HIPAA-Compliant Medical Document Storage in Dallas-Fort Worth
Secure and Efficient Medical Records Storage Solutions
Patient records – charts, imaging files, insurance forms, and legal documents accumulate quickly in any healthcare practice. Storing them on-site takes up space you need for patient care, and managing in-house access controls and security imposes a significant compliance burden on your staff. Armstrong Archives provides secure, HIPAA-compliant medical records storage for physicians, hospitals, private practices, clinics, imaging centers, and surgery centers throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, and the entire DFW Metroplex.
Our Carrollton, TX facility is purpose-built for the secure storage of protected health information (PHI). Records are indexed, barcoded, and tracked from the moment they arrive, and available to you via same-day scan delivery, encrypted email, expedited physical delivery, or our on-site viewing room, whenever you need them. Whether you are an active practice managing decades of patient files or a physician approaching retirement, Armstrong Archives makes HIPAA-compliant offsite storage straightforward.
HIPAA-Compliant Medical Records Storage Services in Dallas
While many medical practices are moving toward electronic documents, most still have vast quantities of old patient files to store. Keeping those records confidential is a top priority. At the same time, HIPAA requires that documents with personal health information (PHI) be made available to patients.
Secure Document Storage
Armstrong Archives’ storage options for medical records give healthcare providers an easy way to maintain their physical files without taking up excess office space. Our specially designed storage facilities are built to keep records safe while also allowing for quick access when you need them. We even provide storage for retired doctors that need document and file storage after retirement.
Healthcare Providers We Serve Across Dallas–Fort Worth
Armstrong Archives works with a wide range of healthcare organizations across the DFW Metroplex, including:
- Physicians and private practices managing active and inactive patient charts
- Hospitals and outpatient clinics with large-volume records requiring long-term retention
- Imaging centers and surgery centers storing diagnostic images and operative notes
- Pediatric practices that must comply with records retention requirements
- Retiring physicians navigating Texas Medical Board requirements for patient notification and custodianship
If your practice generates patient records and is subject to HIPAA, we can help you manage storage, access, and secure destruction (when the time comes) all under one roof in our Carrollton facility.
Medical Records Retention Requirements in Texas
Healthcare providers in Texas are not just subject to federal HIPAA standards; they must also comply with the Texas Medical Board’s record retention rules. Under Texas Medical Board Rule 165.1(b), physicians must retain:
- Patient medical records for at least 7 years from the most recent date of treatment
- Records for patients who were minors at their last visit: 7 years from that visit or until the patient turns 21, whichever is later
- Immunization records fall under the rule for patient medical records, and must be kept for 7 years (or the patient’s 21st birthday for minors, whichever is later)
- Screening labs (vision, hearing) for 7 years from the most recent screening date, or until the patient turns 21, whichever is later
HIPAA itself does not specify how long medical records must be kept — that obligation is governed by state law. This means that responsible healthcare providers in Texas must maintain HIPAA-compliant storage for the full duration these retention periods require.
Armstrong Archives guarantees HIPAA-compliant records storage and secure document destruction, so you can meet these obligations without the overhead of managing them in-house. When a retention period expires, we can schedule secure destruction — including certified shredding for paper records and pulverization for electronic media — with full documentation of the destruction date, method, and witness signatures.
Quick & Easy Access
If you need to access a document, you have a number of options, including:
- Our comfortable viewing room
- Expedited document delivery to your office
- Scan on demand
- Online access
Our indexing services allow for quick access to files stored in our facility, making information easy to retrieve, scan, and view when you need it.
In some cases, it may be worthwhile to use our medical records scanning services to convert all of your files to digital format. The digitized files can then be delivered to you on a disc or flash drive, or sent via the web.
Benefits of Offsite Medical Records Storage
Our medical records storage services provide hospitals and private practices with numerous advantages, including the following.
Free Up Office Space for Patient Care
Each standard filing cabinet requires roughly 15 square feet of accessible floor space. For a practice with years of accumulated patient files, that adds up quickly, space that could be used for additional exam rooms, staff workstations, or simply a more comfortable environment for patients. Moving inactive records offsite immediately reclaims that space without sacrificing access to the files.
Fast, Flexible Record Retrieval
Offsite does not mean out of reach. Armstrong Archives indexes every box and file folder with a barcode the moment it arrives at our facility. When you need a specific patient chart, you can search by name in our online inventory system, call our team, or submit a request by email. We will scan the file and send it to you, have it ready in our on-site viewing room, or deliver it to your office. For urgent requests, same-day retrieval is available.
Simplified HIPAA Compliance and Security
Maintaining HIPAA compliance in-house requires ongoing investment in access controls, staff training, risk assessments, and audit documentation. By storing patient records in Armstrong Archives’ secure facility, the burden of physical and administrative safeguards shifts to us. Our facility is protected by 24-hour security, restricted access controls, and fire protection, and our processes are designed to meet HIPAA’s requirements for securely storing PHI while ensuring it is available to patients when requested.
