Samadhi Healing Collective
Effective date: November 18, 2025
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.
Who we are
This Notice applies to Samadhi Healing Collective (“we,” “us,” “our”) and our workforce members who are involved in your care and payment for care.
Practice address: 1275 Delaware Avenue, Suite B100, Buffalo, NY 14209
Privacy Officer: Seaghan Samadhi (acting)
Email: seaghan.samadhi@proton.me
Phone: (716) 427-3194
Our duties
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”).
- Provide you with this Notice and follow it.
- Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.
We may change the terms of this Notice. The updated Notice will apply to all PHI we maintain and will be posted on our website and available at our office.
How we may use and disclose your PHI
We typically use or share your PHI for:
Treatment
To provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services (e.g., consults, referrals, prescriptions, care coordination).
Payment
To obtain payment for your health care services (e.g., claims, eligibility/coverage, prior authorizations, billing).
Health Care Operations
For activities necessary to run our practice and ensure quality care (e.g., quality assessment, training, auditing, compliance, customer service, business planning).
We may also use and disclose your PHI for other purposes permitted or required by law, including:
- Public health and safety: preventing disease; reporting adverse events; product recalls; reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; preventing/reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
- Health oversight activities: audits, inspections, investigations, licensure.
- Legal and law enforcement: in response to a court/administrative order, subpoena (with required safeguards), or for locating a suspect, fugitive, missing person, or witness as permitted by law.
- Research: only as permitted by HIPAA and applicable law, often with institutional review board/privacy board approval or your authorization.
- Workers’ compensation, disability, and similar programs.
- Coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, organ procurement.
- Specialized government functions: military, national security, protective services, as allowed by law.
- Incidental disclosures: limited, unavoidable disclosures that occur as a byproduct of otherwise permitted uses/disclosures, minimized by reasonable safeguards.
- De-identified/limited data sets: information with direct identifiers removed may be used/disclosed for certain purposes with required agreements.
Uses and disclosures that generally require your authorization
We will obtain your written authorization for:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if created and maintained).
- Marketing communications that are not health care operations and any disclosure of PHI that constitutes a sale of PHI.
- Any other use or disclosure not described in this Notice.
If you authorize a use/disclosure, you may revoke that authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance.
Special protections
- Substance Use Disorder records (42 C.F.R. Part 2): If we are a federally assisted SUD program or otherwise maintain Part 2 records, those records are subject to stricter confidentiality rules. We will not disclose Part 2 records without your written consent unless an exception applies.
- HIV-related information, mental health records, genetic information, and reproductive health information: New York and federal laws may provide additional protections. We follow those laws.
New York–specific notices (standard)
- Minors & personal representatives: We follow New York laws that may allow minors to consent to certain services and control related records. We will recognize a personal representative (e.g., parent/guardian or someone you legally designate) when required by law.
- Immunizations and school: With your consent, we may disclose proof of immunization to a school.
- Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP/I-STOP): We may access and report to New York’s PDMP as required for controlled substance prescribing and safety.
- Health Information Exchange (HIE): If we participate in a regional HIE (e.g., HealtheLink), your PHI may be available to other treating providers through the HIE for treatment and operations. Where required, we will obtain your consent and honor any opt-out to the extent permitted by law.
Your rights
You have the following rights regarding your PHI. To exercise any right, contact our Privacy Officer using the information above.
Right to a copy of this Notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to inspect and get a copy
You can ask to see or get a copy of your medical record and other PHI we have about you, including an electronic copy. We will provide a copy or summary usually within 30 days, and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as allowed by law.
Right to correct (amend)
You can ask us to correct PHI that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no,” but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days and how to submit a statement of disagreement.
Right to request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, to your mobile phone only or at a different address). We will say yes to all reasonable requests.
Right to request restrictions
You can ask us not to use or share certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree, except you have the right to restrict disclosure to a health plan for a service you paid for in full out of pocket, when the disclosure is for payment or operations and is not otherwise required by law.
Right to an accounting of disclosures
You can ask for a list (accounting) of certain disclosures we made of your PHI for up to six years prior to your request, excluding those for treatment, payment, operations, and certain other disclosures (e.g., those you authorized).
Right to 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 PHI once we verify their authority.
Right to receive notifications of a breach
You have the right to be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI.
Your choices
You can tell us your choices about what we share:
- Friends/family involved in your care or payment: With your permission—or when you do not object and it is in your best interests—we may share relevant information with a person involved in your care or payment.
- Disaster relief: We may share information with disaster relief organizations to help notify your family of your location, condition, or death.
- Fundraising: We do not use your information for fundraising communications.
For other situations, we will obtain your authorization.
Our responsibilities & safeguards
- We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your PHI (e.g., access controls, encryption in transit when feasible, staff training).
- We will limit uses/disclosures to the minimum necessary when required by law.
- We will follow the privacy practices described in this Notice while it is in effect.
Communications
- Appointment reminders, care instructions, and billing notices may be sent by phone, voicemail, mail, patient portal, SMS, or email. Standard email/SMS may not be fully secure; we limit sensitive details in unencrypted channels. By providing your contact information, you consent to these communications. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out of non-essential SMS.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint:
With us:
Privacy Officer – Samadhi Healing Collective
Email: seaghan.samadhi@proton.me | Phone: (716) 427-3194 | Address: 1275 Delaware Avenue, Suite B100, Buffalo, NY 14209
With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR):
You may file online at the OCR website or by mail to your regional OCR office. We will provide assistance upon request.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Business Associates
We may share PHI with vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., EHR/telehealth, billing, e-fax, secure messaging, storage). These Business Associates must protect your information and only use it for contracted purposes under a Business Associate Agreement.
Other important information
- Data retention: We retain records consistent with federal and New York state requirements and our record retention policies.
- Electronic access: If you request an electronic copy of your record, we will provide it in the form and format requested if readily producible; otherwise in a readable alternative.
- De-identified information: Information that does not identify you and cannot reasonably be used to identify you is not PHI and may be used/disclosed for permitted purposes.
Acknowledgment of receipt
We make a good-faith effort to obtain your written acknowledgment that you received this Notice. Your care will not be conditioned on signing.
Questions?
Contact our Privacy Officer at seaghan.samadhi@proton.me or (716) 427-3194. We are happy to explain this Notice and your rights.