SMS Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 1/1/2025
Applies To: All ReNu Life staff
Purpose
ReNu Life is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of residents, guardians, and stakeholders who communicate with staff via SMS. This policy outlines staff responsibilities for safeguarding personal information and ensuring compliance with HIPAA and organizational privacy standards.
Information Collected
Through the SMS communication system, ReNu Life may collect or store:
Protection of Information
Access and Monitoring
Resident and Guardian Rights
Data Retention
Security Breaches
Enforcement
Violations of this policy may result in corrective action, up to and including termination, and may carry legal consequences under HIPAA or state law.
Effective Date: 1/1/2025
Applies To: All ReNu Life staff
Purpose
ReNu Life is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of residents, guardians, and stakeholders who communicate with staff via SMS. This policy outlines staff responsibilities for safeguarding personal information and ensuring compliance with HIPAA and organizational privacy standards.
Information Collected
Through the SMS communication system, ReNu Life may collect or store:
- Resident, guardian, and employee names, phone numbers, and contact details
- Scheduling and appointment information
- General communication related to resident care and service.
Protection of Information
- All SMS communications are considered confidential and must be treated with the same care as other resident records.
- The designated SMS phone must remain in staff control at all times. It must be locked when not in use and secured in approved areas when unattended.
- Staff are prohibited from forwarding, copying, or transferring SMS messages to personal devices, accounts, or third-party applications.
- Personal health information should be minimized in SMS content. Detailed clinical information must not be transmitted by text.
- SMS Consent is not shared with ANY third party entity outside of ReNu Life.
Access and Monitoring
- Only authorized staff may access the SMS device.
- All messages sent and received are the property of ReNu Life and may be monitored or audited for compliance.
- Staff may not delete, alter, or conceal communications. All records must remain intact for auditing and record-keeping.
Resident and Guardian Rights
- Residents, guardians, and stakeholders have the right to opt out of SMS communication at any time. Opt-out requests must be honored immediately and documented.
- Residents and guardians have the right to request information about how their contact information is stored and used.
- SMS is provided as a convenience; alternate communication methods will always be made available.
Data Retention
- SMS records will be retained in accordance with ReNu Life’s record retention and HIPAA compliance policies.
- Records may be archived and stored in secure formats for audit, quality assurance, and regulatory purposes.
Security Breaches
- Any suspected loss, theft, or unauthorized disclosure of SMS data must be reported immediately to administration.
- Staff must follow ReNu Life’s Incident Reporting and HIPAA Breach Notification procedures.
Enforcement
Violations of this policy may result in corrective action, up to and including termination, and may carry legal consequences under HIPAA or state law.
