Privacy Policy

Last Updated April 19, 2023

Easter Seals, Inc. (d/b/a "Easterseals") ("we," "our," or "us") understands that data privacy and the protection of personal information is important to you. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use and share your personal information, and your rights and choices regarding the personal information we collect about you.

Please read this Notice carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your personal information and how we will process it. You can also click on the links below to navigate to a specific section.

  1. Scope of Notice
  2. Personal Information Collection
  3. How We Use Personal Information
  4. How We Disclose Personal Information
  5. Easterseals Affiliate Members
  6. Links to Other Sites
  7. Security of Personal Information
  8. Transmission of Health-Related Information
  9. Retention of Personal Information
  10. Your Rights and Choices Regarding your Personal Information
  11. Cookies
  12. International Transfers of Personal Information
  13. Information from Children
  14. Changes to this Notice
  15. Contact Us

1. Scope of Notice

This Privacy Notice applies to all donors, members, website visitors, business partners, employees, job applicants, and individuals who otherwise interact with Easterseals whom we collect personal information from. We often refer to your interactions with us as using our "services" throughout this Notice.

2. Personal Information Collection

We collect a variety of information as part of our operations, including personal information and other information. "Personal information" is any information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with an identifiable individual.

a. How We Collect Personal Information

Easterseals collects information, including personal information, from and about its donors, event attendees and program participants, individuals who interact with our affiliate members, employees and job applicants, individuals who visit our website and other individuals who choose to interact with us. We collect information from or about you in the following ways:

  • Directly from you. We collect information directly from you when you make a donation, create a user profile on our website, attend an event or program we are offering, apply for employment or gain employment with us, when you visit our website, and when you otherwise voluntarily submit or provide information to us.
  • Automatically. When you visit and interact with our website, we collect information automatically through cookies. For more information about cookies on our website, please visit the section below titled "Cookies."
  • From our Affiliate Members. We rely on our affiliate members to provide us with information about the individuals they provide services to and interact with so that we can understand the impact of our and our affiliate members' programs and services, yield actionable insights, and drive future-forward decision making to ensure that our services and programs make the most impact in the communities we serve.
  • From Other Sources. We may collect information about you from other sources and we may combine information from other sources with information we collect through our services or interactions with you. Examples of the other sources we most frequently collect information from includes national donor data bases and registries, and companies that compile mailing lists about individuals.

b. Types of Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us, including whether the interaction is through one of our affiliate members or directly with us. In many cases, the personal information we collect will be apparent from the context in which you provide the information.

We collect the following types of personal information from you depending on how you interact with us (i.e., donor, employee, etc.).

Categories of Personal InformationCategories of individuals
Contact Information. This includes your name, mailing address, email address, social media handle, or other similar identifiers.
  • Donors
  • Employees and job applicants
  • Website visitors
  • Event attendees
  • Program participants
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
  • Easterseals affiliate member users
Identification Information. This includes your SSN, driver's license number, passport number, or similar legal identification information.
  • Employees and job applicants
Profile Information. This includes information about your activity and interactions with us, including your donor tendencies and donation history, information you voluntarily provide to us or that we collect from other sources regarding your interests, preferences, and characteristics. We compile this information we collect about you to better understand you.
  • Donors
  • Website visitors
  • Event attendees
  • Program participants
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
  • Easterseals affiliate member users
Health Information. This is information about your health, disability, or medical condition which may include "Protected Health Information" (PHI).
  • Event attendees
  • Program participants
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
  • Employees and job applicants (if you choose to participate in our group health plan)
Financial Information. This includes information about your wealth and financial status, income, credit card, bank account, or payment information.
  • Donors
  • Employees and job applicants
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
Location Information. This includes information about your location.
  • Donors
  • Website visitors
  • Easterseals affiliate member users
Professional or Employment-Related Information. Current or past job history or performance evaluations.
  • Employees and job applicants
  • Affiliate clinical and non-clinical service providers
Internet or other similar network activity. Browsing history, search history, information on your interaction with a website, application, or advertisement.
  • Website visitors
  • Donors
  • Easterseals affiliate member users
Interaction Information. This includes information about your attendance at events we host or programs we sponsor, as well as information about correspondence with us and other ways you interact with us.
  • Donors
  • Event attendees
  • Program participants
  • Website visitors
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
  • Easterseals affiliate member users
Sensitive Personal Information. We may collect certain sensitive personal information including race, gender, and age information. This information is collected in aggregate form.
  • Employees and job applicants
  • Individuals who interact with our affiliate members
  • Easterseals affiliate member users

We may not collect all of the above categories of information from each category of individual who interacts with us. Please note that if you voluntarily provide us with additional information when you interact with us that does not fit one of these categories of information or individuals set forth above, we will collect the information and use it for the purposes you direct or that we disclose to you.

