Privacy Policy

Stamford Hospital Foundation is firmly committed to protecting the privacy of its online users: patients, families, donors, the media, and others. We do not collect personally identifiable information about individuals, except when it is knowingly provided by such individuals. We do not share voluntarily provided, personally identifiable information for any purpose other than its intended use. The only exception is described under "Donations and Fundraising Events" (below).

Stamford Hospital Foundation believes that privacy on the Web is important, and we encourage you to read our privacy policy carefully, so that you will clearly understand our commitment and our method of collecting and using information. A link to our privacy policy can be found at the bottom of each page of our web site.

We continuously try to improve the security of our information systems. While we have many security measures to protect electronically transmitted information and frequently review and try to improve the security of our site, we can't guarantee that a third party won't gain access to information provided to this Web site.

This privacy statement, updated September 2008, describes the information we collect and how we use it.

Information Collection and Use

Web log file data
We collect some basic Web log file data about site visitors. This information includes domain names, Web site traffic patterns and server usage statistics. This information is used for site management and administration and to improve the content and overall performance of our site.

Data Security
Stamford Hospital Foundation makes every reasonable effort to ensure that all of the transactions that occur on our web site are secure. We store personally identifiable data with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect information you may submit on our site. SSL is the industry standard protocol. All off-line information is securely stored and is accessible only by authorized Hospital staff.

Subscription to newsletter or press releases
If you subscribe to a newsletter, publication or press release published by Stamford Hospital Foundation or Stamford Hospital and distributed via email, we will keep your email address in a private distribution list. Messages sent electronically do not reveal recipients’ email addresses or any other personal information. Stamford Hospital Foundation will only send messages to individuals who have opted to subscribe and who have provided their email address to us directly. We do not use this email address list for any other purpose, and we only add individuals at their request. At any time, you may opt out by using the unsubscribe link provided on our web site and in the publication email, which will remove your information from the distribution list for that publication.

“Cookies” and how we use them
Cookies are packets of information that a web site transfers to a user’s computer for record-keeping purposes. They are a means of keeping track of users’ preferences for content and alerting them to new content areas. Most browsers allow you to turn off cookies if you do not want them tracking your preferences.

Stamford Hospital’s web site (www.stamfordhospital.org) does not set or access cookies on your computer. The Foundation does set and access cookies; however, no cookies are used to track an identifiable user’s movement through this web site. They are used only to enhance the usability of the Foundation’s pages. You can still use this site if you turn the cookies off.

Donations and Fundraising Events
When you donate to Stamford Hospital Foundation or register for a fundraising event, we ask you to voluntarily provide your name, address, telephone number, email address and credit card number so we can process your donation or event registration, send you a receipt or confirmation and communicate with you if necessary. If you’d like, you can provide that information another way (by phone or regular mail).

When you make a gift on our site, your information goes into a database maintained by Stamford Hospital Foundation, the fundraising arm of Stamford Hospital. The Foundation may then send you email or mailings about other opportunities to support the hospital. If you wish to opt-out, at any time, email the Foundation at Foundationhelp@stamhealth.org or write to us at Stamford Hospital Foundation, 3001 Summer St, 2nd Floor, Stamford, CT 06905.

Third-Party Service Providers
Stamford Hospital Foundation may engage reputable third-party vendors to help us manage our web sites and allow us to better service our patients and visitors. The hospital never shares with third parties any personally identifiable information you provide when requesting information or making a donation online, except as required by law.

 

Links to other sites

This site has links to other sites we think may be of interest to our visitors. Their purpose is to provide visitors with convenient access to other sites that might interest them. A link to another site does not imply an endorsement of the site’s content or services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of sites not owned by Stamford Hospital Foundation or Stamford Hospital. We encourage you to be aware of that when you leave our site and to read privacy statements at any sites that collect personally identifiable data.

Email communication

Stamford Hospital Foundation does not collect your email address unless you voluntarily submit it to us or choose to communicate with us via email. We do not sell or rent any email addresses. We try to respond to email messages requiring a response within five business days. If you email us, your message and email address will be forwarded to the appropriate department or program within the hospital. Please do not email patient health information, as that information is confidential and should only be discussed with your physician.

How we use the information

Stamford Hospital Foundation uses the information you provide to fulfill your online request, facilitate customer service and inform you of our programs and events.

We do not rent, sell or otherwise provide rent or sell visitors’ personal information to third parties, such as marketers.

We inform the companies that help the Stamford Hospital Foundation with donations made by credit card that they may not share or use personally identifiable information for any other purpose.

We do not share any third-party or personally identifiable information you provide with gifts in honor or memory of a loved one. We do not share any personally identifiable information we may collect in surveys, although we may share aggregated survey results with analysts, as described above. The aggregate data cannot be used to identify individuals and participation in the survey is voluntary.

It is possible that we could be forced to disclose personally identifiable user information in response to a search warrant, subpoena, or court order; that can happen to any organization keeping records. Disclosures may also be appropriate to protect our legal rights and the security or integrity of our Web site, or to avoid liability. Those kinds of disclosures are highly unlikely, but possible.

Links to other sites

This site has links to other sites we think may be of interest to our visitors. Their purpose is to provide visitors with convenient access to other sites that might interest them. A link to another site does not imply an endorsement of the site's content or services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of sites not owned by Stamford Hospital Foundation and Stamford Hospital. We encourage you to be aware of that when you leave our site and to read privacy statements at any sites that collect personally identifiable data.

Policy changes

Stamford Hospital and Stamford Hospital Foundation reserves the right to change this policy from time to time, without advance notice. We will promptly post any changes to our privacy policy on all sites owned by Stamford Hospital Foundation and Stamford Hospital.

Deletion and removal of information

Non-identifiable information in our aggregate database will not be deleted. Like all responsible website site publishers, we maintain backup files as a protection against natural disasters, equipment failures, or other disruptions. Backup files protect you and us because they lower the risk of losing valuable data. Removing a record from our main files does not remove that record from any backup systems. It may take up to six months before all information in a backup record is completely erased through the normal recycling of backup files. In the meantime, as long as backup records exist, they receive the same privacy and security protections as our other records.

Questions or comments?

Questions about Stamford Hospital Foundation, Stamford Hospital, or our privacy policy, may be directed to:

Stamford Hospital Foundation
3001 Summer St, 2nd Floor
Stamford, CT 06905
203-276-5900 tel.
203-276-2051 fax
foundationhelp@stamhealth.org -

See more at: http://www.stamfordhospitalfoundation.org/page.aspx?pid=302#sthash.EqCrfNFd.dpuf