List of Forms and Contact Details Required to Request Medical Records From Stanford Health Care (2026)
Stanford-affiliated care is delivered through multiple organizations and locations, and each one has its own Health Information Management Services (HIMS) instructions. Identify whether the records are held by Stanford Health Care, Tri-Valley, Stanford Medicine Partners, or Stanford Medicine Children's Health before submitting a request. For personal injury law firms, sending a request to the wrong HIMS team or with a flawed authorization can stretch a process that Stanford estimates at up to 14 calendar days well past that window. Codes Health checks authorizations for preventable errors, coordinates follow-up, and reviews returned records for potential gaps, so your team spends less time chasing paperwork.
Key Takeaways
Use the authorization and submission instructions published by the organization holding the records; Stanford Health Care uses Form 15-79-1, while Children's Health uses its own Form 15-79
Sensitive categories, including psychiatric care, HIV test results, family planning, and abortion-related services, have their own checkbox and initials instructions on the current form
Stanford asks requesters to allow up to 14 calendar days for processing, while California's patient-access rules set separate legal deadlines
Stanford publishes no page-count charge for requests of 75 pages or fewer and a $0.15 per page rate for requests of 76 pages or more, so confirm how larger requests are calculated
Stanford Health Care directs attorney and subpoena requests for billing records to its Attorney Portal, and faxed subpoenas for billing records are no longer accepted there
Codes Health checks authorizations for preventable errors and reviews returned records for gaps, with an advertised general average turnaround of a couple of weeks
Understanding the Process to Request Medical Records from Stanford Health Care
Initial Steps for Stanford Medical Record Requests
Patients often receive care across several Stanford locations, so records may sit with more than one organization. The main organizations include:
Stanford Health Care (Main Campus): Hospital and outpatient clinics in Palo Alto, Stanford, and Redwood City
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley: Emergency and hospital services in Livermore and Pleasanton
Stanford Medicine Partners (SMP): Affiliated clinics throughout the Bay Area
Stanford Medicine Children's Health: Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto and affiliated pediatric locations; records requests use the Children's Health HIMS instructions
If you're not sure which organization holds the records, call the main HIMS department at 650-723-5721 for guidance. The MyHealth portal can also help identify where a patient received care.
Processing Timelines and Expectations
Stanford asks requesters to allow up to 14 calendar days for processing. That's a published estimate, not a guarantee for every record type, and it's separate from legal deadlines. California's patient-access rules generally require inspection within five working days and copies within 15 days, according to the Medical Board of California. For HIPAA access requests, providers generally must act within 30 days, and an extension requires timely written notice explaining the delay and specifying a completion date. The applicable requirements depend on the requester and request route.
Some requests take longer, such as those involving:
Multiple departments or locations
Sensitive records that need additional review before release
Radiology imaging
Pathology or genetics requests
Ask HIMS whether the request requires additional review or separate departmental processing.
Required Forms: Stanford Health Care Medical Records Release Authorization
Downloading and Completing the Stanford Authorization Form
Use the authorization and submission instructions published by the organization holding the records. For Stanford Health Care, that's the Authorization for Disclosure of Health Information (Form 15-79-1), a six-page form available in English and Spanish. Children's Health uses a separate authorization from Stanford Health Care, its own Form 15-79, revised May 2026. Online requests and specialized records also have their own instructions.
Form 15-79-1 contains ten sections:
Section A: Patient Information: Full name, DOB, phone, MRN if known
Section B: Authorization: Select the organization (SHC, SMP, or Tri-Valley) and specify the recipient
Section C: Health Information: Specify the records needed, with separate instructions for sensitive records
Section D: Delivery Format: Paper, CD/DVD, or electronic PDF
Section E: Reason: Purpose statement (required for third-party requests)
Section F: Expiration: Defaults to one year, with the option to specify a different date
Section G: Privacy Rights: Acknowledge rights and restrictions
Section H: Cautions: Understand re-disclosure risks
Section I: Signature: Patient or legal representative signature plus date
Section J: Return Address: Select the correct mailing address
Key Sections Requiring Special Attention
Section C deserves a close look for legal requests. Follow the applicable checkbox and initials instructions for each sensitive category:
Psychiatric Care (Section C.2): Includes inpatient units G2/H2 and the Legends Unit at Tri-Valley. Section C.2 also covers specified outpatient psychiatric services, including the Quarry Road psychiatric clinic and Arrillaga sports psychology.
