Website Privacy Policy
PHMC Health Network Website Privacy Policy
Effective: April 1, 2024
Updated:
Commitment to Your Privacy
This privacy statement addresses the collection, use, and disclosure of information from the PHMC Health Network (“Health Network,” “our”) website, in accordance with our Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. This notice demonstrates our commitment to your privacy and the security of your personal information. It applies to any PHMC Health Network web page and the MyPHMCHealth.org patient portal, and it explains our practices concerning how your information may be used.
Information collected by the PHMC Health Network will be used only as outlined in this privacy statement, and none of the personally identifiable data that you enter on this website will be sold. When you submit information to or through the PHMC Health Network website, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.
As internet privacy laws continue to evolve, we may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will make the necessary changes consistent to our commitment to privacy, and the statement will reflect the date it was updated.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the PHMC Health Network’s practices, call 215.985.2500 or fill out our inquiry form at www.phmchealthnetwork.org.
Collection of Information
The PHMC Health Network website gathers anonymously collected and user-provided information from users.
Anonymously Collected
The PHMC Health Network website automatically collects technical information from website visitors’ computers or devices when connecting to this website. The Health Network uses this information for internal purposes only.
- Examples of anonymously collected information include domain name, Internet Protocol (IP) address, Internet service provider, browser type and operating system, data on pages visited, referring website, date and time of website visit, duration of visit, browser type, screen resolution and operating system.
Continued use of this website indicates consent to the collection, use and disclosure of this information.
User-Provided
The PHMC Health Network may ask website users to provide information voluntarily through web forms or other manual entry, to provide requested information or communications, to understand users’ needs, and to facilitate the availability and administration of programs and services.
- Examples of voluntary and optional user-provided information include name, address, contact information (phone number, email address, etc.) and communication preferences.
All your personal information, including information you provide on the PHMC Health Network website, is subjected to and protected under HIPAA regulations. The PHMC Health Network does not otherwise share any personally identifiable information with other entities or organizations, except when a) legally required to do so, b) at the request of governmental authorities conducting an investigation; c) to verify or enforce compliance with the policies governing the website and applicable laws; or d) to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of the website.
Use of Information
The PHMC Health Network may collect and use your personally identifiable information through the website:
- To perform the functions necessary to the MyPHMCHealth.org patient portal.
- To communicate with users, including in response to inquiries you make through the website.
- To facilitate users' appointment requests. NOTE: the “Request an Appointment” form collects data securely and processes information in a manner fully compliant with HIPAA regulations.
- To serve personalized content, such as location-based information about programs and services convenient to you.
- To provide appointment information, newsletters, and other requested communications.
- For fraud and security monitoring purposes, including detecting and preventing cyberattacks.
- For any other purposes specified at the point of collection or use.
Cookies & Related Technology
The PHMC Health Network website uses transient “cookies" to improve user experience, but the website does not gather information from a user’s computer. Cookies are small files containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer when you visit a website. When you visit the website again, the cookie allows that website to recognize your browser or device. The PHMC Health Network website uses cookies in the following ways:
- For usability purposes necessary to the website and to comply with visitors’ stated subscription preferences. No personally identifying data is collected, and the cookie is erased when the visit ends.
- For measuring website use and performance analytics.
- For limited tracking purposes, including measuring the effectiveness of digital advertisements. For example, we may use Google Tag Manager to track website activity during a Google Ads campaign.
If you prefer to manage or turn off cookies, you may configure your browser not to accept them at all, or to notify and require approval before accepting new cookies. Upon turning off cookies, some websites or pages may not function properly, or you may have to provide the same information each time you visit those pages.
In addition to cookies, we may use tracking pixels in HTML-formatted email messages to you. These pixels may be used for measuring the success and activity of our subscribers and email recipients.
Third Party Entities
The PHMC Health Network may employ third-party companies and individuals for purposes that include but are not limited to: technical/IT service providers, administration, marketing, legal, and web hosting services. We want to inform users that these third parties may have access to your data for the purposes of the work contracted by the PHMC Health Network. They are obligated to not disclose or use the information for any other purpose.
The PHMC Health Network may share aggregated, non-personally identifiable information with third-party entities or organizations as per the following:
- To understand and facilitate the improvement of the website’s performance and usability, the PHMC Health Network uses Google Analytics.
- See Google’s Privacy Policy for more information.
