Privacy

This statement describes the practices that Dr. Suma Maddox will follow in respect to the privacy of site users. This statement may be reviewed and changed as new services and programs are introduced which require modifications to this statement. Dr. Suma Maddox does not collect personally identifiable information regarding the users of its Internet site — including e-mail addresses — without asking the user. In some instances, Dr. Suma Maddox may request that users voluntarily supply information, including email address, street address, telephone number or other information, to allow us to personalize and enhance a users’ site visit or to provide the opportunity for follow up after the site visit. Whether users provide information is entirely voluntary.

This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally Identifiable Information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as described in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Dr. Suma Maddox encourages you to re-read this Privacy Policy periodically for a clear understanding of how we collect, use, and protect your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.

WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT FROM THOSE WHO VISIT OUR WEBSITE?
When ordering a service or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, phone number or other details to help you with your experience.

WHEN DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION?
We collect information from you when you fill out a form or enter information on our site.

HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION?
We may use the information we collect from you when you request more information about a procedure to follow up with you after correspondence (email or phone inquiries).

HOW DO WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION?
We do not use vulnerability scanning and/or scanning to PCI standards. We only provide articles and information. We never ask for credit card numbers. We use regular Malware Scanning.

DO WE USE COOKIES?
Yes. The website of Dr. Suma Maddox may utilize cookies to collect information about how the site is accessed and utilized. We may also use trusted third-party services that track this information on our behalf. Cookies do not allow the Web site to retrieve any other data from your hard drive or obtain your email address. You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies through your browser settings. If you turn cookies off, some web features may be disabled, resulting in the user’s experience being less efficient or the website functioning improperly. While users maintain the ability to modify browser settings to either accept all cookies, notify you when a cookie is sent, or reject all cookies, it may not be possible to utilize certain Dr. Suma Maddox services which require registration if the browser is set to reject cookies.

THIRD-PARTY DISCLOSURE
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your Personally Identifiable Information unless we provide users with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

GOOGLE
Google’s advertising requirements can be summed up by Google’s Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/1316548?hl=en
We have not enabled Google AdSense on our site but we may do so in the future.

HOW DOES OUR SITE HANDLE DO NOT TRACK SIGNALS?
We honor Do Not Track signals and Do Not Track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.

DOES OUR SITE ALLOW THIRD-PARTY BEHAVIORAL TRACKING?
It’s also important to note that we allow third-party behavioral tracking.

COPPA (CHILDREN ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT)
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 years old, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, United States’ consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online. We do not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old.

FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.

IN ORDER TO BE IN LINE WITH FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES WE WILL TAKE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSIVE ACTION, SHOULD A DATA BREACH OCCUR:
We will notify you via email within 7 business days. We also agree to the Individual Redress Principle which requires that individuals have the right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.

CAN-SPAM ACT
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

WE COLLECT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ORDER TO:
Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.

TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAN-SPAM, WE AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:
Not to use false or misleading subjects or email addresses; identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way; include the physical address of our business or site headquarters; monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used; honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly; allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email.

IF AT ANY TIME YOU WOULD LIKE TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM RECEIVING FUTURE EMAIL:
Follow the instructions at the bottom of each email and we will promptly remove you from all correspondence.

USE OF INFORMATION
If you voluntarily provide information, you consent to the collection and use of your personally identifiable information by the practice. However, Dr. Suma Maddox does not sell or rent personal information collected through this site to anyone. Dr. Suma Maddox may provide aggregate statistics about Web site visitors, such as volume, traffic patterns, referral sources and related site information to reputable third-party vendors, but these statistics will include no personally identifiable information about the users. If you have voluntarily provided personally identifiable information, Dr. Suma Maddox may, from time to time, send mail or e-mail to you regarding products and services. If you do not want to receive such offers and mailings, you can easily indicate that by checking the appropriate box on the submission form.

HIPAA COMPLIANCE
Dr. Suma Maddox will not send you any unsolicited information via email or any other form or means regarding commercial offers or advertisements without prior consent. We value our patient’s privacy and relationship and will make every attempt to safeguard this. Because email is not a completely secure means of communication, please do not use email if you wish to keep your communications private and confidential. Download HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.

COPYRIGHT
All materials on this server and this Internet site, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Dr. Suma Maddox and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

MEDICAL PRIVACY

Dr. Suma Maddox and employees are committed to protecting patient privacy.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

As of April 14, 2003, we are required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy of your health information, and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Rights & Practices.

This document explains in detail how we use your Protected Health Information (PHI) which is any information about you that could identify you, your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition(s). Your acknowledgement of receipt of this document will be required the first time you receive services after April 14, 2003, from Dr. Suma Maddox.

Examples of how we can use and disclose your information without your authorization include:

  • Treatment — we keep a record of each visit and/or admission. These records may include your test results, diagnoses, medications or other therapies. These records are used and disclosed to allow doctors, nurses, spiritual care and other health care and clinical staff providers to offer high quality care to meet your needs.
  • Payment — we maintain a record of and may use and disclose information related to, services and supplies you receive at each visit and/or admission, so that we can be paid by you, an insurance company, or a third party. We may tell your health plan and other payers about an upcoming treatment or service, which requires their prior approval and authorization.
  • Health Care Operations — we use and disclose your medical information to improve the services we provide, to train staff and students, for business management, and for customer service purposes.
  • Your information may be shared amongst Dr. Suma Maddox, other health care providers, third party payors and our Business Associates to facilitate treatment, payment or health care operations.

ADDITIONAL USES AND DISCLOSURES:
There are additional times when we are permitted or required to use/disclose medical information without your permission. These circumstances are listed below:

  • In emergency treatment situations
  • If required by law
  • To assist uncommunicative patients
  • For law enforcement
  • For reporting child/elder/disabled persons abuse or neglect
  • For public health activities (tracking diseases or medical devices)
  • For organ donations
  • For health oversight activities such as fraud investigations
  • To Workers’ Compensation if you are injured at work
  • For certain judicial or administrative proceedings
  • To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors
  • For government functions such as national security and intelligence
  • For research following an appropriate review or waiver of authorization for subject recruitment application
  • To avert serious threat to public health or safety authorization by an institutional review board to ensure protection of information
  • We may also use your information without your permission to: Recommend treatment alternatives; Tell you about health benefits and/or services; Send or call you with appointment reminders; Communicate with those involved in your care
  • Except as otherwise permitted by law, all other uses and disclosures not described above will require your signed authorization. You may revoke any authorization you provide at any time by delivering a written statement directly to the Privacy Officer, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on your authorization.
  • Please know that federal and state law requires special privacy protections for certain highly confidential information about you including but not limited to: Psychotherapy notes; Mental health and developmental disabilities services; Alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment and referral; HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis or treatment; Venereal disease(s); Genetic testing; Child, elder and disabled persons abuse and neglect, and sexual assault. In order for us to disclose your Highly Confidential Information for a purpose other than those permitted by law, we must obtain your written authorization.

PATIENT RIGHTS:
Under HIPAA, you have the right to request in writing:

  • Restrictions on how we use or disclose your medical information.
  • Confidential communications to an alternate phone or address other than your home.
  • Access to your medical information to review and obtain a copy, subject to federal and state laws (fees may apply).
  • An amendment to your medical information if you feel you or your health care provider need to make additions or corrections.
  • An accounting of disclosures of your medical information for purposes other than treatment, payment, health care operations or made pursuant to an authorization.
  • A paper copy of this Notice even if you have received it electronically.
  • A revocation of any specific authorization obtained in connection with your privacy, such as for marketing and research.
  • While we will consider all requests for privacy restrictions carefully, we are not required to agree to any requested restrictions.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your medical information, to provide you with this written Notice of Privacy Rights and Practices, and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We reserve the right to change this Notice and our privacy practices and make the new provisions effective for all information we maintain. Revised Notices will be posted in our facilities and offices, and will be available from your direct treatment provider.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you would like further information about your privacy rights, are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights or disagree with a decision that we made about access to your PHI, you may contact us via the website’s Contact page. You may also file written complaints with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint with us or with the Director.