Consumer Web Privacy Statement
Introduction
The Albany Med Health System - comprised of Albany Medical Center, Albany Medical College, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and the Visiting Nurses of Albany (collectively the “System”) - established this policy to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy. This policy discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices as well as the security for this website, also known as a System “Service.” Your privacy is important to the System. The only information the System obtains about individual visitors to this website is information supplied voluntarily by the visitor. This statement outlines the policies and practices of the System regarding the collection, use and security of your personal information from your visit to our website.
WARNING: This website is not a resource for providing medical advice. This site, its information and its resources are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing in this site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you submit an inquiry that contains your or someone else's health care information, care, condition or needs, our staff will not respond by providing medical advice to you. The System will, however, attempt to direct you to the appropriate health care professional to assist you.
Information Collected
The personal information we collect depends on how you choose to make use of our website. We will not collect any identifying or personal information about you unless you deliberately submit such information in the course of using this website.
1. General website usage information
To improve the quality of this website, we gather general information about the use of our site through the use of cookies. The anonymous usage data collected through cookies helps us analyze and improve the quality and efficiency of our website as well as ease your use of our site. Cookies you receive from the System’s website do not contain any personally identifiable information and cannot identify or track you personally. We do not use cookies for advertising or other commercial purposes. The System’s website only uses cookies when they offer significant convenience or added benefit to you, or when the software we use requires their use. If you do not wish to accept cookies from our website or any other site, use your Internet Options or Preferences feature on your Internet browser to turn off your automatic acceptance of cookies. You should be aware that portions of our website may not function properly if you choose not to accept cookies.
2. Personal Information Collected to Process Transactions
In using some of the System’s services in this website, it may be necessary to request your personal information to process your request or transaction. This may include your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, email address and in some instances, with your permission, your health, financial and account information. The personal information you provide, using the System’s on-line forms, is encrypted and sent to us using a secure means of transmittal. However, please understand that no one can give an absolute assurance that information intended to be maintained as private, whether transmitted via the Internet or otherwise, cannot be accessed inappropriately or unlawfully by third parties. We have taken and will continue to take commercially reasonable steps in compliance with state and federal laws to ensure the security of your personal information.
Personal information submitted by you will only be viewed by our staff to respond to your inquiry or process your information. On occasion, employees or contractors may view personal information in the course of maintaining and improving our website, while receiving training or to assist the System in carrying out its charitable mission. Our contractors are legally bound to protect your information and responsible for instituting security measures to protect your information in compliance with industry standards and state and federal laws.
3. Payment Method Information
Payment information, such as information contained on your credit card, is collected only to process a transaction and is never retained by the System once the transaction is complete. While being used to process the transaction, your payment information is protected by security measures that meet or exceed industry standards to protect your payment information from theft or interception. We will not store or distribute your payment information in a manner that is contrary to state and federal laws or industry standards. You are always welcome to use traditional means such as the telephone or mail in transmitting your personal information or payment to us.
4. Links to Other Websites
The System’s website may contain links to other websites. We provide these links for the convenience of visitors to the System site. The System makes no representations regarding the information contained in non-System owned or operated sites linked to this website or the privacy or security practices of those other sites. The System is not responsible for the content nor the privacy practices of the other linked websites. Please check with the other sites to determine their terms of use, privacy polices and the collection and use of information.
5. Changes to this Statement
The policy and practices contained within this Privacy Statement will be updated and/or
modified periodically to reflect new features or services. It is your responsibility to review our Privacy Statement on a regular basis to familiarize yourself with relevant changes to the policy that may affect you. The privacy statement was last updated on May 25, 2022.
6. Notice Concerning Minors
This website is not intended for use by minors. If you are under thirteen years of age, you may not use the services within this website and you should not provide information to the System without the supervision and consent of a parent or guardian.
7. Changes to Your Personal Information
You can access and update certain information we have relating to your online account by contacting our Patient Relations department. If you have questions about personal information we have about you or need to update your information, you can contact us by calling 518-262-3499.
8. Caution in Use
Unfortunately, no data protection method or combination of methods can be guaranteed as 100 percent secure. The System is not responsible for, and will not be held liable for, disclosures of your personal information due to errors in transmission attributable to you or unauthorized acts of third parties. The System cannot guarantee the privacy of your confidential information transmitted to its website should you chose not to: (1) use the appropriate, secure, on-line forms or means of communication provided in the relevant pages of the website, or; (2) institute reasonable security measures on your own electronic device when submitting personal information. See the System’s Terms of Use for a more detailed explanation of your rights and responsibilities in using this website.
9. Opt-out
This website and related System Services provide you with the opportunity to receive communications from us for a variety of purposes including new developments in health care to opportunities to participate in our charity events. Once you have decided to receive communications from us, you may later decide to stop receiving them. To opt-out of receiving future communications from a System Service, please contact the System entity or department that has sent the communication to you by calling 518-262-3125 and specifying the type of communication you no longer wish to receive.