Mount Nittany Health is responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our patients and our patients’ medical information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated regulations that govern privacy standards for healthcare information.

At Mount Nittany Health, information about a patient’s general condition may not be released to the media. No information may be given except to public authorities having a need to know until the next of kin have been notified.

As a medical center, the nature of services rendered is private and often quite personal. Legal factors, including the medical center’s responsibilities, as well as liabilities, must be a consideration in each situation. Although a hospital might be considered a public service institution, it is not an institution of open public record.