and member ID
- Referring provider information (if applicable)
- Preferred method of contact and preferred language
This information is used solely to schedule and confirm your visit, prepare your care team, verify insurance eligibility, and coordinate with referring providers. It is stored securely in athenahealth (athenaOne), our cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) and practice management system, and is subject to the same HIPAA protections as all PHI. athenahealth acts as a Business Associate under HIPAA and is bound by a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with our practice.
Phone Communication Consent
By providing your telephone number to Alamo Liver Institute PLLC, you consent to receive phone calls from our practice and authorized staff for the following purposes:
- Appointment scheduling, confirmation, and reminders
- Follow-up on pending referrals, lab results, or imaging
- Prescription or prior authorization updates
- Billing inquiries and insurance verification
- Clinical follow-up as directed by your provider
Phone calls may originate from our office staff directly or through athenahealth's automated patient communication platform, depending on the nature of the contact. Automated calls may use pre-recorded messages where permitted by law. In either case, calls are made solely on behalf of Alamo Liver Institute PLLC. We will not sell or share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes.
To opt out of automated calls: Contact our office at (210) 405-9000 or ask a staff member during your visit. Note that opting out of automated calls may affect our ability to reach you for time-sensitive clinical communications. We may still contact you directly when necessary for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, legal compliance, or patient safety. You may request that we use an alternate phone number, communication method, or location, and we will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Email Communication Consent
By providing your email address, you consent to receive electronic communications from Alamo Liver Institute PLLC, which may include:
- Appointment confirmations and reminders — sent via the athenahealth platform or directly from our staff
- athenahealth Patient Portal activation, password reset, and secure messaging links
- Health education materials and post-visit summaries — may be sent directly by our care team
- Administrative notices (e.g., office closures, policy updates) — may come directly from our office
- Billing statements and online payment links — sent via athenahealth or directly from our billing team
To opt out: Reply "UNSUBSCRIBE" to any non-essential email, or contact our office. We may still send legally required or clinically necessary communications, such as appointment, billing, safety, or care-related notices. You may request an alternate communication method or address, and we will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
SMS / Text Message Consent
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
Alamo Liver Institute PLLC does not sell, rent, or share consumer personal information, including phone numbers, mobile numbers, SMS opt-in consent, or SMS consent records, with third parties or affiliates for marketing, promotional, lead generation, or unrelated purposes.
Patients may opt in to receive healthcare-related SMS/text messages from Alamo Liver Institute PLLC during phone calls, in-office visits, written forms, the patient portal, or other approved intake methods. SMS consent may be documented in the patient's EMR record.
Messages may include appointment reminders, scheduling updates, responses to patient-initiated inquiries, care coordination, and follow-up reminders. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of receiving medical care.
Patients may reply STOP to opt out at any time and HELP for assistance. Sensitive health information should be handled through the athenahealth Patient Portal or by calling our office directly at (210) 405-9000.
SMS Terms & Conditions
PHI transmitted via SMS/text message is limited to the minimum necessary and does not include full medical records, detailed clinical information, or test results. For sensitive health information, please use the athenahealth Patient Portal or call us directly at (210) 405-9000.
Consent to receive SMS/text messages is not a condition of receiving medical care from Alamo Liver Institute PLLC.
Website & Online Information
When you visit alamoliver.com, we may automatically collect certain non-personally identifiable information, including your browser type, device type, operating system, the pages you visit, and the time and date of your visit. This information is used solely to improve website performance and user experience.
Our website contact form collects your name, phone number, email address, and any message you submit. This information is transmitted securely and used only to respond to your inquiry. We do not sell, rent, or otherwise disclose this information to third parties, except as required by law or as necessary to respond to your request (e.g., routing an appointment request to our scheduling staff).
Cookies: Our website may use cookies or similar tracking technologies to improve functionality. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, though some features of the site may not function properly as a result.
Third-party services: Our site uses Google Maps (for directions) and Google reCAPTCHA (for form spam prevention). These services have their own privacy policies and may collect data independently. We encourage you to review Google's Privacy Policy at google.com/policies/privacy. Our clinical and billing operations are powered by athenahealth (athenaOne), whose privacy practices are described at athenahealth.com/privacy-policy.
athenahealth Patient Portal
Alamo Liver Institute uses athenahealth / athenaOne for electronic medical records and patient portal access. The portal may allow patients to:
- View certain health information and visit summaries
- Complete intake forms and update demographic information
- Request appointments and referrals
- Exchange secure messages with our care team
- Review billing information and make payments
- Manage certain administrative aspects of care
Patients are responsible for keeping their portal username, password, associated email account, and login credentials secure. Do not share your portal credentials with others.
Information Security
We implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required by HIPAA to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your PHI. These safeguards include:
- athenahealth (athenaOne) — our cloud-based EHR and practice management system, which provides role-based access controls, encryption at rest and in transit, security features, and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with our practice
- Secure, encrypted website contact forms (HTTPS/TLS)
- Staff training on HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules
- Periodic risk assessments and security audits
- Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with athenahealth and all other third-party vendors who may access PHI
- Physical security measures at our office location
In the event of a breach of unsecured PHI, we will notify affected individuals as required by the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR §§ 164.400–164.414).
Minors
Our website is not directed to individuals under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from minors through our website. If a minor is a patient, their PHI is handled in accordance with HIPAA and applicable Texas law governing minors' health information rights.
Parents and legal guardians may have rights to access their minor child's PHI. Certain categories of care (e.g., mental health, substance use, reproductive health) may have additional privacy protections under Texas law that limit parental access. Please contact our office for specifics.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy and HIPAA Notice at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We may also provide notice to patients via our patient portal, by mail, or in our office. The revised Notice will apply to PHI we already maintain and to PHI we receive in the future, unless otherwise stated. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact & Complaints
If you have questions about this Notice or about how we handle your health information, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Attn: Privacy Officer
6715 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX 78216
Filing a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR):
- Online: hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
- By mail: 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20201
- By phone: 1-800-368-1019 (TDD: 1-800-537-7697)
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.