Referral Portal Privacy Policy
Effective Date: March 28, 2026
Elite Care Northwest, Inc. d/b/a Elite Care Northwest and the ECNW Referral Portal (“ECNW,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respect the privacy and security of the information submitted through this application. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the ECNW Referral Portal, how we use it, how we protect it, and the choices available to users.
This Privacy Policy applies specifically to the ECNW Referral Portal application and related referral portal services. It is intended to supplement, and not replace, any separate Notice of Privacy Practices or other legal notices that may apply to healthcare services provided by ECNW.
1. Scope and Intended Use
The ECNW Referral Portal is designed for use by authorized healthcare professionals and staff, including but not limited to discharge planners, case managers, social workers, and clinical personnel, for the purpose of submitting and coordinating referrals for home care and related services.
This application is not intended for public consumer use.
2. Information We Collect
Depending on how the Referral Portal is used, we may collect the following categories of information:
A. Referral and Provider Information
Referring facility, practice, or organization name
Referring professional’s name, title, phone number, and email address
Referral details, service requests, and care coordination notes
B. Patient Information
Patient name
Date of birth
Contact information, if provided as part of a referral
Clinical details, care needs, diagnosis information, discharge information, service preferences, and other information relevant to evaluating and coordinating care
C. Technical and Usage Information
Device type
Browser type or operating system information
Log data, date/time stamps, and general usage activity related to operation, maintenance, security, and troubleshooting of the application
We collect only the information reasonably necessary to operate the Referral Portal, review referrals, coordinate care, maintain security, and support our business operations.
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information:
Directly from users when they submit referral forms or communicate through the application
From referring organizations or their authorized personnel
Automatically through standard technical processes needed to operate, secure, and maintain the application
4. How We Use Information
We may use information collected through the Referral Portal to:
Receive, review, process, and manage patient referrals
Communicate with referring providers, facilities, patients, family members, or authorized representatives, as appropriate
Coordinate evaluations, admissions, care planning, and service delivery
Maintain records related to referral intake, operations, compliance, and administration
Protect the security, integrity, and functionality of the application
Investigate technical issues, misuse, or suspected unauthorized activity
Comply with legal, regulatory, contractual, accreditation, and professional obligations
We do not sell personal information submitted through the Referral Portal. We do not use referral data or patient information for targeted advertising.
5. HIPAA and Protected Health Information
Information submitted through the Referral Portal may include Protected Health Information (“PHI”) and other sensitive personal information.
ECNW is committed to protecting PHI in accordance with applicable healthcare privacy and security requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), where applicable.
When PHI is submitted through the Referral Portal:
it is used only for legitimate healthcare, operational, compliance, and related permitted purposes;
access is limited to authorized personnel and authorized service providers with a need to know; and
reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are used to help protect such information.
Users are responsible for ensuring that information submitted through the Referral Portal is shared in accordance with their organization’s policies, applicable law, and any required patient permissions or authorizations.
6. How We May Share Information
We may share information submitted through the Referral Portal only as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:
with ECNW workforce members, clinicians, intake personnel, care coordinators, and administrators who need the information to review or manage referrals;
with service providers and vendors that support hosting, storage, workflow processing, communications, technical support, security, or related business operations;
with referral sources, providers, patients, family members, caregivers, or authorized representatives, as appropriate for care coordination;
when required or permitted by law, regulation, court order, subpoena, government request, accreditation requirement, or legal process; and
in connection with protecting the rights, safety, security, or property of ECNW, patients, users, or others.
Where required, ECNW seeks to ensure that service providers handling PHI or other regulated information are subject to appropriate contractual privacy and security obligations, including Business Associate Agreements where applicable.
7. Data Security
We use reasonable and appropriate safeguards designed to help protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information submitted through the Referral Portal. These safeguards may include:
encrypted transmission using HTTPS/TLS;
authentication and access controls;
role-based or limited-access administrative practices;
secure storage and monitoring practices; and
workforce and vendor controls designed to support privacy and security compliance.
No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. For that reason, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to:
process and document referrals;
support care coordination and service delivery;
comply with healthcare, legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, accreditation, contractual, and recordkeeping obligations;
resolve disputes; and
enforce our policies and agreements.
Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information and applicable legal requirements.
9. User Responsibilities
Users of the Referral Portal agree to:
submit only information reasonably necessary for referral and care coordination purposes;
provide accurate and current information to the best of their knowledge;
use the application only in an authorized and lawful manner;
maintain the confidentiality of login credentials and access methods;
avoid submitting information through unsecured or unauthorized channels when the Referral Portal or another approved method is available; and
comply with applicable privacy, security, institutional, and professional obligations.
10. Individual Rights and Requests
Where applicable under law, individuals may request:
access to certain personal information;
correction of inaccurate information; and
deletion of certain information, subject to legal, regulatory, patient safety, medical record, or retention requirements.
Requests may be submitted using the contact information below. ECNW will review and respond in accordance with applicable law and operational requirements.
If a request relates to PHI maintained as part of ECNW’s healthcare operations, additional rights and procedures may also be described in ECNW’s separate Notice of Privacy Practices.
11. Third-Party Services
The Referral Portal may rely on third-party providers to support hosting, storage, technical infrastructure, communications, analytics, security, workflow automation, or related operational functions.
These providers may process information on our behalf only as needed to provide services to ECNW and are expected to maintain appropriate privacy and security protections consistent with their role and applicable law.
12. Children’s Privacy
The ECNW Referral Portal is intended for use by authorized adults acting in a professional capacity. It is not directed to children and is not designed for use by minors.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will revise the Effective Date above. Continued use of the Referral Portal after an updated Privacy Policy becomes effective means the updated policy will apply to future use of the application.
14. Contact Us
Elite Care Northwest, Inc.
ECNW Referral Portal
Email: info@elitecarenorthwest.com
Phone: (206) 321-7440
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or would like to submit a privacy-related request, please contact us using the information above.