As noted above, in certain circumstances, we may also collect "Protected Health Information." "Protected Health Information" ("PHI") is individually identifiable health information. We sometimes collect PHI when we gather information about the effectiveness of our programs in order to understand whether a program that we or our affiliate members offered resulted in improved outcomes for the individuals or communities our programs are designed to serve.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information for our legitimate business purposes to further our mission and for other purposes disclosed to you at the time data is collected. More specifically, we use personal information in the following ways:

  • Provide our services, programs, and events to the communities and individuals we serve.
  • Send you confirmations about event or program registration, or donations.
  • Process donations and gifts made to Easterseals or our affiliate members.
  • Understand our donor base and potential donors.
  • Measure the effectiveness of our services, programs, and events, including services, programs, and events offered by our affiliate members.
  • Communicate with you about our services, programs, events, happenings, and news.
  • Respond to your comments, inquiries, and customer service requests.
  • Market our events, services, programs, and potential donor opportunities to you. You may opt-out of marketing communications at any time.
  • Provide you with employment, or consider you for employment with Easterseals.
  • Process payroll and other benefits afforded to our employees.
  • Improve and personalize our content and services.
  • Monitor and analyze trends regarding our services, programs, and events, including services, programs, and events offered by our affiliate members.
  • Protect against and prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions, and manage risk exposure.
  • Enforce our legal rights and agreements.
  • Comply with applicable legal requirements.
  • Carry out any other purpose you consent to, that we disclose to you at the time your data is collected, or that you direct us to.

We may aggregate and de-identify personal information we collect from you to understand the effectiveness of our programs, services, and offerings, as well as to understand our donor base and donor trends. When we aggregate or de-identify information, it is no longer personally identifiable.

4. How We Disclose Personal Information

Easterseals may share your personal information in the following circumstances, and as otherwise described in this Notice:

  • Affiliate Members. We share information with our affiliate members in order to understand and improve the impact of our and our affiliate members' programs, services, and offerings. Please see the section below titled "Easterseals Affiliate Members" for more information.
  • Service Providers, Vendors, and Consultants. We rely on third parties to perform functions on our behalf. Some of these service providers include marketing service providers, payment service providers who help us process donations and pay our employees, cloud storage providers, website hosting platforms, client relationship management providers, HR or employee benefits providers, and content providers. We endeavor to ensure written agreements are in place with all service providers, vendors, and consultants where feasible and appropriate. All service providers, vendors, and consultants are required to use the information we disclose to them at our direction and only for the purpose(s) for which it was disclosed to them, and they are required to adhere to security and confidentiality measures.
  • List Rental and Exchange Program. We may share certain information about our donors with national donor registration and list service providers in order to grow our donor base and more effectively reach current and prospective donors. If you do not wish for your information to be shared with these third parties, you may opt-out by contacting us via a method set forth in the "Contact Us" section below or by visiting our website and contacting us through a means listed on our website. If you would like to know which third parties participate in the list rental and exchange program, you may also contact us via one of the methods listed below.
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, Courts, Regulators, Government Authorities, or Other Third Parties. We may disclose your information: 1) to apply with a legal obligation or court order; 2) when we believe in good faith that the law requires it; 3) at the request of governmental authorities conducting an investigation; 4) to verify or enforce our policies, procedures, terms of service, and other agreements, or to protect the rights, property, safety, and security of Easterseals, our members, vendors, business partners, service providers, affiliate members, website visitors, or the public; 5) to respond to an emergency; or 6) when we believe it is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss, or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.
  • Successor Entities, Buyers, Transfers and Mergers and Acquisitions. We may disclose your information to a buyer, potential buyer, successor in interest, or to an organization in connection with a bankruptcy, transfer, merger or acquisition, or other transfer of some or all of Easterseals' or an affiliate's assets, which may include your information. If this occurs, we will endeavor to ensure that the successor entity uses your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Notice, or provides you with notice and a choice about future use of your personal information.

5. Easterseals Affiliate Members

Easterseals has a number of affiliate members throughout the United States who interact directly with the populations we serve by bringing Easterseals' mission and work directly into the community in which the affiliate member operates. While our affiliate member organizations are associated with and use Easterseals branding, they may have their own practices regarding how they collect, use, share, and retain information when you interact with them.

