Website Privacy Policy
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Tri-City Orthopaedics (“TCO,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website.
By using our website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
1. Scope of This Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through our website and digital services.
This policy does not apply to Protected Health Information (“PHI”) collected in connection with medical treatment, billing, or healthcare operations, which is governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and our separate Notice of Privacy Practices.
Information submitted through general website forms (such as contact or appointment requests) may not be considered PHI until it is incorporated into our clinical systems.
This Privacy Policy also does not govern consent for communications, which is addressed separately in our:
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
A. Information You Provide
- Name, address, phone number, email address
- Appointment requests and general inquiries
- Information you voluntarily submit through forms
B. Automatically Collected Information
- IP address and device identifiers
- Browser type and operating system
- Website usage data and session activity
C. Sensitive Personal Information
We may collect limited sensitive personal information, including:
- Approximate geolocation data
- Information related to health inquiries submitted through forms
We use sensitive personal information only as necessary to provide services and do not use it for unrelated profiling.
3. Consumer Health Data (Washington Residents)
If you are a resident of Washington, we collect and process “consumer health data” as defined under the Washington My Health My Data Act.
Categories of Consumer Health Data Collected
- Information about health conditions, symptoms, or treatment inquiries submitted through forms
- Appointment-related information
- Inferences drawn from health-related inquiries
Purposes of Collection
We collect consumer health data to:
- Respond to inquiries and appointment requests
- Provide healthcare-related services
- Improve our website and services
Sources of Consumer Health Data
- Directly from you (forms and interactions)
- Automatically through website technologies
Sharing of Consumer Health Data
We may share consumer health data with:
- Service providers supporting website operations
- Healthcare systems and internal administrative platforms
We do not sell consumer health data.
Your Rights Under Washington Law
You have the right to:
- Confirm whether we collect your consumer health data
- Access such data
- Request deletion of your consumer health data
- Withdraw consent for collection or sharing
To exercise these rights, contact: appointment@tcortho.com
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Ensure website functionality
- Analyze usage and performance
- Support advertising and marketing
You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or consent tools. Disabling cookies may limit functionality.
We recognize Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required by law.
5. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Provide services and respond to inquiries
- Improve website functionality and performance
- Conduct analytics and operational monitoring
- Deliver communications in accordance with your preferences
6. Sharing of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information to:
- Service providers (hosting, analytics, CRM platforms)
- Marketing and advertising partners (as permitted by law)
- Legal or regulatory authorities when required
We do not sell personal information for monetary compensation. Certain data sharing for advertising may be considered “sharing” under applicable privacy laws.
7. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to:
- Access personal information
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request deletion
- Opt out of targeted advertising or data sharing
- Request data portability
- Limit use of sensitive personal information
We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
To submit a request: appointment@tcortho.com
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.
Website-submitted information is retained according to internal administrative needs. Medical records are retained in accordance with applicable healthcare laws and regulations.
When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, anonymized, or de-identified.
9. Data Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. However, no system can guarantee complete security.
In the event of a data breach, we will comply with applicable notification laws.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If such data is identified, we will delete it promptly.
11. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates will be posted with a revised effective date.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions or wish to exercise your privacy rights:
Tri-City Orthopaedics
Email: appointment@tcortho.com
Phone: (509) 460-5588
14. U.S. State Privacy Rights
Residents of certain states, including California, Washington, Colorado, and Virginia, may have additional privacy rights under applicable laws.
Depending on your state of residence, you may have the right to:
- Access personal information we collect about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Opt out of targeted advertising or certain data sharing
- Request a copy of your data in a portable format
Washington residents have additional rights related to consumer health data, as described above.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at appointment@tcortho.com.
15. Relationship to Communication Consent Policies
Consent for receiving marketing emails and SMS/text messages is governed separately under our:
Your communication preferences do not affect your ability to use our website.