Appointment Times Available
- Treatment of Minors: We are happy to see children ages 2 to 5 for acute illnesses only and children over 5 years of age for all medical care. Patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian OR have written permission for treatment for every visit from a parent/guardian if they are accompanied by another adult.
- Outside Referrals: If you need more advanced care or testing, including chronic pain management, our experienced providers will help you arrange additional services, using specialists and other providers within your health plan.
- Employee Assistance Program: Your provider may refer you to the Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program (EAP), when appropriate. The Employee Assistance Program provides you and your family with free and confidential assessments, education, referrals, and short-term counseling. The EAP offers services such as employee wellness training, online tools and tips, work/life balance coaching, and substance abuse services. Deer Oaks EAP Services are available at any time (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year) and can help with work related concerns, personal problems, stress, depression or grief, family problems, and other issues affecting your well-being.
- Mental Health Treatment: All patients who present themselves for mental health/behavioral treatment will be evaluated and appropriately referred for further treatment.
- Worker's Compensation: An employee who sustains an on-the-job injury may seek medical attention from an authorized medical facility or professional only in accordance with the Texas Workers Compensation regulations per Worker's Compensation policy 2.09.3. A list of physicians may be obtained from Risk Management or by visiting www.twcc.gov on the Internet.
Perscriptions and Medications
- Medications: Please bring all your current medications with you to every appointment. We ask you to bring your medication in the original bottle(s) so we may verify each medication's name, dosage, etc. This information will allow your provider to better care for you. We may not refill a specific prescription if the medication bottle was not brought in to verify the medication, dosage, etc.
- Prescriptions and Refills: The best time to get a prescription refill is at your appointment. If you need a refill, please contact your pharmacy and allow 48 hours for processing (longer on weekends). DO NOT wait until you have run out of medication. Some medications have potential side effects that must be monitored. We require scheduled check-ups for these medications. Please be sure to keep these appointments.
- Narcotic Prescriptions: We DO NOT prescribe narcotics. If you require chronic use of a narcotic, our providers will refer you to a pain management specialist.
Telephone Calls & Messages
Patients may call the office and leave a message for their provider both during and after business house. They may also log in to their Patient Portal account and send a direct message to the staff as well. We will try our best to respond to your messages as soon as possible. However, please be aware that a message may take 24-48 business hours to process and for a response to be issued. More often than not, if your question requires extensive attention, your provider may elect to have you make an appointment and come for further evaluation for quality assurance purposes.
Medical Records
Medical records are property of Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic and will be maintained in accordance to the guidelines set by the Texas Medical Board. All requests for medical records must be made on a HIPAA approved form, which must be properly and completely filled out and signed by the patient or parent/legal guardian. Please allow up to 15 business days for processing.
Patient Code of Conduct
All Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic patients and visitors, including, but not limited to employees, their dependents and retirees, are expected to exhibit appropriate behavior and refrain from behavior that is disruptive, threatening, violent or otherwise inappropriate.
Disruptive behavior is behavior that interferes with the functioning and flow of Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic business and hinders or prevents staff from carrying out their responsibilities. Examples include, but are not limited to: yelling, using profanity, waving arms or fists, verbal abuse, and refusing reasonable requests.
Threatening behavior includes, but is not limited to, physical actions that fall short of actual contact (e.g. moving aggressively towards someone), general or specific verbal or written threats to harm people or property (whether in person or via phone calls, letters, voicemail, email, or social media), and implied threats.
Violent behavior includes any physical assault with or without use of a weapon, and any behavior that a reasonable person would perceive as violent behavior (e.g. throwing things, pounding on a counter or table, destroying property etc.).
The following behaviors are specifically prohibited:
- Physical assaults
- Throwing objects
- Verbal or written threats to harm staff or other individuals
- Intentionally damaging equipment or property
- Attempting to intimidate or harass staff or other individuals
- Making harassing, offensive, derogatory or intimidating statements
- Use of profanity towards staff or other individuals
- Any conduct in, violation of state, federal or local law
- Recording equipment (photography and the use of audio/video recording technology including cellphones) is prohibited.
The Health & Wellness Clinic is a great benefit to Brazos County employees, their dependents and retirees. However, it is a privilege that is not to be abused. Patients are advised that conduct by themselves or their dependents that violates the Health & Wellness Clinic Code of Conduct is grounds for immediate removal from the Health & Wellness Clinic and may result in permanent removal.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
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.
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| You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as well: | ||
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| Our Uses and Disclosures | ||
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When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
- You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
- We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request.
Ask us to correct your medical record - You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
- We may say "no" to your request, but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
- You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
- We will say "yes" to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
- You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say "no" if it would affect your care.
- If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say "yes" unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we've shared information
- You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we've shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
- We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make).
Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
Choose someone to act for you
- If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
- We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
- You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.
- You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/
- You may also file a complaint Christiana Stahl, Privacy Officer, Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic, 300 E. William J. Bryan Pkwy, Bryan, TX 77840 Phone (979) 361-5780 Fax (979) 361-5781
- We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
- Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
- Share information in a disaster relief situation
- Include your information in a hospital directory
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
- Marketing purposes
- Sale of your information
- Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
In the case of fundraising:
- We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.
Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.
- Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
- Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
- Preventing disease
- Helping with product recalls
- Reporting adverse reactions to medications
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety
Do research
We can use or share your information for health research.
Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we're complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers' compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you:
- For workers' compensation claims
- For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
- With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
- For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing.
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.
Notice and Authorization Required for Electronic Disclosure of Protected Health Information
Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic receives, maintains, and in some instances discloses protected health information (PHI) of individuals in electronic format. To the extent your PHI is disclosed electronically by Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic, this document serves to provide you notice of such disclosure in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 181.154. Brazos County Health & Wellness Clinic will secure a separate authorization from you or your legally authorized representative prior to electronically disclosing PHI for any reason other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or as otherwise authorized or required by state or federal law.
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.