Scan-on-Demand and Digital Access
Not every file needs to be fully digitized, but every file should be accessible digitally when needed. Our scan-on-demand service lets you request a digital copy of any stored document at any time – we scan it and send it to you at a fraction of the cost of a full conversion project. For practices transitioning to electronic records, we also offer full document scanning and imaging services to convert paper patient charts into digital files that can be delivered on disc or flash drive.
How Our Medical Records Storage Works
Managing medical records shouldn’t slow down your practice. Armstrong Archives takes the complexity off your plate with a simple, secure process designed around your needs — from pickup to retrieval, we handle every step with care and precision.
Step 1 — We Come to You
Getting started is easy. Our team comes directly to your office to assess your records, answer your questions, and coordinate a pickup schedule that works for you. No disruption to your workflow, no heavy lifting on your end — just a smooth handoff from your hands to ours.
Step 2 — Secure Transport to Our Carrollton Facility
Your records are transported in sealed, tracked containers to our secure Carrollton facility. Every step of the journey is monitored and documented, so you always know your sensitive information is handled with the highest standards of compliance and care.
Step 3 — Indexing and Barcoding
Once your records arrive, we meticulously index and barcode every box and file. This creates a precise inventory of your records and makes retrieval fast and accurate — no searching, no guessing, no wasted time.
Step 4 — 24/7 Online Access to Your Inventory
Through our secure online portal, you have around-the-clock visibility into your entire records inventory. Search, locate, and request files anytime, from anywhere — giving you the peace of mind that your records are always within reach when you need them.
Step 5 — Retrieval When You Need It
When a file is needed, simply submit a request through the portal or give us a call — and a real person will answer. We offer flexible delivery options, including same-day and next-day service, ensuring your records are back in your hands quickly and without hassle.
A Secure, HIPAA-Compliant Facility Built for PHI
Armstrong Archives’ facility is designed specifically for the long-term, HIPAA-compliant storage of protected health information. Security measures include:
- 24-hour security monitoring and restricted physical access controls
- Fire suppression systems and sprinkler protection throughout the facility
- Climate-controlled storage areas that regulate temperature and humidity, protecting paper records from deterioration, mold, and environmental damage — critical for records that must be kept for 7 or more years
- Barcode tracking at every stage, so every box is traceable from pick-up through storage to retrieval or destruction
- Online inventory access so your team can verify what is stored and where, at any time
Our processes are designed to meet HIPAA requirements for the protection of PHI, including the Security Rule’s administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for electronic records.
Secure document destruction for records that have reached the end of their retention period is also available. Paper records are destroyed by industrial shredding; electronic media are destroyed by pulverization. A certificate of destruction is provided for your compliance documentation.
Armstrong Archive’s FAQs
What makes Armstrong Archives’ medical records storage HIPAA compliant?
Our medical records storage facility is protected with 24-hour security to ensure the confidentiality of personal health information (PHI). Additionally, our processes and storage systems are designed to meet HIPAA requirements, which mandate that documents containing PHI be securely stored but also available to patients when needed.
Can Armstrong Archives provide quick access to stored medical records when needed?
Yes, we offer several options for quick and easy access to your medical records including a comfortable viewing room, expedited document delivery, scan-on-demand services, and online access. Our indexing services ensure that you can retrieve, scan, and view your files quickly and efficiently whenever the need arises.
Are there any advantages to using offsite medical records storage for healthcare providers?
Offsite medical records storage offers numerous advantages. It lowers office space requirements, allowing more room for patient care, provides quicker file access through indexing and scan-on-demand services, and simplifies the challenges of security and compliance with secure offsite storage, thus alleviating the monitoring burden for healthcare providers.
Do I have the option to digitize my physical medical records with Armstrong Archives?
Yes, Armstrong Archives offers medical records scanning services which can help convert your physical files into a digital format. The digitized files can be delivered on a disc, flash drive, or sent via the web, making it easier to quickly find and use them electronically within your office systems.
How long must Texas healthcare providers keep patient records?
Under Texas Medical Board Rule 165.1(b), physicians must retain patient records for at least 7 years from the most recent date of treatment. For patients who were minors at their last visit, records must be kept for 7 years from that visit or until the patient turns 21, whichever is later. HIPAA itself does not set a retention period – the obligation comes from Texas state law.
Do you store records for retiring physicians?
Yes. Armstrong Archives has extensive experience helping retiring physicians in DFW meet Texas Medical Board requirements, including serving as the designated custodian for patient records after a practice closes. We archive, index, and track all records and make them available to patients upon request. See our dedicated retired doctors storage page for full details.
Contact Us for Medical Records Scanning & Storage
Ultimately, the benefits offered by our medical records storage services allow you to spend more of your time and effort helping your patients. Contact Armstrong Archives to learn more about how our services can help your healthcare practice.
