Privacy Policy
Who we are
Our website address is:https: //southeasternra.com/
Introduction
Southeastern Rheumatology Alliance(“we,” “us,” “our”) operates this website. This Website Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information gathered through our website. We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of all visitors to our site and to being transparent about our data practices.
Important Distinction
This Website Privacy Policy governs only the information collected through this website. Protected Health Information (PHI) that we collect, use, or disclose in connection with your medical care is governed separately by our Notice of Privacy Practices, issued in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). A copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices is available on our website and at our office locations. By accessing or using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Website Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, please discontinue use of our website.
Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of information when you visit or interact with our website:
a. Information You Provide Voluntarily
When you interact with features on our website, you may choose to provide personal information, including but not limited to:
● Contact form submissions — your name, email address, phone number, and message content
● Appointment request forms — your name, date of birth, contact information, insurance details, and reason for visit
● Patient portal login credentials — username and password used to access your patient portal account
● Email inquiries — any information you include in emails sent to us through the website
● Newsletter or communication opt-ins — your name and email address when you subscribe to receive communications from us
b. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies, including:
● Internet Protocol (IP) address
● Browser type and version
● Operating system
● Device type (desktop, mobile, or tablet)
● Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
● Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 4 below)
c. Information from Third Parties
We may receive limited information about your use of our website from third-party service providers, including:
● Analytics providers — such as Google Analytics, which provides aggregated and anonymized data about website traffic and user behavior
● Website hosting platform — Wix.com Ltd. (“Wix”), which hosts our website, may collect certain data about visitors in accordance with its own privacy policy
How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected through our website for the following purposes:
● To respond to your inquiries and contact form submissions
● To process and manage appointment requests
● To improve our website functionality, content, and user experience
● To send communications you have opted into, such as appointment reminders or newsletters
● To analyze website traffic and usage patterns in order to enhance our services
● To maintain website security and prevent fraud or unauthorized access
● To comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations
We do NOT use information collected through this website for marketing purposes without your express, prior consent.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
A “cookie” is a small text file that a website places on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies allow the website to recognize your device on return visits and to remember certain information about your preferences or past actions.
Types of Cookies We Use
● Essential Cookies — These cookies are necessary for the basic functionality of our website, including session management, security features, and accessibility. They cannot be disabled without affecting your ability to use the site.
● Analytics Cookies — These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information about pages viewed, time spent on the site, and navigation patterns. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. Data collected through analytics cookies is aggregated and anonymized.
● Preference Cookies — These cookies remember your settings and preferences (such as language or region) to provide a more personalized experience on subsequent visits.
Wix Platform Cookies
Our website is hosted on the Wix platform. Wix may place its own cookies on your device to facilitate website functionality, security, and analytics. For detailed information about the cookies used by Wix, please refer to the Wix Cookie Policy, available at wix.com.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect anonymized, aggregate data about how visitors use our website. Google Analytics uses cookies to gather this information. You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Managing Cookies
You can control and manage cookies through your web browser settings. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies from websites. Please note that disabling or deleting cookies may affect the functionality of our website, and certain features may not operate as intended.
We do NOT use advertising or retargeting cookies on this website.
We do NOT sell data collected through cookies to third parties.
HIPAA and Protected Health Information (PHI)
This Website Privacy Policy does not govern the collection, use, or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations. PHI collected through the patient portal, telehealth services, or in the course of your medical treatment is governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices.
If you submit health-related information through a general contact form, email, or other unsecured channel on our website, we will treat that information with appropriate care. However, general website forms and standard email are not HIPAA-compliant communication methods, and we cannot guarantee the same level of security as our HIPAA-compliant systems.
Important — Patient Advisory
Do NOT submit sensitive medical information, diagnoses, test results, or other Protected Health Information through unsecured website contact forms or standard email. For secure communication regarding your health information, please use the patient portal or contact our office directly by telephone.
How We Protect Your Information
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement a range of safeguards to protect data collected through our website, including:
● SSL/TLS encryption — All pages of our website are secured with Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and our website
● Secure hosting — Our website is hosted on the Wix platform, which maintains industry-standard security measures including data encryption, firewalls, and regular security monitoring
● Access controls — Access to information submitted through the website is limited to authorized personnel within the practice who require it for legitimate business purposes
● Regular security review — We periodically review and update our security practices to address evolving threats and to align with industry best practices
Disclaimer: No method of electronic transmission or data storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You provide information through our website at your own risk.
Sharing and Disclosure of Information
We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share information collected through this website in the following limited circumstances:
● Service Providers — We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and conducting our business, including our website hosting provider (Wix), analytics provider (Google), and IT support vendors. These providers are contractually required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information and are prohibited from using it for any purpose other than providing services to us.
● Legal Requirements — We may disclose your information when required to do so by law, subpoena, court order, or government regulation, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
● Business Transfers — In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of our practice assets, information collected through this website may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will provide notice on our website of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
Your Rights and Choices
You have the following rights with respect to personal information collected through our website:
● Access — You may request a summary of the personal data we have collected about you through the website.
● Correction — You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
● Deletion — You may request deletion of your personal information collected through the website, subject to any legal or regulatory retention requirements that may apply.
● Opt-Out of Communications — You may opt out of marketing or promotional communications at any time by using the “unsubscribe” link included in any such email or by contacting us directly using the information provided in Section 12 below.
● Cookie Management — You may manage your cookie preferences through your web browser settings at any time. Please see Section 4 for additional details.
● Do Not Track Signals — Some web browsers transmit “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals to websites. There is currently no uniform industry standard for recognizing or honoring DNT signals. At this time, our website does not respond to DNT signals.
If a standard is adopted in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 12 of this policy.
Children's Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take prompt steps to delete such information from our records.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has submitted personal information through our website, please contact us immediately using the information provided in Section 12, and we will work to remove the information promptly.
Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including but not limited to insurance company portals, patient education resources, pharmacy websites, and other external services. These links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes only.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of any third-party websites. The inclusion of a link on our website does not imply our endorsement of the linked site or its practices. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of any website you visit through links on our site before providing any personal information.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update, modify, or replace this Website Privacy Policy at any time, at our sole discretion. When material changes are made, we will post the revised policy on this page and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document.
Your continued use of our website following the posting of any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review this Website Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.