Effective Date: April 23, 2026
Santos Medical Centers (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and health-related information you entrust to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our medical centers, use our website, or interact with us through any of our services.
Please read this policy carefully. By using our services or website, you agree to the practices described herein.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
- Personal Identification Information: Full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email address.
- Health and Medical Information: Medical history, diagnoses, treatment records, prescriptions, and insurance information collected in connection with your care.
- Financial Information: Insurance coverage details, Medicare/Medicaid information, billing, and payment records.
- Demographic Information: Language preference, ethnicity, and other information relevant to delivering culturally appropriate care.
- Website Usage Data: IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies.
- Communication Records: Records of correspondence with our staff by phone, email, or in person.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected for the following purposes:
- To provide, coordinate, and improve medical care and related services across all of our service lines, including primary care, therapy, pain relief, alternative medicine, optician services, pharmacy, beauty salon, and transportation.
- To process billing, insurance claims, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements.
- To schedule appointments, send reminders, and communicate relevant health information.
- To operate and manage our Santos Activity Centers, including adult day programs.
- To comply with applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, including HIPAA.
- To improve our website, marketing communications, and patient experience.
- To send newsletters, health education content, and promotional offers where you have opted in to receive such communications.
3. HIPAA Compliance
Santos Medical Centers is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Your Protected Health Information (PHI) is handled in strict accordance with our Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which is provided separately at the time of registration and is available upon request at any of our locations.
Your PHI will not be sold or disclosed to third parties for marketing purposes without your explicit written authorization.
4. Sharing Your Information
We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:
- With Healthcare Providers: We may share relevant health information with physicians, specialists, therapists, and other providers involved in your care.
- With Business Associates: We work with third-party vendors who assist in operating our services (e.g., billing companies, IT providers). These parties are bound by HIPAA-compliant Business Associate Agreements.
- With Insurance Companies and Medicare/Medicaid: As required to process claims and coordinate benefits.
- As Required by Law: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government regulation.
- With Your Consent: We may share information with family members, caregivers, or others you designate.
5. Data Security
We employ administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include secure electronic health record systems, encrypted data transmission, staff training, and controlled facility access across all our South Florida locations.
Despite our best efforts, no data transmission over the internet or storage system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.
6. Data Retention
We retain medical records and personal information for as long as required by Florida state law and federal HIPAA regulations, and as long as necessary to provide ongoing services. You may request access to or correction of your records at any time.
7. Your Rights
As a patient or website user, you have the right to:
- Access your personal and health information held by us.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete records.
- Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your PHI.
- Receive a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices.
- Opt out of non-essential marketing communications at any time.
- File a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: info@santosmedicalcenters.com or call us at (305) 424-2116.
8. Children’s Privacy
Our services are primarily designed for adults, including elderly individuals and Medicare beneficiaries. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on our website with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Santos Medical Centers — Privacy Officer
Locations: Coral Way | Miami Lakes | Homestead, South Florida
Phone (New Patients): (305) 424-2116
Phone (Existing Patients): (305) 553-4595
Email: info@santosmedicalcenters.com
This Privacy Policy was last updated on April 23, 2026. Santos Medical Centers reserves the right to modify this policy at any time in accordance with applicable law.
