Privacy Policy

Cleveland Primecare (“Cleveland Primecare,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information obtained through www.clevelandprimecare.com and any webpage, form, scheduling link, or online service that links to this Privacy Policy.

By accessing or using our website, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:

• The Cleveland Primecare website;
• Online contact or inquiry forms;
• Email, telephone, or text communications initiated through the website;
• Appointment-request and scheduling links;
• Newsletter or marketing sign-up forms;
• Website cookies, analytics, and similar technologies; and
• Other online services that link to this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy does not replace Cleveland Primecare’s Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains how we may use and disclose protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA.

2. Information We May Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and services.

Information You Provide to Us

You may voluntarily provide information such as:

• Your name;
• Email address;
• Telephone number;
• Mailing address;
• Date of birth;
• Appointment preferences;
• Information about the type of service you are interested in;
• Questions or messages submitted to our team;
• Communication preferences;
• Payment or billing-related information;
• Insurance information, when applicable;
• Health-related information you choose to provide; and
• Any other information you submit through our website, patient portal, scheduling system, or communications with us.

Please do not submit detailed medical information, medical records, Social Security numbers, financial account information, or other highly sensitive information through an ordinary website contact form or unsecured email.

Patients should use Cleveland Primecare’s approved secure patient portal or contact our office directly when communicating sensitive health information.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we or our website service providers may automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• Internet Protocol address;
• Browser type;
• Device type;
• Operating system;
• Referring website;
• Pages viewed;
• Links selected;
• Date and time of access;
• Approximate geographic location;
• Website navigation and interaction information; and
• Cookie or device identifiers.

This information may be collected through server logs, cookies, pixels, analytics tools, or similar technologies.

Information Received From Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party companies that assist with:

• Appointment scheduling;
• Patient portal services;
• Website hosting;
• Email or text-message communications;
• Payment processing;
• Website analytics;
• Advertising or campaign measurement;
• Information technology and cybersecurity; and
• Other administrative or healthcare support services.

Information collected directly by a third-party service is also governed by that service provider’s privacy policy and terms.

3. How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

• Respond to questions and requests;
• Help visitors establish care;
• Schedule, confirm, modify, or cancel appointments;
• Determine which Cleveland Primecare service may be appropriate;
• Provide access to our patient portal or related online services;
• Communicate about appointments, forms, payments, programs, or services;
• Provide administrative and customer support;
• Process payments and maintain transaction records;
• Deliver newsletters, educational materials, practice updates, or promotional communications;
• Improve our website, services, and patient experience;
• Understand how visitors use our website;
• Maintain website security and prevent fraud or misuse;
• Comply with legal, regulatory, licensing, and professional obligations;
• Protect the rights, safety, and property of our patients, staff, visitors, and organization; and
• Carry out other purposes disclosed at the time information is collected or authorized by you.

4. Health Information and HIPAA

Information you provide while requesting information about healthcare services is not automatically protected health information under HIPAA in every circumstance.

Once information is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by Cleveland Primecare in connection with providing healthcare, payment for healthcare, or certain healthcare operations, it may become protected health information governed by HIPAA and our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Information submitted through an approved patient portal, scheduling platform, intake form, telehealth service, or clinical communication system may be handled as protected health information when applicable.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy authorizes Cleveland Primecare or its service providers to use or disclose protected health information in a manner that is inconsistent with HIPAA or our Notice of Privacy Practices.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website and its service providers may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Make the website function properly;
• Remember visitor preferences;
• Measure website traffic;
• Identify technical problems;
• Understand how visitors interact with website content;
• Improve website performance;
• Evaluate outreach or marketing campaigns; and
• Help protect the website from fraud, spam, or misuse.

Cookies are small data files placed on a computer, phone, or other device when a person visits a website.

Most browsers allow users to block, delete, or receive warnings about cookies. Disabling cookies may cause certain website features to function improperly.

Cleveland Primecare will not rely solely on this Privacy Policy as authorization to disclose protected health information to an advertising, analytics, or tracking-technology provider. When HIPAA applies, any use or disclosure of protected health information must have an appropriate legal basis and must comply with applicable HIPAA requirements.

6. How We May Share Information

We may share personal information in the following circumstances.

Service Providers

We may share information with companies that perform services on our behalf, such as:

• Website hosting and maintenance providers;
• Patient portal and practice-management platforms;
• Appointment scheduling providers;
• Email and communications providers;
• Payment processors;
• Information technology and cybersecurity providers;
• Analytics providers;
• Professional advisers; and
• Other vendors supporting our operations.

These providers are permitted to access information only as needed to perform their assigned services and are expected to protect the information they receive. When a service provider handles protected health information on our behalf, we will require appropriate HIPAA protections when legally required.

Healthcare and Administrative Purposes

When permitted by law, information may be used or disclosed for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, care coordination, appointment management, billing, quality improvement, and related administrative purposes.

Please review our Notice of Privacy Practices for a fuller explanation of how protected health information may be used and disclosed.

Legal and Safety Requirements

We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with a law, regulation, subpoena, court order, or legal process;
• Respond to a lawful government or regulatory request;
• Protect the safety of a patient, staff member, visitor, or another person;
• Investigate fraud, security incidents, or violations of our policies;
• Protect our legal rights or property; or
• Establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim.

Business Transactions

Information may be transferred as part of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, financing, sale of assets, affiliation, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable confidentiality and legal requirements.