JotForm
The PHMC Health Network website uses JotForm to securely collect personally identifiable information, including through the “Inquiry Form” and “Request an Appointment” forms. All Jotform standalone forms and embed codes are secure (SSL) by default, and the PHMC Health Network has encrypted all data received through these forms to the fullest extent possible. Users can avoid the use of data collected in this way by choosing not to use the forms. See JotForm’s privacy policy for more information.
Patient Portal
MyPHMCHealth.org is the patient portal for patients to access their test results and other health information. The patient portal is operated on Epic’s MyChart platform, which has its own privacy policy and HIPAA compliance regulations. Epic is a HIPAA-compliant electronic health record software that is focused on protecting patient privacy. Epic promises to keep patient data secure, whether a practice is using the EHR software on a mobile device, desktop computer, or web browser. When users submit information and data to Epic’s EHR system, including the patient portal, it is encrypted and transmitted to Epic securely. Information collected through MyPHMCHealth will be used and shared with third parties only as permitted by HIPAA regulations and other laws protecting the privacy of health information. See Epic’s Privacy Policy for more information.
Google Analytics & Google Ads
Google Analytics is a service that allows the PHMC Health Network to monitor and analyze website traffic. Google Analytics can prepare analytics reports on visitor activities and may share them with other Google services. (For example, in order to advertise the programs and services available to the communities we serve, the PHMC Health Network may runGoogle Ads campaigns.) Google Inc. may use the collected data, including IP addresses and usage data, to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.
For more information, please view Google's Privacy Policy. If you wish to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, learn more about how you can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.
Google Maps
The PHMC Health Network uses Google Maps (API). Google Maps is a service that uses interactive maps to show geographical information. Our Google Maps tool allows you to see the locations of our Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), dental offices, and pharmacy. When you access the page that contains this Google Maps tool, information about your use of our website (such as your IP address) is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. This happens regardless of whether you are logged into a Google user account or not. If you are logged in to Google, your information will be associated with your account. If you do not wish to be associated with your profile on Google, you must log out first. If you click on the location names in the pop-up bubbles on the map, these links will take you directly to the Google Maps website.
Google saves your data (even for users who are not logged in) as usage profiles and evaluates them. This evaluation takes place for the purposes of personalized advertising, market research and/or demand-oriented design of its website. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles by contacting Google. Google LLC, based in the USA, is certified for the US-European data protection agreement “Privacy Shield”, which guarantees compliance with the data protection level applicable in the EU. If you do not agree to the future transmission of your data to Google in the context of the use of Google Maps, you can deactivate the Google Maps web service by switching off the JavaScript application in your browser. In that case, the Google Maps tool on the PHMC Health Network’s website will not be able to be used.
For more information, please view Google’s Terms of Use and Google Map’s Terms of Use. Detailed information on data protection in connection with the use of Google Maps can be found in Google’s Privacy Policy.
External Websites
The PHMC Health Network website may contain links to other websites or applications operated by third parties as a convenience to visitors. These websites are independent from the PHMC Health Network and have their own privacy policies. Some cookies also have the ability to carry all or parts of the information stored within the file generated on the PHMC Health Network’s website to third parties or other websites that the user may visit. If a user decides to use these third-party links, they will leave the PHMC Health Network website. As such, the PHMC Health Network is not responsible for the practices or the content of third-party websites. We recommend that you read the privacy policies of each site you visit to determine what information that site may be collecting about you.
Retention and Security of Information
The PHMC Health Network employs reasonable security measures designed to safeguard against unauthorized intrusion to the website and the alteration, acquisition, or misuse of users’ information. The measures taken by the PHMC Health Network are designed to provide a level of security appropriate to the risk of processing your personal information and to help ensure that your data is safe and secure.
The Health Network will retain your anonymously collected and user-provided information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable laws, contracts, or other rules or regulations, such as HIPAA.
Security Reminder
Be aware that third party actors attempt to acquire sensitive information through phishing, and that no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. You are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that no unauthorized person gains access to your passwords and accounts, including those relevant to the PHMC Health Network.
If you receive a communication that you cannot verify is from the PHMC Health Network asking for sensitive information, do not respond. If you have reason to suspect your interaction with the PHMC Health Network is no longer secure, or would like to report a suspicious communication, contact us by calling 855.887.9229 or via our online contact form at www.phmchealthnetwork.org.
Continued use of the PHMC Health Network website indicates consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of this information as described in this Privacy Policy.
