THE FOUNDATION | AESTHETIC BOUTIQUE
Effective Date: October 24, 2026
Ara Balkian, MD, a Professional Corporation, doing business as The Foundation
12413 Ventura Ct.
Studio City, CA 91604
Email: info@tfaesthetic.com
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION, AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At The Foundation, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your personal and medical information.
We comply with applicable requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and other applicable federal and California privacy laws.
This Notice applies to protected health information (PHI) that we create, receive, maintain, or transmit in connection with your medical care.
Protected health information may include your name, contact information, medical history, treatment records, medications, clinical photographs, billing information, and other information that identifies you and relates to your health or medical care.
2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use or disclose your protected health information for the following purposes without obtaining a separate written authorization, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Treatment
We may use and share your medical information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care. This may include sharing information among our physicians, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals involved in your treatment.
Payment
We may use or disclose relevant information to process payments, billing, and other financial transactions related to your medical services.
Healthcare Operations
We may use your information for activities necessary to operate our practice, including appointment scheduling, patient communications, quality assurance, staff training, compliance, and administrative activities.
We may share information with service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as electronic medical record systems, appointment scheduling platforms, and payment processing services, subject to applicable confidentiality and security requirements.
Appointment Reminders and Treatment Communications
We may contact you by telephone, email, text message, or other appropriate means regarding appointments, follow-up care, treatment instructions, or healthcare services related to your care, as permitted by law.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
Under applicable circumstances and subject to legal safeguards, we may disclose health information for:
- Public health activities, including reporting certain communicable diseases and medication-related adverse events.
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when required or permitted by law.
- Health oversight activities, including authorized audits and investigations.
- Compliance with legal requirements, court orders, or other valid legal processes.
- Certain law enforcement or governmental requests authorized by law.
- Workers’ compensation matters.
- Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety.
- Certain research activities when authorized by law.
- Disclosures to coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, or organ procurement organizations when applicable.
We will comply with any California law that imposes stricter confidentiality requirements than federal law.
3. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights concerning your protected health information.
Right to Access Your Medical Records
You may request access to, inspect, or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical records.
Under California law, qualifying requests to inspect records generally must be accommodated within five working days, and copies generally must be provided within 15 days of receiving a qualifying request.
Reasonable fees may apply as permitted by law.
Right to Request Corrections
You may request an amendment to information in your medical record that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
We may deny a request under certain circumstances, but we will provide an explanation in writing within the time required by law.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we communicate with you through a particular method or at a particular address or telephone number.
We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures of your health information.
We are not required to agree to every request. However, if you pay in full out of pocket for a healthcare service, you generally have the right to request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations, unless disclosure is required by law.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the six years preceding your request, subject to exceptions established by law.
One accounting within a 12-month period will be provided without charge.
Right to Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to Designate a Personal Representative
A person legally authorized to act on your behalf may exercise certain privacy rights on your behalf, subject to applicable law.
Right to File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with The Foundation or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
4. Your Choices Regarding Disclosure of Information
In certain circumstances, you may direct how we share information about you.
For example, you may tell us whether we may share relevant information with family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care, or with disaster relief organizations.
If you are unable to communicate your preferences, we may share information when permitted by law and when we reasonably determine that doing so is in your best interest.
Your written authorization generally is required for:
- Uses or disclosures of protected health information for marketing purposes, except where the law provides otherwise.
- Any sale of protected health information, subject to applicable legal restrictions.
- Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if maintained.
- Other uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted or required by law.
We do not sell patient health information.
You may revoke a written authorization at any time by providing written notice, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on that authorization.
If we engage in fundraising communications permitted by law, you will have the opportunity to opt out.
5. Clinical Photography, Before-and-After Images, and Social Media
As a medical aesthetics practice, The Foundation may obtain photographs or videos to document your condition, assess treatment progress, or maintain accurate medical records.
Clinical photographs and videos that identify you or constitute protected health information will be maintained as part of your confidential medical information and protected under applicable privacy laws.
We will not use identifiable patient photographs, before-and-after images, treatment videos, testimonials containing protected health information, or other identifiable clinical information for public advertising, social media, or promotional purposes without obtaining appropriate written authorization.
Such authorization will be separate from this Notice and from your general consent for medical treatment.
You may decline authorization for promotional use of your information or images without affecting your eligibility to receive treatment.
6. Protection of Your Information
We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your health information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
These measures may include restricted access to medical records, secure electronic recordkeeping, staff confidentiality practices, and appropriate oversight of third-party service providers.
While no system can guarantee absolute security, we take reasonable and legally required steps to safeguard your information.
If a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs that requires notification under applicable law, we will notify affected individuals as required.
7. Special Protections Under California Law
California law provides additional privacy protections for medical information.
The Foundation will comply with the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act and other applicable California requirements governing the use, access, retention, and disclosure of patient information.
Certain categories of health information, including mental health records, substance use disorder treatment records, HIV-related information, and other specially protected records, may be subject to additional confidentiality restrictions.
Where California law provides greater privacy protections than HIPAA, we will apply the more protective requirements.
8. Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records
Certain substance use disorder treatment records may be protected by additional federal confidentiality requirements under 42 CFR Part 2.
If The Foundation receives or maintains records subject to Part 2, those records will be used and disclosed only as permitted by applicable law and any required patient consent.
Such records generally cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or appropriate legal authorization meeting Part 2 requirements, including a qualifying court order and subpoena.
If Part 2 information is used for fundraising communications, we will provide the advance notice and opportunity to opt out required by law.
9. Our Legal Responsibilities
The Foundation is required to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- Follow the privacy practices described in this Notice.
- Provide you with a copy of this Notice upon request.
- Notify you of certain breaches of unsecured protected health information as required by law.
- Obtain written authorization before using or disclosing your information when authorization is legally required.
- Respect your rights under applicable federal and California privacy laws.
10. Changes to This Notice
The Foundation reserves the right to revise this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time as permitted by law.
Any revised Notice may apply to information we already maintain as well as information we receive in the future.
The most current version will be available at our office and on our website.
11. Contact Information and Privacy Complaints
If you have questions regarding this Notice, wish to exercise your privacy rights, request medical records, or submit a privacy complaint, please contact:
The Foundation — Privacy Officer
Ara Balkian, MD, a Professional Corporation
12413 Ventura Ct.
Studio City, CA 91604
Email: info@tfaesthetic.com
Telephone: 213-437-6874
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/
The Foundation will not retaliate against any individual for exercising their privacy rights or submitting a complaint.