Privacy Policy
Vital Life Nursing Inc. ("Vital Life Nursing," "VLN," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal information and personal health information.
Vital Life Nursing operates a private nursing and nurse case-management practice in British Columbia. We handle personal information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and applicable professional requirements of the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
Information We May Collect
Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect information such as your name, contact information, date of birth, emergency contact or representative information, health history, medications, diagnoses, care needs, appointment information, communications, payment and billing information, information provided by family members or health-care providers with appropriate authority or consent, and information necessary to provide nursing or case-management services.
When you use this website, limited technical information may also be collected through cookies and similar technologies, including IP address, browser/device information, pages visited, and website interaction data.
We collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it is collected.
How We Use Personal Information
We may use personal information to respond to inquiries; assess whether VLN's services are appropriate; arrange and provide nursing, case-management, caregiver-coordination, telehealth or related services; develop and maintain client care plans and clinical records; communicate with clients, authorized family members and members of the health-care team; coordinate appointments, referrals and services; process billing and payments; meet professional, regulatory, insurance and legal requirements; maintain service quality and client safety; and operate and secure our website and business systems.
Information collected for nursing care forms part of the client's clinical record when appropriate. BCCNM requires nurses to document care and communications relevant to client care and to protect client information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Consent
Where required, Vital Life Nursing obtains consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information. Consent may be express or may be implied where permitted by law and where the purpose would be reasonably understood.
Consent for health-care services is separate from consent to receive marketing communications. A client may withdraw consent where legally permitted; however, withdrawal may affect our ability to provide certain services or may not apply where we have a legal or professional obligation to retain or use information.
BCCNM recognizes the client's right to give, refuse or withdraw consent to health care.
Sharing Personal Information
We do not sell client personal information.
Personal information may be shared, where appropriate and permitted, with health-care professionals involved in a client's care; caregivers or service providers involved in an authorized care plan; individuals authorized by the client or the client's legal representative; payment, technology, scheduling, accounting, insurance or professional service providers performing services for VLN; or government, regulatory, legal or emergency authorities where disclosure is permitted or required by law.
Nurses share client information only as necessary to fulfill professional responsibilities and, outside the health-care team, ordinarily only with the client's consent or where an ethical or legal requirement permits disclosure.
Website Hosting and Third-Party Services
The VLN website is hosted through Wix. We may also use third-party providers for website hosting, scheduling, email, electronic forms, document storage, payment processing, accounting or communications.
These providers may process information on our behalf and may operate systems located outside British Columbia or Canada. VLN takes reasonable steps to use service providers and safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
Payment card information may be processed directly by a payment processor and may not be stored by VLN.
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use essential cookies and optional analytics or functionality cookies. Cookies may help the website function properly, understand website usage, improve functionality and remember user preferences.
Where required, visitors may adjust cookie preferences through the website's cookie settings or their browser.
Marketing Communications
Newsletter or promotional communications are sent in accordance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Subscription to marketing communications is voluntary and is not a condition of receiving nursing care. Marketing messages will provide an unsubscribe method where required. CASL generally requires consent, sender identification and an unsubscribe mechanism for commercial electronic messages.
Security
Vital Life Nursing uses reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information in our custody or control. No electronic communication or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
PIPA requires organizations to make reasonable security arrangements to prevent unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal of personal information.
Retention of Clinical Records
Clinical records are retained in accordance with applicable legislation and BCCNM requirements. Where VLN or an VLN nurse has custody or control of a client care record, the record will ordinarily be retained for at least 16 years following the later of the date of the last entry or the date the client reaches 19 years of age, unless a longer period is required by law.
Other business records are retained only as long as reasonably necessary for business, tax, legal, regulatory or contractual purposes.
Access and Correction
Individuals may request access to personal information about themselves that is under VLN's control and may request correction of information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete, subject to applicable legal exceptions.
PIPA provides individuals with rights to request access to and correction of personal information held by an organization.
Privacy Questions or Complaints
Questions, access requests, correction requests or privacy concerns may be directed to:
Privacy Officer / RN-Director
Vital Life Nursing Inc.
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Email: care@vlnursing.com
Phone: 778-887-0507