Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 1, 2025

EmpowRD Nutrition Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a Texas-licensed registered and licensed dietitian practice specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. Protecting your privacy is fundamental to the trust you place in us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, empowrdnutrition.com, communicate with us electronically, or receive nutrition counseling services.

We comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as a covered entity, the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act (Tex. Health & Safety Code §181.001 et seq.), and the applicable professional ethical standards of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Texas Board of Examiners of Dietitians.

1. Information We Collect

A. Protected Health Information (PHI)

As part of providing nutrition therapy, we collect PHI such as:

• Demographic information (name, date of birth, contact details)
• Medical and nutrition history
• Eating disorder assessments and progress notes
• Insurance and payment information
• Correspondence (emails, portal messages, telehealth recordings when applicable)

B. Non-PHI Personal Information

Through website interactions, we may collect:

• IP address, browser type, and device identifiers
• Pages visited and time spent on our site (via Google Analytics or similar)
• Contact form submissions (name, email, message)

C. Information We Do Not Collect

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal or health information for marketing purposes. We do not use advertising trackers, behavioral profiling tools, or non-essential third-party marketing cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

• Treatment: To develop and adjust your personalized nutrition care plan.
• Payment: To bill insurance or process self-pay transactions.
• Health Care Operations: Quality improvement, staff training, and compliance audits.
• Communication: Appointment reminders, follow-up care instructions, and practice updates (with opt-out available).
• Website Analytics: To improve user experience and site functionality.

By providing your information through our website or services, you consent to our use of your data as described in this policy. You may withdraw consent for non-essential uses (such as marketing emails) at any time by contacting us.

3. Disclosure of Your Information

A. Permitted Under HIPAA

• To your referring physician, therapist, or treatment team with your written authorization or as allowed for continuity of care.
• To insurance companies for claims processing.
• To business associates (e.g., EHR vendor, billing service, telehealth platform) bound by Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
• For public health reporting (e.g., certain infectious diseases) or as required by Texas law.

Business associates may include electronic health record providers, billing companies, and secure communication vendors. All business associates are required by contract to safeguard your PHI.

B. Required by Law

• Court orders, subpoenas, or law enforcement requests.
• Texas Health and Human Services investigations or licensure board inquiries.

C. With Your Authorization

Any other disclosure (e.g., to family members, schools, or research studies) requires your signed Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information.

4. Your HIPAA Rights

You have the right to:

• Request restrictions on how we use/disclose your PHI (we will consider, but are not always required to agree).
• Receive confidential communications (e.g., by email instead of phone).
• Inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI (electronic or paper) within 30 days for a reasonable fee.
• Request amendments to inaccurate or incomplete records.
• Receive an accounting of disclosures made in the past 6 years.
• Be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI.
• File a complaint with us or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

Submit requests in writing to:

5. Data Security

We implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your information:

• Administrative: Role-based access, annual HIPAA training, and risk assessments.
• Physical: Locked filing cabinets, secure office entry.
• Technical: 256-bit encryption for data at rest and in transit, password-protected EHR, automatic log-off, antivirus/firewall.
• Telehealth: HIPAA-compliant platforms (e.g., Doxy.me, Zoom for Healthcare) with end-to-end encryption and waiting-room features.

Email and Text Communications: While we take reasonable measures to protect these communications, email and text messages may not be fully secure. By choosing to communicate with us via these methods, you acknowledge and accept this risk.

6. Website-Specific Practices

• Cookies: We use essential cookies for site functionality and anonymized analytics cookies. Google Analytics is configured with IP anonymization and data retention limits; we do not merge analytics data with PHI.
• Third-Party Links: Our site may link to external resources (e.g., Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). We are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.
• Children: We do not knowingly collect data from individuals under 13 without parental consent.
• Accessibility: Our website strives to comply with ADA accessibility standards to ensure information is available to all users.

7. Retention of Records

Adult medical records are retained for 7 years from the last professional service, per the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians. Minor records are retained until the patient reaches age 21 plus 7 years. After the retention period, records are securely destroyed by shredding, deletion, or de-identification.

8. Your State Privacy Rights

If you reside outside Texas and your state law provides additional privacy rights, we will honor those rights to the extent required by law.

9. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to amend this policy. Material changes will be posted on our website and, when required, communicated directly to current clients. Continued use of our services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights:

This document is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.