HIPAA & Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

At the WaPass Injury Center, we value your trust and are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard your personal information when you interact with our clinic, whether in person, online, or through digital services. Our goal is to provide transparency and assure you that your personal health information is handled responsibly, securely, and in compliance with applicable laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Information We Collect

The WaPass Injury Center may collect the following types of information to provide medical care and administrative services:

• Personal Information: Name, date of birth, phone number, email address, home address, emergency contact details.
• Medical & Health Information: Medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications, lab results, imaging, insurance details.
• Billing & Payment Information: Insurance provider details, billing addresses, and payment card information where applicable.
• Usage Data (Online Interactions): IP addresses, device/browser information, and activity on our website.
• Location Data: When accessing certain services that require geolocation (e.g., telehealth).

This information is collected directly from you, your healthcare providers, insurance providers, or through digital systems used by the clinic (such as scheduling tools or billing platforms).

How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for the purpose of delivering safe, efficient, and high-quality healthcare services. Specifically, we may use your information to:

• Provide medical care, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Schedule appointments and manage patient communications.
• Process billing, insurance claims, and payments.
• Maintain accurate medical records.
• Respond to patient inquiries and provide support.
• Improve clinic operations, services, and technology systems.
• Comply with legal, regulatory, and reporting requirements.
• Share educational or clinic-related updates, with your consent.

How We Share Your Information

The WaPass Injury Center respects the confidentiality of your information and will only share it when necessary, as permitted or required by law. Information may be shared with:

• Healthcare Providers & Staff: To coordinate and deliver your treatment.
• Insurance Companies & Billing Partners: For claims processing and payment purposes.
• Service Providers: Vendors who support our IT systems or secure communication tools (all bound by confidentiality agreements).
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities: When required to comply with federal or state law, court orders, or government regulations.
• Emergency Situations: To protect your health and safety or the safety of others.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

How We Protect Your Information

We use a combination of administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your data:

• HIPAA-Compliant Systems: All patient data is stored and transmitted using secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms.
• Encryption & Secure Servers: Sensitive information is encrypted during transmission and stored on protected servers.
• Access Controls: Patient records are accessible only to authorized staff who require it for medical or administrative purposes.
• Regular Security Audits: Systems are monitored and reviewed to prevent unauthorized access or breaches.
• Staff Training: All staff are trained regularly on privacy practices and HIPAA compliance.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, be kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant rights to understand and control how your health information is used. HIPAA provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.

As required by HIPAA, the WaPass Injury Center has prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose your health information as necessary to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

Uses and Disclosures of Health Information

The WaPass Injury Center may use and disclose your protected health information for treatment, obtaining payment for treatment, and healthcare operations necessary to sustain our practice. Treatment means providing, coordinating, or managing health care and related services by one or more health care providers; for example, a physical examination or assessment. Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, and billing or collection activities; for example, we may provide information to your insurance company as needed to receive payment for services rendered to you, which may include diagnosis and treatment codes, treatment notes, and copies of documentation relevant to obtaining payment. Healthcare Operations includes the business aspects of running our practice, such as quality assessment and improvement activities, auditing functions, cost-management analysis, and customer service; for example, we may use your information to contact you to remind you of an upcoming appointment.

The WaPass Injury Center may also use or disclose your protected health information without prior authorization for public health purposes, for auditing purposes, for research studies, and for emergencies. We also provide information when required by law. We may create and distribute de-identified health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information. In any other situation, our policy is to obtain your written authorization before disclosing your protected health information. If you provide us with a written authorization to release your information for any reason, you may later revoke that authorization to stop future disclosures at any time.

Your Individual Rights

You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a written request to the Privacy Officer:

• The right to review or obtain a copy of your protected health information at any time.
• The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your protected health information. We are not required to agree to a requested restriction, but if we do agree, we must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it.
• The right to request that we amend your protected health information.
• The right to request a list of instances where we have disclosed your protected health information for reasons other than treatment, payment, or related administrative purposes.
• The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us upon request.

This notice may be amended at any time. When changes are made, a new Notice of Privacy Practices will be posted in our waiting-room areas with the effective and revision dates, and will be provided to you on your next visit. You may request an updated copy at any time.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact: