Subchapter A. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IN THE
ADMINISTRATION OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

 Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, information as to personal facts and circumstances obtained in connection with the administration of maternal and child health and programs for crippled children, including child health centers, maternity clinics and clinics for crippled children conducted by the Department of Health shall be held confidential and be considered privileged communications, and may not be divulged without the consent of the individual or parent, except as may be necessary to provide services to individual mothers and children.

   The provisions of this §  29.1 adopted October 30, 1959.

 Section 29.1 (relating to material considered confidential) may not be construed to prohibit the following:

   (1)  Disclosure of confidential information in summary, statistical or other forms which do not identify individuals.

   (2)  Disclosure of confidential information to other agencies or persons, public or private, which are providing to individual mothers and children, needed services which are not available through Commonwealth programs, if in any such disclosure only information shall be released that is necessary to achieve the specific purposes for which the disclosure is authorized and the standards of protection established by the other agencies or persons to which the confidential information is made available are equal to those established by the Department.

 Records and information made confidential shall be the property of the Department. The Department will establish procedures to insure the following:

   (1)  Information procured by or made available to the Department staff, both professional and clerical, shall be used by such personnel only in accordance with this subchapter.

   (2)  Employes of the Department and all other persons dealing with this agency in connection with these programs shall be informed of the policy concerning confidential information.