Privacy Policy

This notice describes how your consumer health data may be used and disclosed and how you may obtain access to this information. Please review it carefully.

For us to provide you with the best service and care, we need to receive consumer health data from you. Your privacy is a high priority for Timber Ridge OPCO LLC (“Timber Ridge”, “us”, “we” and correlative terms), and we are committed to collecting and using your consumer health data in accordance with applicable laws.

This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notices” or “Policy”) applies to all your consumer health data that we collect from you, and it informs you about consumer health data that may be collected, the anticipated uses of that data, and the parties with whom we may share that data. This Notice or Policy also describes your rights and obligations regarding your consumer health data.

Consumer Health Data

While residing at Timber Ridge at Talus (the “Community”), we may collect information regarding or related to your physical and mental health, including without limitation, healthcare history, treatment, and payment for your health care. Washington law protects this information as your consumer health data.

We collect consumer health data about you to help us provide a high-level of service, assistance, and care to you, provide billing services, and fulfill legal and regulatory requirements. The information we collect from you will vary based on the types and levels of assistance and care you need.

Authorization

We will only use your consumer health data as stated in this Notice of Privacy Practices, and the collection of any additional consumer health data or use of your consumer health data for any additional purpose will only be done following your authorization for such additional collection and/or use.

By signing the consent form attached hereto as Exhibit A, you expressly consent to our collection and use of your consumer health data as further set forth herein.

By signing the consent form attached hereto as Exhibit B, you expressly consent to our sharing of your consumer health data as further set forth therein.

You may revoke your consent at any time by submitting a notice of such revocation as further detailed under the heading “Your Rights,” provided you understand that such revocation will only apply to our future collection, use, and/or sharing (as applicable) of your consumer health data.

Categories of Consumer Health Data

  • Hospital records
  • Records related to consultations with doctors
  • Physician orders
  • Therapy referrals
  • Information related to a Resident’s health insurance
  • Health Center medical records
  • Vaccination records
  • Medications
  • Ambulatory ability
  • Therapy records and notes
  • Special medical device needs (oxygen, pacemaker, catheters, ostomies, other)
  • Medical history and pre-existing conditions
  • Home care notes
  • Cognitive health scores
  • Advance Directives
  • Durable Power of Attorney

Uses of Your Consumer Health Data

The following lists our anticipated uses of the consumer health data we collect from you. While we have endeavored to list all anticipated uses, this list may omit uses that we have reasonably deemed to be derivative of or substantially similar to the listed uses.

For Care and Treatment. We will use your consumer health data in providing you with care, treatment, and services. We may disclose your consumer health data to the manager of the Community and its personnel, as well as Community and non-Community personnel who may be involved in your care, including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, nurse aides, and physical therapists.

For Payment. We may use and disclose your consumer health data so that we can bill and receive payment for the care, treatment, and services you receive at the Community. Bills requesting payment will usually include information which identifies you, your diagnosis, and any procedures performed on you or supplies used in connection with your care. For billing and payment purposes, we may disclose your consumer health data to your legal representative, an insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or another third-party payor.

For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your consumer health data as necessary in connection with Community operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to monitor the health status of Residents, manage the Community, and monitor the quality of care we provide. For example, we may use consumer health data to evaluate the Community’s services, including the performance of our staff. In addition, we may share your consumer health data with another individual or covered entity for quality assessment and improvement activities or for review of or evaluation of health care professionals (e.g., state and federal surveys). Health Care Operations may also include the use of information for quality assurance, training, accreditation, medical review, auditing, and business planning.

Community Directory. The Community maintains a directory of Residents at the Community (the “Directory”). The Directory contains biographical information provided by the Residents, including names, contact information, date of birth, anniversaries, and a Resident’s location within the Community. Your submission of information to us for inclusion in the Directory constitutes your affirmative consent to the following: (i) inclusion of your information in the Directory unless and until you withdraw your consent; (ii) release of you information in the Directory, except for your religious affiliation, to people who ask for you by name; and (iii) provision of information in the Directory, including your religious affiliation, to any member of the clergy. For clarity, you are not obligated to consent to the inclusion of your information in the Directory and you may restrict or prohibit the uses and disclosures described in this paragraph by notifying the Community in writing of your restriction or prohibition.

Community Culture. As part of maintaining the culture of the Community, we may inform Residents and staff of changes in your health. You may restrict or prohibit these uses and disclosures by notifying the Community in writing.

Emergencies. In the event of an emergency or your incapacity, we will do what is consistent with your known preference (if any), and what we reasonably believe to be in your best interest. We will inform you of such uses or disclosures of consumer health data under such circumstances and give you an opportunity to object as soon as practicable.
Disaster Relief. We may disclose your consumer health data to an organization providing assistance in response to a disaster relief effort.

As Required By Law or Regulatory Body*. We will disclose your consumer health data when required by law or a body with regulatory authority over us.

Public Health Activities*. We may disclose your consumer health data in connection with public health activities. These activities may include, for example:

  • reporting for the prevention or control of disease, injury, or disability;
  • reporting death;
  • reporting abuse or neglect of a dependent adult;
  • reporting reactions to medications or problems with products;
  • notifying a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition; or
  • Disclosing for certain purposes involving workplace illness or injuries.

Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence*. We may use or disclose consumer health data to protective services or social services agency or other similar government authorities if we reasonably believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose your consumer health data to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law. These may include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections and licensure actions, judicial/administrative proceedings to which you are not a party, or other legal proceedings. In most cases, the oversight activity will be for the purpose of overseeing the care rendered by the Community or the Community’s compliance with certain laws and regulations. The Community does not control or define what information is needed by the health oversight agencies.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings*. We may disclose your consumer health data in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful legal process. To the extent legally permissible and practicable, we will make reasonable efforts to contact you regarding the request so that you may seek, at your sole expense, a judicial order or other agreement limiting and/or protecting the information.

Law Enforcement*. We may also release your consumer health data to law enforcement officers for the following purposes:

  • Pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena/summons, or administrative request;
  • Identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
  • Regarding a crime victim, but only if the victim consents or the victim is unable to consent due to incapacity and the information is needed to determine if a crime has occurred, non-disclosure would significantly hinder the investigation, and disclosure is in the victim’s best interest;
  • Regarding a decedent, to alert law enforcement that the individual’s death was caused by suspected criminal conduct; or,
  • For reporting suspected criminal activity.

Coroner, Healthcare Examiners, Funeral Homes. We may release your consumer health data to a coroner, medical examiner, and funeral director.

Organ Donation. We may release consumer health data to an organization involved in the donation of organs if you are an organ donor.

Fundraising. We may use your consumer health data for the purpose of contacting you as part of a Community-based fundraising effort. Consumer health data that may be used as part of the fundraising effort includes name, address, other contact information, age, gender, date of birth, dates of health care provided, treating physician, outcome information, and health insurance status. Use or disclosure of any other consumer health data for fundraising purposes will require your authorization. The Community, an affiliated organization, such as a foundation or a business associate may contact you regarding the Community’s fundraising efforts. If you do not wish to be contacted regarding fundraising activities, you may contact at or you may send an email to and request your name be removed from our fundraising list.

More Stringent Laws

Some of your consumer health data may be subject to other laws and regulations and provided greater protection than outlined in this Notice. In the event your consumer health data is afforded greater protection under federal or state law, we will comply with the applicable law.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding the Community’s use of your consumer health data:

  • The right to confirm whether we are collecting, sharing, or selling your consumer health data;
  • The right to know the third parties with whom we have shared your consumer health data (including an email address or other online mechanism that you may use to contact them);
  • The right to withdraw consent to our collection and sharing of your consumer health data;
  • The right to request that your consumer health data be deleted; and,
  • The right to access your consumer health data.

You may exercise any of the above rights by sending an email to the Community’s executive director at [email protected] or submitting a written request to the Front Desk at the Community.

Our Rights

  • We have the right to request additional information from you to authenticate any request to exercise your rights hereunder. We have the right to deny your request to the extent we cannot authenticate it using commercially reasonable efforts.
  • To charge you a reasonable fee to cover the administrative costs of complying with your request should you (i) make more than two requests for information in any year or (ii) your request(s) is/are manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive.
  • Extend the period in which we must respond to your request to exercise your rights, provided we will provide notice of such extension and the basis for it to you.
  • To collect, use, or disclose your consumer health data, without your consent, to: (i) prevent, detect, protect against, or respond to security incidents, identify theft, fraud, harassment, malicious or deceptive activities, or any activity that is illegal under Washington state law or federal law; (ii) preserve the integrity or security of systems; and (iii) investigate or report any action that is illegal under Washington state law or federal law.

Security Standards

We continue to assess new technology to evaluate our ability to provide additional protection for your consumer health data. We maintain administrative, physical, and technical policies and procedures to protect your consumer health data that are consistent with industry standards, as well as standards set forth by applicable state and federal law.

Sending the Community consumer health data information through electronic methods (via text or email) that is not encrypted involves some inherent risk of compromise. If you initiate communication with the Community using unencrypted email or text, the Community assumes, unless explicitly stated otherwise, that this form of communication, and the risk attendant thereto, is acceptable to you.

Complaints/Appeals

If you believe your rights under the Act or this Policy have been violated, you may submit a complaint to the Community Privacy Officer Heather Turner via electronic mail at [email protected] or in-person at the Community. The Privacy Officer will review and respond to you in a timely manner. You may also appeal our decision regarding your attempt to exercise your rights hereunder at any time by submitting an appeal Scott Doherty, LCS VP/Sr. Director of Operations Management, at [email protected]. We will review your appeal and provide a written response that details the basis for our decision within forty-five (45) days of your submission, provided we may extend that period by an additional forty-five (45) days upon notice to you (which shall include the basis for such extension). In the event we deny your appeal, you may submit a complaint to the Washington Attorney General’s office through the following link: Submit a Complaint.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or submitting a request to exercise your rights under this Policy.

Change to This Policy

We will revise this Policy whenever there is a change to (i) the categories of data we collect; (ii) our use of the consumer health data we collect; (iii) the parties with whom we share consumer health data; or (iv) as otherwise required by the Act. All changes to this Policy will apply following your acknowledgement of and consent to the update Policy. We will post a copy of the current Policy on the Community’s Homepage, as well as in the Community.

Acknowledgment

By signing the Authorization to Collect Consumer Health Data, found here, you consent to our collection of your consumer health data as detailed in this Policy.

By signing the Authorization to Share Consumer Health Data, found here, you consent to our sharing of your consumer health data as detailed in this Policy.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Policy or would like further information concerning your privacy rights, please contact:

Executive Director
Timber Ridge at Talus
Phone: (425) 427-5200 ext. 3099
Email: [email protected]