Northwest Indiana Retina Institute Website Privacy Statement
Effective Date: July 18, 2025
1. Your Consent
By visiting or using www.nwiretina.com, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Statement. If you do not agree, please do not use our sites.
2. Information We Collect
A. Information You Provide Directly
- Contact details (name, e‑mail address, mailing or billing address, phone number)
- Messages or form submissions (appointment requests, feedback, newsletter sign‑ups)
B. Demographic & Usage Data
- Anonymous demographics (ZIP code, age range, gender, interests)
- Preferences and site‑usage data (pages visited, features used)
C. Automated Technical Data
- IP address and device identifiers
- Browser type, operating system, screen resolution
- Referring URL, access times, and clickstream data
3. How We Use Your Information
- To Operate & Improve Our Websites – Ensure site functionality, diagnose technical issues, and personalize your experience.
- To Communicate with You – Respond to inquiries, send appointment confirmations or reminders, share practice news.
- To Conduct Surveys & Research – Invite you to give feedback on our services or participate in patient‑satisfaction studies.
- To Comply with Legal Obligations – Meet HIPAA and other regulatory requirements; respond to lawful requests (e.g., court orders).
We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties. We may share data with trusted service providers (e.g., hosting, analytics, secure messaging) under strict confidentiality agreements—solely to perform services on our behalf.
4. Cookies & Similar Technologies
- We use "cookies" and web beacons to remember your preferences, analyze site traffic, and improve usability.
- Cookies cannot execute code or spread viruses. They are unique text files read only by our domain.
- You can disable or delete cookies via your browser settings; however, some site features may no longer function.
5. Security Measures
- All data transmitted through our websites is encrypted using industry‑standard TLS/SSL.
- We store your information on secure servers with access controls and regular security audits.
- Only authorized staff and service providers (under HIPAA Business Associate Agreements) may access PHI.
6. Links to Other Websites
Our sites may link to external websites (e.g., professional associations, patient‑education resources). Please review the privacy policies of any site you visit—Northwest Indiana Retina Institute is not responsible for their practices.
7. Changes to This Privacy Statement
We may update this statement to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Please check this page periodically. Revised statements will display the new effective date at the top.
8. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please call:
Phone: 219‑259‑1760
Thank you for trusting us with your eye care and personal information. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy at every step.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Northwest Indiana Retina Institute
Effective Date: July 18, 2025
By law, we are required to protect the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP). This notice explains how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI), your rights regarding that information, and how to contact us for more information or to file a complaint.
1. Our Legal Duty
- We are required by federal law (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy of your PHI and to provide this notice.
- We must follow the terms of this NPP as long as it remains in effect.
- We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this NPP at any time.
- Any revised NPP will apply to all PHI we maintain and will be posted here (and available upon request).
2. How We May Use & Disclose Your PHI
A. Treatment
We may share your PHI with other healthcare professionals who are involved in your care, such as referring your charts and images to a general ophthalmologist or retinal surgeon.
B. Payment
We may use and disclose PHI to bill and collect payment from you, your insurer, or a third party. Examples: verifying eligibility, submitting claims, or obtaining prior authorizations.
C. Health Care Operations
We may use PHI to run our practice, improve quality of care, conduct staff training, perform audits, and manage customer service.
D. Other Permitted Disclosures (No Authorization Required)
- Public Health & Safety: Reporting communicable diseases, adverse events, or product recalls.
- Health Oversight: Reviews or audits by government agencies (e.g., licensing boards).
- Research: When a research study has been approved by an Institutional Review Board.
- Legal Proceedings: In response to valid subpoenas or court orders.
- Law Enforcement: As required by law for investigations.
- Organ Donation: To organ procurement organizations.
- Coroners & Funeral Directors: Information needed for death investigations.
- Serious Threats: To prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety.
- Workers' Compensation: For work‑related injury or illness claims.
- De‑identified Information: We may remove identifiers and use the data for any purpose.
3. Uses & Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
We will ask for your written authorization before using or sharing your PHI for:
- Most uses of psychotherapy notes
- Marketing communications or any sale of PHI
- Research that involves direct patient contact
- Any other purpose not described in this notice
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. If you do, we will no longer use or disclose PHI under that authorization, except as required to honor actions taken prior to your revocation.
4. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the right to:
- Inspect & Copy Request access to or a copy of the records that we use to make decisions about your care. We may charge a reasonable fee for copying.
- Amend Ask us to correct or update your PHI if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Request Restrictions Ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI. While we are not always required to agree, if we do, we will honor your request.
- Confidential Communications Request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at an alternative location (e.g., by mail instead of phone).
- Accounting of Disclosures Receive a list of certain disclosures of your PHI—excluding those made for treatment, payment, or operations.
- Paper Copy of This Notice Even if you have agreed to receive it electronically, you may request a paper copy at any time.
- Breach Notification Be notified if there is an unauthorized disclosure of your unsecured PHI.
- Right to File a Complaint If you believe your rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
5. How to Exercise Your Rights or File a Complaint
Submit your request in writing to:
HIPAA Privacy Officer
Northwest Indiana Retina Institute
8895 Broadway Avenue
Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: 219‑259‑1760
We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by law.
6. Questions or Additional Information
For more information about our privacy practices, to report a privacy concern, or to request this notice in another format, please contact our HIPAA Privacy Officer at 219‑259‑1760.
Thank you for entrusting your eye care to Northwest Indiana Retina Institute. We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and providing you with the highest quality of care.