Website Privacy Statement
Updated: June 1, 2020
Beacon Health System (Beacon) is dedicated to providing the best care possible to our customers. Information we gather from your interactions with our website and the services you access through our website help us to better understand and serve your needs. Any partners we contract with in order to provide these services, through contractual agreement, are obligated to uphold the same privacy standards outlined within this statement.
We are sensitive to protecting the privacy of our website visitors. This Statement is provided to help you understand how we collect, use and share the information you provide to us and describes your rights with respect to your individually identifiable information or Protected Health Information (PHI).
When you use this website, remember that the medical and health information presented here is intended to be general in nature and should not be viewed as a substitute for professional advice. Please consult with a health care professional for all matters relating to personal medical and health care issues.
Keep in mind that changes are periodically made to this Privacy Statement without notice. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our Terms of Use.
Health and Medical Information
Certain health and medical information you provide, such as PHI, is subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA Notice).
We protect covered health and medical information as required by HIPAA and applicable state law. Similarly, we may use covered health and medical information as permitted by HIPAA and applicable state law.
To read more about our privacy practices regarding health and medical information under HIPAA, please click here.
Security/Confidentiality
No transmission of data over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. However, because your privacy is important to us, we use a number of physical, electronic and administrative methods to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of information submitted through our website.
Provider Search
The “Find a Provider” search may include physicians and other health care providers who are not employees, agents, representatives or contractors of Beacon. Providers have not paid a fee to be included in the Beacon “Find a Provider” search.
Information Collection and Storage
Information you provide directly to us
This information can be provided by you when you use (or register to use) a service, subscribe to notifications, or contact us directly. The below examples are types of information that may be collected:
- Contact information, such as your full name, address, phone numbers and email address
- Username and password
- Payment information, such as your credit card number, expiration date, and credit card security code
- Personal health information, including diagnoses, previous treatments, general health and health insurance
- Doctor reviews
- Any other information you provide to us
Personally Identifiable Information
We do not purposely collect information that personally identifies you unless you choose to provide it to us (for example, web pages that allow you to register for a class, complete an online job application or send an e-mail message). The personal information you submit is shared only with 1) those people within our organization who need it to respond to your question or request 2) third parties who provide services for you on our behalf (such as payment processors) and 3) as otherwise permitted by law to allow us to operate our business or to comply with applicable laws. To the extent that we do business with other states, that state’s specific laws would apply.
As used in this Privacy Statement, personal information does not include information protected under HIPAA or applicable state laws, which is protected as described in the section “Health and Medical Information” above.
Non-Personally Identifiable Information
Based on how you engage with our site, we may collect information that does not personally identify you for various purposes, such as better understanding website usage, improving site performance and other relevant information that enables us to improve your experience. Depending on the type and extent of information collected, it may be possible for us to identify who you are.
Some information may be collected automatically when you use our services. This includes the use of “cookies” (small amounts of data that are stored by your computer’s web browser) to recognize a repeat visitor.
We may also collect your computer’s Internet protocol (IP) address to gather general data on visitors to our site. Neither cookies nor IP addresses are directly associated with any of your personal information.
Other information includes device and advertising identifiers, browser type, operating system, Internet service provider, pages that you visit before and after using our site, the date and time of your visit, information about the links you click and pages you view within the site, and other standard server log information. We may also collect certain location information when you use our site, such as your mobile device’s GPS signal or information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers.
Additional technologies may also be used to collect these types of information from your computer or device. Examples of this information may include recognition of cookies, the time and date a page is viewed, or a description of the page viewed. Local Shared Objects (sometimes referred to as “Flash Cookies”) are similar to standard cookies except they can be larger and are downloaded to a computer or mobile device by the Adobe Flash media player. By using our services, you consent to our use of cookies and similar technologies.
Third-Party Services
If you access services from an advertisement on a third-party website, application, or other service (a “Third-Party Service”) we may receive information related to you or that advertisement from the owner of the Third-Party Service.
If you use third-party services, such as Facebook, Google, or Twitter to log into Beacon services, or to share your experience about our services with others, we may also collect information from these third-party services.