With Your Authorization

We may share information for another purpose when you direct us to do so or provide appropriate consent or authorization.

7. Sale of Personal Information

Cleveland Primecare does not sell or rent personal information or protected health information to third parties.

We do not sell patient information to data brokers or permit protected health information to be used for third-party advertising without any authorization required by law.

We may use service providers to support our website, communications, scheduling, or operations. Allowing a service provider to process information solely to perform services on our behalf is not considered a sale of information.

8. Third-Party Scheduling and Patient Portal Services

Our website may contain links to third-party scheduling, intake, patient portal, telehealth, payment, social media, or other online platforms, including Practice Better.

When you follow one of these links, you may leave the Cleveland Primecare website. Information submitted directly to a third-party platform is governed by that platform’s privacy policy, terms, security practices, and any applicable agreement between the platform and Cleveland Primecare.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of each third-party service before submitting information.

Cleveland Primecare is not responsible for the privacy practices, availability, accuracy, or content of independently operated third-party websites.

9. Email and Text Communications

If you provide your email address or telephone number, we may use it to communicate with you about:

• Appointment requests and reminders;
• Patient forms;
• Administrative matters;
• Programs or services you requested;
• Practice announcements;
• Educational content; and
• Marketing or promotional information.

Email and standard text messaging may not always be secure. Do not use ordinary email or text messaging to communicate urgent, emergency, or highly sensitive medical information unless specifically directed to do so through an approved communication method.

Consent to receive promotional text messages is not a condition of receiving healthcare services. Message and data rates may apply.

You may unsubscribe from promotional emails by using the unsubscribe link provided in the message. You may opt out of promotional text messages by replying STOP.

Opting out of promotional communications will not prevent us from sending necessary appointment, billing, safety, legal, or other nonpromotional communications.

10. Information Security

We use reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, loss, or disclosure.

These safeguards may include:

• Access limitations;
• Password protections;
• Secure systems and platforms;
• Encryption when appropriate;
• Staff privacy and security training;
• Vendor oversight;
• Security monitoring; and
• Policies for responding to suspected privacy or security incidents.

No website, email system, internet transmission, or electronic storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should use caution when submitting information electronically and protect your usernames, passwords, and devices from unauthorized access.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Provide the requested services;
• Maintain patient, appointment, communication, and transaction records;
• Meet healthcare, licensing, accounting, tax, insurance, and legal obligations;
• Resolve disputes;
• Enforce agreements;
• Maintain security; and
• Support legitimate business operations.

Protected health information and medical records are retained in accordance with applicable healthcare record-retention requirements and Cleveland Primecare policies.

When information is no longer reasonably needed, we may securely delete, destroy, or de-identify it, subject to applicable law.

12. Your Privacy Choices

Depending on the information involved and applicable law, you may ask us to:

• Confirm whether we maintain personal information about you;
• Provide access to certain personal information;
• Correct inaccurate information;
• Update your contact or communication preferences;
• Stop sending promotional communications;
• Delete certain information that we are not legally required to retain; or
• Explain how certain information has been used or disclosed.

We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. Some requests may be limited by healthcare record-retention rules, HIPAA, legal obligations, professional requirements, fraud-prevention needs, or other permitted exceptions.

Requests involving medical records or protected health information will be handled under our Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable HIPAA procedures.

We will not discriminate against you for making a privacy request or exercising a right available under applicable law.

13. Security Breach Notification

If we discover a privacy or security incident involving personal information, we will investigate and respond in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

When legally required, we will provide notice to affected individuals, government agencies, regulators, or other parties.

14. Children’s Privacy

Our website is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed to children under 13 years of age.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through the public portions of our website without appropriate parental or legal guardian involvement.

A parent or legal guardian who believes a child has submitted information through our website should contact us so that we can review the situation and take appropriate action.

15. External Websites and Social Media

Our website may contain links to social media pages, healthcare resources, partner organizations, or other third-party websites.

Cleveland Primecare does not control the privacy, security, or content practices of these external websites. Visiting or interacting with an external website is subject to that organization’s own policies and terms.

Information you post publicly on a social media platform may be visible to other users. Please do not post private medical information in public comments, reviews, or social media messages.

16. Website Use From Outside the United States

Cleveland Primecare operates in the United States, and our website is primarily intended for individuals located in the United States.

Information submitted through the website may be processed and stored in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in another country.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in:

• Our website or services;
• Our information practices;
• Technology;
• Applicable laws or regulations; or
• Our business operations.

The revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the website after an updated policy is posted constitutes acknowledgment of the revised policy.

18. Privacy Complaints

You may contact Cleveland Primecare if you have a question, concern, or complaint about our website privacy practices.

If your concern involves protected health information or your rights under HIPAA, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

Cleveland Primecare will not retaliate against you for making a good-faith privacy complaint or exercising a right available under applicable law.

19. Contact Us

Questions, privacy requests, and complaints may be directed to:

Cleveland Primecare
Attention: Privacy Officer
25200 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 300
Beachwood, Ohio 44122

Telephone: (216) 383-2834
Website: www.clevelandprimecare.com

For sensitive medical information, please use Cleveland Primecare’s approved secure patient portal or contact our office for instructions. Do not use ordinary email, public social media, or a general website inquiry for a medical emergency.

Medical Emergency Notice

This website is not monitored for medical emergencies.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not submit emergency requests, suicidal thoughts, urgent symptoms, or time-sensitive medical concerns through the website, email, social media, or an online appointment-request form.