Wellsentials Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 4, 2025

At Wellsentials, your privacy and the security of your personal health information are of utmost importance. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you interact with our services, including our website wellsentials.org, our online forms, and our in-person and in-home services provided by Nicole, Licensed Acupuncturist. As a healthcare provider in California, we are committed to complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Information We Collect:

We may collect the following types of information:

Personal Information: This includes your name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and other contact details.
Health Information (Protected Health Information – PHI): This includes information related to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of healthcare to you, and payment for healthcare services. This may include your medical history, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, acupuncture and massage notes, and other health-related information you provide through our forms, during consultations, or in treatment sessions.
Website Usage Information: When you visit our website, we may collect certain information automatically, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring website, pages you visit, and the dates and times of your visits. We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect this information (please see our Cookie Policy below for more details).
Form Submissions: Information you provide when filling out our online forms, such as the “Personal Health History” form.
Communication Data: Records of our communications with you, including emails, phone calls, and other correspondence.

2. How We Use Your Information:

We may use your information for the following purposes:

Providing Healthcare Services: To deliver acupuncture, massage, and other wellness services, including diagnosis, treatment planning, and administration. This includes in-home services in the 92101 zip code.
Communication: To communicate with you regarding appointments, treatment plans, health updates, billing, and other administrative matters.
Responding to Inquiries: To address your questions, requests, and concerns.
Improving Our Services: To analyze website usage and service delivery to improve our offerings and patient experience.
Billing and Payment: To process payments for our services and manage your account.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including HIPAA.
Marketing and Promotions (with your consent): To send you information about our services, blog posts (like those about massage candles), and special offers, where permitted by law and with your explicit consent where required. You can opt-out of these communications at any time.

3. Disclosure of Your Information:

We will only disclose your PHI as permitted or required by HIPAA and other applicable laws. This may include disclosures:

To You: You have the right to access and receive a copy of your PHI.
For Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO): We may use and disclose your PHI for purposes related to your treatment, obtaining payment for our services, and our healthcare operations (e.g., quality improvement activities, administrative functions).
With Your Written Authorization: We will obtain your written authorization for any other uses and disclosures of your PHI that are not for TPO or otherwise permitted or required by law. You have the right to revoke this authorization at any time.
As Required by Law: We may disclose your PHI if required to do so by law, such as in response to a court order or subpoena.
For Public Health Activities: We may disclose PHI to public health authorities for purposes such as preventing or controlling disease, reporting vital events, or conducting public health surveillance.
To Health Oversight Agencies: We may disclose PHI to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and licensure.
To Law Enforcement: We may disclose PHI to law enforcement officials under certain circumstances, such as to report a crime or in response to a valid legal process.
To Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: We may disclose PHI to these individuals for identification purposes or to carry out their duties.
For Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose PHI as authorized by workers’ compensation laws.
For Other Permitted Purposes: As allowed by HIPAA and California law.

We do not sell your personal information or PHI to third parties.

4. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information (HIPAA Rights):

Under HIPAA, you have the following rights regarding your PHI:

Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI.
Right to Amend: You have the right to request that we amend your PHI that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made.
Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to your request in all circumstances.
Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a certain way or at a certain location.
Right to a Notice of Privacy Practices: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices upon request.
Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us and with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to Nicole at the contact information provided below.

5. Data Security:

We take reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information and PHI against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

Secure storage of electronic health records.
Encryption of sensitive data during transmission.
Access controls to limit who can view your information.
Regular security assessments and updates.
Employee training on privacy and security practices.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.

6. Retention of Your Information:

We will retain your personal information and PHI for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and as required by applicable laws and professional standards. Medical records are typically retained for a period specified by California law.

7. Links to Other Websites:

Our website may contain links to other websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of these other websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit.

8. Cookie Policy:

Our website, wellsentials.org, may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect website usage information. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. We may use cookies for purposes such as:

Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the basic functionality of our website.
Analytics Cookies: These help us understand how visitors interact with our website, such as which pages are visited most often. This information is used to improve our website.
Functionality Cookies: These allow our website to remember choices you make (such as language preferences) and provide enhanced features.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most web browsers allow you to disable or delete cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy:

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post any changes on our website and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

10. Contact Us:

https://wellsentials.org/contact

By using our services and our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.