Use of Information
The information we collect online may be used to:
- Contact you
- Provide and improve services
- Fulfill your requests for products, services and information
- Send you information about additional clinical services or general wellness from us or on behalf of our affiliates
- Analyze website use and user data to understand and improve services
- Conduct research using your information, which may be subject to your separate written authorization
- Prevent potentially prohibited, unauthorized or illegal activities in accordance with our Terms of Use
Sharing of Information
We are committed to earning and maintaining your trust, and we want you to understand when and with whom we may share the information we collect.
Authorized third-party vendors and service providers. We may share your information with third-party vendors and service providers that help us with specialized services, including billing, payment processing, providing medical advice for telemedicine services, management and hosting of telemedicine services, customer service, email deployment, business analytics, marketing (including but not limited to advertising, attribution, deep-linking, direct mail, mobile marketing, optimization and retargeting) advertising, performance monitoring, hosting and data processing. These third-party vendors and service providers may not use your information for purposes other than those related to the services they are contracted to provide to us.
If you choose to engage in public activities on the third-party sites that we link to, you should be aware that any information you share there can be read, collected, or used by other users of these sites and forums. You should use caution when disclosing personal information while participating in these areas. We are not responsible for the information you choose to submit in public areas.
Most email does not provide a completely secure and confidential means of communication. It is possible that your email could be viewed inappropriately by another Internet user. If you choose to provide us with your email address or to send us information using email, any misaddressing may result in others intercepting, altering, forwarding or using the information without authorization. If you wish to keep your information completely private, you should not use email.
From time to time, a representative from Beacon may wish to deliver information to you via email. In addition, Beacon may occasionally distribute news and announcements via email. Please note, we do not sell, trade, or otherwise share our email lists with others. You may remove your name from any list you have registered for using our website’s established method. With regard to your use of email, we warn that:
If you receive email at work, your employer may have the right to save and read your email; similarly, your Internet service provider may have the right to save and read your email.
If you share your email account, others may view your emails.
It is possible to intercept and read email during transmission.
Limiting Data Collection and Do Not Track
Opt-Out. To opt out of interest-based advertising across browsers and devices from companies that participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance or Network Advertising Initiative opt-out programs, please visit their respective websites. If you opt out, you will still receive ads but they may not be as relevant to you and your interests, and your experience with our services may be degraded.
International Users
We maintain information in the United States of America and in accordance with the laws of the United States, which may not provide the same level of protection as the laws in your jurisdiction. By using the Services and providing us with information, you understand and agree that your information may be transferred to and stored on servers located outside your resident jurisdiction and, to the extent you are a resident of a country other than the United States, that you consent to the transfer of such data to the United States for processing by us in accordance with this Privacy Statement.
Links to Other Websites
Our website contains links to other websites that are not managed or controlled by us. These links are provided for your convenience only. We do not review, endorse or take responsibility for the content of these other websites. If you choose to access such sites, you are subject to the privacy policies of those sites.
Information From Children
Our website is not intended to attract or collect information from children under the age of 13, unless they receive verifiable parental consent. If you think we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13 through this website, please contact us immediately by email at privacy@beaconhealthsystem.org.
Printing or Downloading Information
Unless otherwise stated, you may print or download information from our website for personal, noncommercial use only. You must, however, identify the source of the material and include a statement that the materials are protected by copyright law.
All other trademarks, service marks, trade names or service names not owned by Beacon Health System that appear on this site are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with or sponsored by us.
Disclaimer of Warranties, Content Accuracy
Although Beacon attempts to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the Site, it makes no representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever as to the correctness or accuracy of the Site and Content thereon. It is possible that the Site could include typographical errors, inaccuracies or other errors, and that unauthorized additions, deletions and alterations could be made to the Site by third parties.
Mobile Privacy Policy
- Current GPS Location:
- This app requires access to location data to identify and display facilities and locations near you.
- Read and Write Files, Images, Video, and Audio:
- This app requires read and write access to this device’s files, images, video, and audio for downloading or attaching to messages or visits.
- Access Camera:
- This app requires access to this device’s camera for video visits and attaching images to messages or visits.
- Access Microphone:
- This app requires access to this device’s microphone for video visits.
- Access Wi-Fi and Network:
- This app requires access to this device’s network status for troubleshooting and support.