As described above, affiliate members share information with us, and we share information with our affiliate members. This information sharing occurs so that we can understand the impact of our and our affiliate members' programs and services, yield actionable insights, and drive future-forward decision making so that we can continue to further the Easterseals' mission of equity, inclusion, and access for individuals with disabilities.

Easterseals' website may contain links to other sites, including to our affiliate members, as well as links to non-affiliated third parties, such as social networks or business partners. These linked sites may have personal information collection, use, and disclosure practices that differ from Easterseals' practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of websites that you visit before sharing your personal information with them. Please also be aware that if you disclose personal information, PHI, or other sensitive information through public forums, at an event, or on online message boards, this information may be used by others. We take no responsibility for the content, security, or confidentiality of any information posted on or conveyed in these public spaces.

7. Security of Personal Information

Easterseals knows that information security is of the utmost important to our donors, affiliate members, website visitors, and individuals whose information we collect. We maintain reasonable technical, administrative, physical, and organizational safeguards in proportion to the sensitivity of information we collect that are designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, and disclosure of personal information.

However, no electronic data transmission or processing of personal information is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee the security of personal information. We encourage you to assist us with securing your personal information by using a strong password and not disclosing your login credentials, where applicable, to anyone. If we become aware of an incident that affects your personal information, we will investigate and comply with all reporting obligations.

8. Transmission of Health-Related Information

Easterseals understands the sensitivity of collecting and using health-related data. It is not Easterseals' intent to collect personally identifiable health-related information or PHI. If we do collect personally identifiable health-related information or PHI, it will not be used by or shared with entities other than Easterseals or our affiliate members, unless the information is de-identified. Any transfer of personally identifiable health-related data between Easterseals organizations will take place in a secure environment with access allowed only to certain qualified employees of Easterseals. Easterseals will comply with all regulations set forward by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). To learn more about HIPAA, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

9. Retention of Personal Information

We will retain your information only for as long as necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected. This may mean that we will continue to retain certain information even after we stop providing our services directly or indirectly to you, after you delete your user profile, or cease interacting with us, as required by law or for our legitimate business purposes. We may also retain de-identified, aggregated, or anonymous information that does not identify a particular individual. In all cases where we retain data, we do so in accordance with limitation periods and record retention obligations that are imposed by applicable law.

10. Your Rights and Choices Regarding your Personal Information

Easterseals offers various rights that are consistent with state consumer privacy laws. Easterseals offers the option to access, correct, and delete your personal information. If you are a registered user of our website, you can access your Easterseals profile and update your contact information and user preferences by clicking here. Upon your request, we will delete, aggregate, or de-identify personal information related to you that is retained in our organizational databases, unless we are required to continue to retain the information in an identifiable format. To exercise your right to deletion, or to modify or correct your information other than through the link above, please contact us via a method set forth in the below "Contact Us" section.

You can also change your communication preferences and opt-in or opt-out of marketing communications from Easterseals. To opt-out of receiving email communications, postal mail or from participating in the list rental and exchange program, or to request a disclosure of list rental and exchange information, please follow the directions below.

We will endeavor to fulfill all requests within a reasonable timeframe.

11. Cookies

Our website uses or may use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies (collectively, "cookies"). Cookies are small text files stored directly on a website visitor's computer or mobile device that automatically collect certain information from users such as browser type, IP address, time spent online, pages visited, referring URL, and additional aggregated website traffic data. We also rely on partners to provide features of our services, which may involve using cookies.

We use cookies for the following purposes:

  • Functionality. These cookies are necessary for us to ensure that the website functions properly.
  • Security. These cookies are necessary for us to mitigate the risk of data breaches and similar attacks by ensuring that requests are submitted to our website from proper domains.
  • Authentication. These cookies allow us to authenticate user requests and to maintain session information related to users.
  • Preference. These cookies allow our website to remember which events you have signed up or registered for, the products you place in your shopping cart, and to recognize your device.
  • Advertising. These cookies allow us to provide you with more relevant advertisements.
  • Analytics. These cookies enable us to learn more about how users and visitors interact with our website, including pages visited, how much time is spent on each pages, and similar information. We use this information in aggregate.
  • Third-Party. These cookies are placed by third parties such as Google and social media networks. These cookies track and monitor how you interact with our services and other websites, provide us insight into how you interact with our website (such as analytics), facilitate account registration and login, and also enable the sharing of content from our services to these third parties. We do not control the data use or sharing practices of these third parties. If you do not wish to accept third party cookies, we encourage you to update your browser settings accordingly.

