At Nur Eye Research and Surgery Institute, doing business as NERSI Eye Care (“we,” “our,” or “us”), we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information and Protected Health Information (“PHI”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit our website, communicate with us electronically, or receive care at our practice. We comply with applicable federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).

Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) is any information that can identify, contact, or locate a specific person, either on its own or when combined with other data. This includes direct identifiers such as your name, Social Security number, phone number, email address, and home address. It also includes indirect identifiers such as your date of birth or demographic details.

Protected Health Information (“PHI”) is individually identifiable health information that we create, receive, maintain, or transmit in any form. It relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, the healthcare you receive, or payment for that care.

We collect personal information and PHI when you use our services. This includes your name, contact details, insurance information, demographic details, medical history, treatment records, and communications about your care. When you visit our website, we may also automatically collect your IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and usage data through cookies and analytics tools. If you opt in to text messages, we also collect your mobile number, consent status, and message history.

We use your information to provide and support your care. That includes scheduling appointments, coordinating treatment, verifying insurance, processing payments, and carrying out healthcare operations such as quality improvement and regulatory compliance. We also use it to send appointment reminders, administrative notices, and care-related messages. We send marketing communications only with your express permission. Your health information is protected under HIPAA. We access, use, and share only the information needed for each purpose, and our team is trained to keep it confidential.

When you provide your mobile number and opt in, you consent to receive text messages from us as described in the SMS Terms & Conditions below. Consent to receive texts is not a condition of receiving care. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes, and text messaging opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties.

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep our website working, analyze usage, and detect security threats. We do not use these technologies to share health information with advertising platforms. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some website features may not work properly without them.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We share information only when needed to provide our services or to comply with the law. This includes sharing with other healthcare providers involved in your care, with insurance companies for payment, and with service providers who support our hosting, billing, scheduling, and communication functions. Any vendor that may access PHI must sign a Business Associate Agreement (“BAA”) and protect your information as HIPAA requires. We may also disclose information when legally required, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or government investigation. Any disclosure for marketing or other non-treatment purposes requires your written authorization.

Under HIPAA and state privacy laws, you have the right to:

• Access and obtain copies of your medical records
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete PHI
• Request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures
• Request confidential communications
• Receive an accounting of disclosures
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time

We will respond to your requests within the timeframes required by law and may need to verify your identity first.

We protect your information with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, and misuse. These include encryption, secure authentication, access controls, ongoing staff training, and continuous system monitoring. No system is completely free of risk, but we work continually to maintain strong security standards.

We keep medical records and related PHI for as long as federal and Virginia law require. We keep non-medical information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected, unless the law requires a longer period.

If a data breach affects your PHI, we will notify you without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovering it, as required by the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. We will also notify regulators or law enforcement when required.

Our website is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them online. Care for patients under 18 is arranged through a parent or legal guardian. If we learn that a child’s information was submitted through our website without parental consent, we will promptly delete it.

NERSI Eye Care operates in the United States, and all information is processed and stored in the United States. If you access our services from outside the U.S., your information will be governed by U.S. privacy laws, which may differ from those in your country.

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in law, technology, or our practices. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised Effective Date, so we encourage you to review it periodically.

If you have questions about this policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the information below.

SMS Terms & Conditions

By enrolling in text messages through a web form, at our office, or by another method, you agree to receive text messages from NERSI Eye Care. Messages may include appointment reminders and confirmations, care-related updates, billing notices, other patient notifications, and, only if you separately agree, occasional promotional announcements.

• Message frequency varies based on your appointments and care needs.
• Message and data rates may apply.
• Text STOP at any time to stop receiving messages.
• Text HELP for assistance, or contact us using the information below.
• Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.