Patient Education
At Southside Physicians Network, our goal is to provide our patients with education and resources to enable them to make lifestyle and health care decisions. Please contact your health care team for information relative to your individual needs.
As a part of Southside Regional Medical Center and Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center, Southside Physicians Network recommends patients participate in community-based health and wellness events. For more information on upcoming events at SRMC, click here and for SVRMC, click here.
Who owns the medical record: the practitioner or the patient?
Virginia Code 32.1-127.1:03 declares that medical records are the “property of the provider maintaining them.” The law recognizes “a patient’s right of privacy in the content of a patient’s medical record” and makes the practitioner responsible for ensuring that the patient’s records are only released in accordance with law.
How do I get a copy of my record?
A request for copies of medical records must be in writing, dated and signed by the person making the request and include a reasonable description of the records sought. If someone is making a request on your behalf, he or she must provide evidence of the authority to receive the records (such as power of attorney). The provider must accept a photocopy, facsimile or other copy of the original signed by the requester as if it were an original (Virginia Code 32.1-127.1:03).
What will I be charged for a copy of my medical record?
If a patient requests a copy of his/her health record from Southside Physicians Network, a reasonable, cost-based fee may apply which shall include the cost of supplies, labor of copying the requested information, postage when the individual requests that such information be mailed and preparation of an explanation or summary of such information.