The use of cookies has become standard among website operators. Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. You can usually set your browser to refuse cookies that are not necessary or to indicate when a cookie is being set. To understand your options regarding cookies, you can visit the help section of your web browser, or take a look at the links below:

If you refuse cookies, you may not be able to use certain functions on our website and our website may not function as smoothly as it does when cookies are enabled.

12. International Transfers of Personal Information

Easterseals and all of its affiliate members are located in the United States, and all programming offered by Easterseals and its affiliate members occurs in the United States. Because of the global nature of the internet, the Easterseals website may be accessible from jurisdictions other than the United States, even though Easterseals does not operate, provide, or market its services outside of the United States. If you access the Easterseals website outside of the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. Since the data protection laws of various countries differ, information transferred to the United States may not be subject to the same level of protection as the jurisdiction in which you reside. If you choose to access our website from a jurisdiction outside the United States, we rely on your consent to transfer the data to the United States. To the extent you do not consent to data transfers to the United States, please do not provide us with your personal information or visit our website.

13. Information from Children

Our website is not directed towards children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13 through our website without parental consent. If you become aware that we have collected personal information from an individual under the age of 13 through our website without parental consent, please let us know so that we can take appropriate action.

14. Changes to this Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. If we make material updates to this Notice, we will endeavor to provide you notice by placing a prominent notice on this website and/or sending an email notification of the change. We will also update the "last updated" date at the top of this policy. Any changes will be effective immediately on posting unless otherwise indicated. Continued use of our services after updates to our Notice will be deemed consent to the changes.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Notice or our information practices, please contact us by emailing us through this link or directly at info@easterseals.com, calling us toll-free at 800-221-6827, or writing to us at:

Easter Seals, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Manager
141 W. Jackson Blvd
Suite 1400A
Chicago, IL 60604

Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley
Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective April 14, 2003

Overview
Our facility uses health information about your for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, for administrative purposes, and to evaluate the quality of care that you receive.  Your health information is contained in a medical record that is the physical property of our practice.

The law requires us to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI) in accordance with this Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice), as long as this Notice remains in effect.  We are also required to provide you with a copy of this Notice, which contains our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your PHI.

From time to time, we may revise our privacy practices and the terms of our Notice at any time, as permitted or required by applicable law.  We reserve the to apply a change in our policies to previously received PHI.  We will promptly revise and make available our Notice whenever there is a material change to the uses or disclosure, your individual rights, our legal duties or other privacy practices stated in this Notice.  The revised Notice will be posted at our facility and on this website.

Our Privacy Practices

Use and Disclosure
Authorizations
Patient Access
Locating Responsible Parties
Disasters
Required by Law
Deceased Persons
Research
Military and National Security
Appointments

Your Individual Rights

Access and Copies
Disclosure Accounting
Additional Restrictions
Alternate Communications
Amendments to PHI
Copy of Notice of Privacy

Our Obligations

Complaints

Contact Us

Our Privacy Practices
Use and Disclosure.  We may use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations.  For your convenience, we have provided the following examples of such potential uses or disclosures:

Treatment.  Your PHI may be used to provide you with medical treatment for service.  For example, information obtained by a health care provider, such as a physician, nurse, or other person providing health care services to you, will record information in your record that is related to your treatment.  This information is necessary for health care providers to determine what treatment you should receive.

Payment.  Your PHI may be used or disclosed in order to collect payment for the medical services provided to you.  For example a bill may be sent to you or a third-party payor, such as an insurance company or health plan.  The information on the bill may contain information that identifies you, your diagnosis, and treatment or supplies used in the course of treatment.

Health Care Operations. Your PHI may be used or disclosed as part of our internal health care operations.  Such health care operations may include, among other things, quality of care audits of our staff and affiliates, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing, or credentialing services.

Authorizations. We will not use or disclose your medical information for any reason except those described in this Notice, unless you provide us with a written authorization to do so.  We may request such an authorization to use to disclose your PHI for any purpose, but you are not required to give us such authorization as a condition of treatment.  Any written authorization from you may be revoked by you in writing at any time, but such revocation will not affect any prior authorized uses or disclosures.

