If you’re getting ready to close your Georgia medical practice, it’s important to have a clear understanding of medical record retention laws and that you find a professional medical records custodian that you can trust to fulfill records requests after you retire or move on to a different job. Looking for a trusted medical records custodian in Georgia can be a challenging task. You need to ensure top quality, accuracy, and trusted service.
Desert River Solutions is a leading medical records custodian that provides electronic medical records extraction and document scanning services for medical and dental practices, hospitals, and related businesses. Our medical record management process and medical record storage facilities are HIPAA compliant. We are medical record management experts who convert paper records to electronic forms and assist with electronic health record (EHR) extraction at large volumes turnaround.
Not sure how to handle Georgia medical record retention legal requirements after closing your practice? Read on for more information about laws and hiring a custodian of medical records or contact us to learn more today.
Georgia Medical Records Retention Laws
Georgia Laws for Minors’ Medical Record Retention
Providers:
A provider having custody and control of any evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, laboratory report, or biopsy slide in a patient’s record shall retain such item for a period of not less than ten years from the date such item was created.
Hospitals:
If the patient is a minor, the records must be retained for at least five (5) years past the age of majority. Records may be preserved in the hospital’s format of choice, including but not limited to paper or electronic format, so long as the records are readable and capable of being reproduced in paper format upon request.
Georgia Laws for Adults’ Medical Record Retention
Providers:
A provider having custody and control of any evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, laboratory report, or biopsy slide in a patient’s record shall retain such item for a period of not less than ten years from the date such item was created.
Hospitals:
The hospital shall retain all patients’ medical records at least until the fifth anniversary of the patients’ discharges. Records may be preserved in the hospital’s format of choice, including but not limited to paper or electronic format, so long as the records are readable and capable of being reproduced in paper format upon request.
Georgia Medical Facility Closure Guidelines
If the hospital anticipates that it will close or cease to operate, the governing body shall notify the Department at least thirty (30) days prior to the anticipated closure. Prior to hospital closure, the hospital shall inform the Department of the planned storage location for patients’ medical records, medical staff information, and other critical information after closure. The hospital shall publish in a widely circulated newspaper(s) in the hospital’s service area a notice indicating where medical records and other critical information can be retrieved and shall notify the Department of Transportation of the anticipated date of closure for removal of the hospital locator signs. Following closure, the Department shall be notified of any change in location of the patients’ medical records, medical staff information, and other critical information from the published location.
Read more on the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia Website.
Georgia Medical Record Retention Statutes
If you would like to read the laws in Georgia pertaining to medical record retention yourself, visit these links:
Preparing Medical Records for Custodianship in Georgia
Our medical record custodianship experts provide customized quotes based on your specific needs and the number of patient records or charts you have.
We take patient privacy seriously. Our medical record storage and document scanning solutions are all HIPAA-compliant and we use servers specially encrypted for medical record storage. HIPAA was designed to ensure the confidential handling of health records. All medical records scanning must be done in a manner that is compliant with HIPAA and its privacy regulations.
Because your patient’s records are filled with personal health information (PHI), they must remain private and secure at all times. This is not just a moral obligation to your patients, it’s a legal obligation, and it’s important that you partner with a trusted medical records custodian who can ensure the security of your patients’ record throughout the entire custodianship process.
Medical Record Custodian Process:
- All physical patient files are securely shipped to our facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
- We scan your medical records and digitize if needed, and extract patient files from your EMR to house them ourselves.
- We create a custom records request landing page on our website for your patients.
- You give notice to your patients that we will be the custodian of your medical records, using a template we provide.
- You give notice to the Georgia state medical board that Desert River Solutions is now your custodian of records.
- All health information requests go through us as your medical record custodian and you no longer have to do anything!
- Patients will be able to sign a request form, send it back securely, and receive any requested medical records in a prompt manner.
Learn More About Desert River Solutions Medical Records Custodian Services for Georgia Medical Practices
When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. In Georgia, medical records must be retained for a minimum of 6 years. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.
Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your Georgia medical practice.
Legal Disclaimer: the information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
