Purpose

Northwest Interpreters Inc., dba NWI Global (“NWI”), is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. We adhere to stringent data protection standards, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Washington State privacy laws, and applicable Oregon privacy laws, such as the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA), effective July 1, 2024.

This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information.

Information Collection and Use

NWI may collect personal information, including but not limited to:

• Identity Information: Name, title, company/organization name, phone/fax number, email address, and business address.
• Protected Health Information (PHI): When necessary to provide language services in healthcare settings, we collect PHI as defined under HIPAA.
• Personal Data: If you are an Oregon resident, additional protections apply to “personal data” under the OCPA. This includes any information linked to an identifiable individual, excluding de-identified or publicly available information.

This information is used for the following purposes:

• Delivering services to clients and partners.
• Managing communications, including updates on events, news, and services.
• Ensuring compliance with legal, contractual, and regulatory requirements.

Providing personal information is voluntary. However, withholding requested information may limit the services NWI can provide.

Data Protection and Storage

NWI’s compliance and retention:

• HIPAA Compliance: NWI complies with HIPAA standards to safeguard PHI, using administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data.
• State Compliance: NWI complies with privacy requirements under the Washington Consumer Protection Act and the Washington My Health My Data Act, as well as the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA).
• Data Retention: Information is retained only as long as necessary for business, legal, or regulatory purposes, in accordance with federal and state laws.

All data is stored securely using encryption and other industry-standard methods to prevent unauthorized access.

Information Sharing

NWI does not sell, rent, or distribute your personal information to third parties without prior consent, except in the following circumstances:

• To comply with legal obligations, such as subpoenas or court orders.
• To business associates, contractors, or partners bound by confidentiality agreements or HIPAA-compliant Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
• For non-identifiable data sharing, such as website analytics or marketing insights.

Under the OCPA, Oregon residents have the right to know if personal data is shared with third parties and to opt out of such data sharing.

Marketing Communications

NWI may send communications regarding events, updates, or services to individuals with whom we have a professional relationship or who have opted in to receive such communications. You may opt out at any time by contacting us directly or using the “unsubscribe” feature in our emails.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites. NWI is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party websites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request corrections to your contact information.
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual requirements.
• Opt out of communications by contacting us directly.

For PHI, you have additional rights under HIPAA, including access, amendment, and accounting of disclosures.

If you are an Oregon resident, additional rights under the OCPA include:

• Right to Know: Request the categories of personal data we collect, process, and share.
• Right to Access: Obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable and usable format.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to exemptions.
• Right to Opt Out: Opt out of data processing for targeted advertising, sale of personal data, or profiling in furtherance of significant decisions.

Notification of Policy Changes

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Updated policies will be posted on our website, along with the effective date.

Questions or Comments

If you have questions or comments about this privacy policy, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us.

Rev. December 2024