Martinez Heart & Home Care is a Washington State licensed in-home care agency providing compassionate, LPN-supervised home care services to clients in Washington State. We are a HIPAA covered entity — federal law requires us to protect your health information and provide you with this notice.

This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to all health information we create or receive about you in connection with your care, including information from your doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other providers that we receive to coordinate your care.

The following explains the main ways we use and share your health information and whether we need your permission first:

You have the following rights regarding your health information. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at (360) 296-2671 or mariatmartinez1980@outlook.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by law at no charge for filing a request.

Administrative Safeguards

• All caregivers and staff receive HIPAA privacy and security training upon hire and annually
• Only authorized personnel have access to your health information on a need-to-know basis
• We have Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with all vendors who handle your health information
• We conduct regular privacy and security risk assessments

Physical Safeguards

• Paper records are stored in locked, secure files accessible only to authorized staff
• Records are securely shredded when no longer needed per retention requirements
• Access to client files is restricted to authorized agency personnel only

Technical Safeguards

• SSL/TLS encryption for all electronic data transmission
• Password-protected access to all electronic health records
• Encrypted email for any health information sent electronically
• Automatic logoff from electronic systems after periods of inactivity

Breach Notification

If your health information is ever breached, we will notify you, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and if required, the media — within 60 days of discovering the breach, in accordance with the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR Part 164, Subpart D) and Washington State data breach notification law (RCW 19.255.010).

Washington Health Care Information Act (RCW 70.02)

Washington State provides additional protections for your health information beyond federal HIPAA requirements. Under RCW 70.02, you have the right to access your health care information within 15 business days of request, request corrections, restrict certain disclosures, and file a complaint with the Washington State Department of Health.

My Health MY Data Act (RCW 70.372)

Washington State's My Health MY Data Act provides additional protections for consumer health data, including restrictions on the collection, sharing, and sale of consumer health data. We comply with all requirements of this law.

Vulnerable Adult Protection (RCW 74.34)

As a home care agency, all of our caregivers are mandatory reporters under RCW 74.34. We are required by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or abandonment of vulnerable adults to Adult Protective Services (APS) at 1-877-734-6277 and law enforcement within 24 hours. This reporting obligation is required by law and supersedes confidentiality protections in cases of suspected abuse or neglect.

Data Breach Notification (RCW 19.255.010)

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as quickly as possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with Washington State law and the needs of law enforcement.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may also file a complaint with any of the following agencies. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

We reserve the right to change this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. We may make the revised notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will:

• Post the current notice on our website with the new effective date
• Make copies available at our office upon request
• Provide a copy to new clients before or at the time of their first visit
• Notify existing clients of material changes by mail or email

The effective date at the top of this notice indicates when the current version took effect. You may always request a copy of the most current notice by calling us at (360) 296-2671.