HIV/AIDS Test Results (Section C.3): Laboratory results only
Hereditary Disorder Testing (Section C.4): Genetic counseling services
Family Planning Services (Section C.5)
Abortion & Abortion-Related Services (Section C.6)
Alcohol or Drug Treatment: For alcohol or drug-treatment records, confirm the applicable consent requirements with HIMS, including any protections under 42 C.F.R. Part 2. Do not assume a general-record authorization is sufficient.
Missing consent for a sensitive category can limit which records are released, so have the patient review each category before signing.
HIPAA Compliance: Ensuring Secure Medical Records Access at Stanford
Stanford's HIPAA Authorization Requirements
Stanford operates under both federal HIPAA rules and California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, which can be stricter than federal law alone. For third-party requests, including those from attorneys, the authorization should include:
A properly signed and dated authorization, submitted through the receiving department's accepted method
The reason for the request (required for third-party requests)
If someone signs instead of the patient, documentation establishing that signer's authority, such as a power of attorney, court order, or conservatorship papers
Copies, faxes, and electronically transmitted versions of a signed authorization can be valid under HHS authorization guidance. A lawyer receiving records under the patient's signature is different from a representative signing for the patient.
How HIPAA Affects Legal Record Requests
Mental health notes in the general medical record, such as psychiatric consultation notes from non-psychiatric units, are released with a Section C.1 authorization, and Stanford does not redact mental health information from the general record. Records from dedicated psychiatric units and the specified outpatient services need the separate Section C.2 authorization. Psychotherapy notes are a different category with separate HIPAA treatment under 45 CFR § 164.508, so don't treat a general authorization as covering every category.
Codes Health, a HIPAA-compliant platform, also reviews sensitive-record sections as part of its pre-submission checks.
Accessing Your Stanford Medical Records Online: MyChart and Patient Portals
Registering for MyHealth at Stanford Health Care
Stanford uses the MyHealth portal, built on the Epic electronic health record system, for online record access. The portal is unified across Stanford Health Care, Tri-Valley, and Medicine Partners.
First-time users register with a clinic access code or self-register with identity verification. Portal support is available 24/7 at 1-866-367-0758.
What You Can Access Through MyHealth
The portal gives patients access to certain records without an authorization form:
Lab results after finalization
Radiology reports
Visit summaries and after-visit summaries
Clinical notes (per 21st Century Cures Act implementation)
Medication lists and immunization records
Allergy information
Billing statements (separate from medical records)
Eligible Stanford radiology images can also be viewed, downloaded, and shared through MyHealth. For complete record requests through the portal, go to My Medical Records and select Request Records to complete an electronic authorization. Follow the delivery instructions shown when submitting the MyHealth request. For mailed image discs, the MyHealth FAQ describes a separate radiology authorization and a turnaround of up to 15 business days.
Contact Details for Stanford Health Care Medical Records Department
Direct Phone Lines for Stanford Record Requests
Stanford Health Care (Main)
Phone: 650-723-5721
Fax: 650-725-9821
Mailing address on the current authorization: Health Information Management, MC 6330, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305 (Stanford's general records page lists 450 Broadway, MC 6330, Redwood City, CA 94063, so confirm the mailing destination with HIMS)
Tri-Valley
Phone: 925-373-8019
Fax: 925-373-4126
Address: 1111 E. Stanley Blvd., Building D, Livermore, CA 94550
These details appear on the Tri-Valley records page.
Medicine Partners
Phone: 510-731-2675, per the current authorization and MyHealth FAQ (the general records page lists 510-731-2676, so confirm with HIMS)
Fax: 510-731-2643
Address: 7999 Gateway Blvd., Suite 200, Newark, CA 94560
Children's Health
Phone: 650-497-8079
Fax: 650-725-8496
Address: 4700 Bohannon Drive, MC 5900, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Children's Health also accepts requests by email at HIMS-ROI@stanfordchildrens.org, and its Children's Health records page confirms it no longer has a walk-in location.