Patient Access.  We will provide you with access to your PHI, as described below in the Individual Rights section of this Notice.  With your mission, or in some emergencies, we may disclose your PHI to your family members, friends, or other people to aid in your treatment or the collection of payment.  A disclosure of your PHI may also be made if we determine it is reasonably necessary or in your best interests for such purposes as allowing a person acting on your behalf to received filled prescriptions, medical supplies, 
X-rays, etc.

Locating Responsible Parties.  Your PHI will be disclosed in order to locate, identify or notify a family member, your personal representative, or other person responsible for your care.  If we determine in our reasonable professional judgment that you are capable of doing so, you will be given the opportunity to consent to or to prohibit or restrict the extent or recipients of such disclosure.  If we determine that you are unable to provide such consent, we will limit the PHI disclosed to the minimum necessary.

Disasters.  We may use or disclose your PHI to any public or private entity authorized by law or by its charter to assist in disaster relieve efforts.

Required by Law.  We may use or disclose your medical information when we are required to do so by law.  For example, your PHI may be released when required by privacy laws, work-related injuries or illness, public health laws, court or administrative orders, subpoenas, certain discovery requests, or other laws, regulations or legal processes.  Under certain circumstance, we may make limited disclosures of PHI directly to law enforcement officials or correctional institutions regarding an inmate, lawful detainne, suspect fugitive, material witness, missing person, or a victim or suspected victim of abuse, neglect, domestic violence or other crimes.  We may disclose the health or safety of others.  We may disclose your PHI when necessary to assist law enforcement officials to  capture a third party who has admitted to a crime against you or who has escaped from lawful custody.

Deceased Persons.  After your death, we may disclose your PHI to a coroner, medical examiner, funeral director, or organ procurement organization in limited circumstances.

Research.  Your PHI may also be used or disclosed for research purposes only in those limited circumstances not requiring your written authorization, such as those that have been approved by an institutional review board that has established procedures for ensuring the privacy of your PHI.

Military and National Security.  We may disclose to military authorities the medical information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances.  When required by law, we may disclose your PHI for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities.

Appointments.  We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Your Individual Rights
Access and Copies.  In most cases, you have the right to review or to purchase copies of your PHI by requesting access or copies in writing to our Privacy Facility.  Please contact our Privacy Officer regarding our copying fees.

Disclosure Accounting.  You have the right to receive an accounting of the instances, if any, in which your PHI was disclosed for purposes other than those described in the following sections above:  Use and Disclosures, Patient Access, and Locating Responsible Parties.  For each 12-month period, you have the right to receive one free copy of an accounting certain details surrounding such disclosures that occurred after April 13, 2003.  If you request a disclosure accounting more than once in a 12-month, we will charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for each additional request.  Please contact our Privacy Officer regarding these fees.

Additional Restrictions.  You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your PHI, but we are not required to honor such a request.  We will be bound by such restrictions only if we agree to do so in writing signed by our Privacy Facility.

Alternate Communications.  You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your PHI by alternative means or in alternative locations.  We will accommodate any reasonable request if it specifies in writing the alternative means or location, and provides a satisfactory explanation of how future payments will be handled.

Amendments to PHI.   You have the right to request that we amend your PHI.  Any such request must be in writing and contain a detailed explanation for the requested amendment.  Under certain circumstances, we may deny your request but will provide you a written explanation of the denial.  You have the right to send us a statement of disagreement to which we may prepare a rebuttal, a copy of which will be provided to you at no cost.  Please contact our Privacy Officer with any further questions about amending your medical record.

Copy of Notice of Privacy.  Should you obtain a copy of this Notice electronically, you may request a paper copy of this Notice.  Please contact our Privacy Officer and a copy will be made available to you at no cost.

Our Obligations
We are required to:  maintain the privacy of protected health information; provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information; abide by the terms of this Notice; notify you if we unable to agree to a requested restriction on how your information is used or disclosed; accommodate reasonable request you may make to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations; and obtain your written authorization to use or disclose our health information for reasons other than those listed above and permitted under law.

Complaints
If you believe you have violated your privacy rights, you may complain to us to the Secretary of the U.S. Department.  You may file a complaint with us by notifying our Privacy Officer.  We support your right to protect the privacy of your medical information.  We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Contacting Us
If you have any questions or complaints, please contact:   Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley's Privacy Officer at one of the following addresses:

PO Box 489
McAllen, TX  78505-0489

1217 Houston Ave.
McAllen, TX  78501

(956) 631-9171

rservantes@easterseals-rgv.org

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