Specialized Department Contacts
Certain records need separate requests to specialized departments:
Radiology Image Library (Main Campus): Fax 650-723-3995; 300 Pasteur Drive, MC 5622
Radiology/Film Library (Tri-Valley): Phone 925-416-3499
EKG Film Library: Phone 650-723-7407
Pathology Slides (Main): Phone 650-723-7211
Pathology Slides (Tri-Valley): Phone 925-416-3404, Fax 925-416-6593
Clinical Genomics raw-data requests: Phone 650-497-6500
Specific Requirements for Legal and Third-Party Stanford Record Requests
Legal Firm Guidelines for Stanford Medical Record Retrieval
When requesting records for clients, make sure your authorization includes:
A properly signed and dated patient authorization on the correct organization's form
Complete recipient information, including firm name and full mailing address
Specific date ranges or an "entire medical record" designation
Sensitive-record categories the patient has reviewed and authorized, following the form's checkbox and initials instructions
Documentation of the signer's authority if someone other than the patient signs
Billing records update: As of July 25, 2023, Stanford Health Care directs attorney and subpoena requests for billing records to its Attorney Portal and no longer accepts faxed subpoenas for billing documentation. Confirm the billing-record route separately for other Stanford organizations.
Cost Structure for Legal Requests
Stanford's published fee wording sets out:
75 pages or fewer: No page-count charge
76 pages or more: $0.15 per page
Prepayment: Stanford Health Care's terms call for prepayment when charges exceed $100
Confirm how larger requests are calculated, and confirm fees with the organization handling the request. Children's Health publishes separate charges and requires prepayment when reproduction charges exceed $50. Additional costs may apply for CD/DVD imaging and actual postage for mailed records. HIPAA does not permit charging an individual merely to inspect their records, per HHS inspection guidance; copying and delivery charges are subject to separate rules.
Expediting Your Stanford Medical Records Request: Tips and Best Practices
Avoiding Common Delays
Incomplete or invalid authorizations can delay processing or limit the records released, and across medical record retrieval, they're a leading preventable cause of denied requests. Common errors include:
Missing patient signatures
An expired authorization or conflicting expiration instructions (the form defaults to one year, so leaving the optional alternative date blank isn't an error)
Sensitive-record categories left unaddressed
Incorrect or incomplete organization selection
Wrong or missing date ranges
Outdated form versions
If a problem comes up, ask HIMS to identify the deficiency and confirm the request's status. Codes Health's AI review is designed to catch these errors before submission. The system flags misspellings, missing dates of service, and signature issues that would otherwise lead to provider rejections.
Proactive Steps for Faster Record Access
To keep Stanford requests moving:
Submit to every applicable organization: If the patient received care across several Stanford organizations, send a request to each HIMS department
Use specific date ranges: Broad "entire medical record" requests may pull in documentation you don't need and add cost
Follow up if you haven't heard back: Checking in around the ten-day mark is an optional practice, not a Stanford rule
Ask about online submission: Confirm which online options the organization accepts for your request type
For law firms managing several Stanford requests, Codes Health coordinates follow-up through calls, faxes, emails, and portals and provides request-status updates, cutting down on manual status checks.
Ensuring Completeness of Stanford Medical Records for Legal Use
Verifying All Records from Stanford Health Care
Before closing a request, check the delivered records against what you asked for:
Confirm all requested date ranges are covered
Check that every specified organization is represented
Verify billing records arrived if requested (at Stanford Health Care, these go through the Attorney Portal)
Make sure authorized sensitive records are included
Compare against known treatment history for gaps
Addressing Gaps in Your Stanford Medical Record Set
Records often come back incomplete because of:
Records from outside facilities not stored in Stanford systems
The wrong date range on the authorization
Sensitive categories that weren't authorized
Records held by a different Stanford organization than the one contacted
Imaging or pathology records that need separate department requests
Codes Health's completeness review compares returned materials against the original request and available patient history, helping identify missing facilities, date ranges, absent billing records, or other gaps before the record set goes back to your firm.
Why PI Firms Use Codes Health for Stanford Retrieval
Stanford splits requests across four organizations with different forms, a separate billing portal, and specialized departments for imaging, pathology, and genomics, so one client's history can mean several requests to track at once. Codes Health pulls that work into a single retrieval workflow for your firm:
AI validation before submission that checks authorizations for preventable errors
Multi-channel follow-up through calls, faxes, emails, patient portals, and custodian integrations, with request-status updates
Completeness verification that reviews returned records for potential gaps
Flat fee pricing, with included services and the treatment of third-party provider or custodian charges confirmed in your agreement
A couple of weeks, Codes Health's advertised general average turnaround; individual requests vary
Filevine integration, launched through a July 13, 2026 partnership, so firms can submit requests, track status, message the Codes Health team, and receive records and billing inside the case file (Filevine integration)
Custom integrations with CRM platforms and other medical software for high-volume customers using other systems
On same-day retrieval: Codes Health's position is that competitors advertising same-day retrieval often return only the records that are immediately available, not the complete set. That pulls clients back in to help chase what's missing, which Codes Health says contributes to client churn. Codes Health instead focuses on delivering complete records in weeks, not months.
On general AI tools: General-purpose AI platforms like ChatGPT are not designed for litigation-grade medical record review. Codes Health combines medical record retrieval, completeness checks, and case-analysis features in a workflow built for plaintiff law firms, with AI-generated insights reviewed by human specialists and potential breaches of care flagged for attorney review.
Codes Health's MIT-educated engineering team continuously builds out additional workflows and products, so the platform keeps evolving, improving, and becoming more comprehensive to meet the changing demands of modern legal practices.
Bottom Line
Most Stanford record delays come from preventable problems: a request sent to the wrong organization, Children's Health records requested on the adult form, a sensitive category left unaddressed, billing records faxed instead of sent through the Attorney Portal, or a record set nobody checked for gaps.
Matching each organization to the right form, getting sensitive consents right, routing billing requests correctly, and reviewing what comes back keeps your timeline in your control. To hand that work off, schedule a demo and see how Codes Health handles Stanford retrieval.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost to request medical records from Stanford Health Care?
Stanford publishes no page-count charge for requests of 75 pages or fewer and a $0.15-per-page rate for requests of 76 pages or more. Confirm how larger requests are calculated. Stanford Health Care calls for prepayment when charges exceed $100, while Children's Health publishes separate charges and requires prepayment above $50. Additional fees may apply for CD/DVD media and postage. HIPAA does not permit charging an individual merely to inspect their records.
Can I request medical records for a family member from Stanford Health Care?
Yes, but specific requirements apply. For adult patients, you need an authorization signed by the patient or documentation establishing your legal authority, such as a power of attorney, court-appointed guardianship, or conservatorship papers. Children's Health requires adolescent consent for release of protected confidential and sensitive-service records for patients aged 12 to 17. Follow the current form's instructions.
What should I do if my authorization form is rejected by Stanford?
Ask HIMS to identify the deficiency and confirm the request's status. Common problems include missing signatures, sensitive categories left unaddressed, an expired authorization, or the wrong organization selected. Correct the issue and resubmit. Keep in mind that missing sensitive-record consent may limit what's released rather than invalidate the whole request. AI-powered form review can help catch many of these errors before submission.
Does Stanford Health Care participate in health information exchanges?
Yes, Stanford Health Care and Medicine Partners participate in health information exchange, but that doesn't replace formal authorization for legal requests. Form 15-2934 requests exclusion from Care Everywhere. It does not block all other permitted information sharing.
Are there specific forms for legal firms requesting records from Stanford Health Care?
Legal firms use the same authorization as other requesters for the organization holding the records: Form 15-79-1 for Stanford Health Care, or Children's Health's own form for pediatric records. If someone signs instead of the patient, provide documentation establishing that signer's authority. The key difference is that Stanford Health Care billing records go through its Attorney Portal rather than the standard HIMS fax or mail channels.
