Legal
Privacy Policy
This policy explains what EmPOWERthePATIENTS collects when you use empowerthepatients.org, why we collect it, and what you can ask us to do about it. It is written to be read, not to be survived.
The short version. We collect your email address if you give it to us. We use it to send you what you signed up for. We do not sell it, we do not trade it, and we do not use it to build a profile of your health. You can leave at any time and we will delete your record.
Who we are
EmPOWERthePATIENTS is operated by From the Hart Management LLC. For anything in this policy, write to [email protected].
We are not a healthcare provider
EmPOWERthePATIENTS is an advocacy and publishing organization. We are not a doctor's office, a hospital, an insurer, or a business associate of any of those. HIPAA does not apply to us, because HIPAA governs covered entities and their business associates, and we are neither.
We say this plainly because the assumption runs the other way. People often expect that anything health-related is HIPAA-protected. It is not. Your information here is protected by this policy and by the consumer privacy laws that apply to us — not by HIPAA.
The practical implication: do not send us your medical records, test results, or clinical details. We have no need for them, no secure channel to receive them, and no obligation to handle them the way a clinician would.
What we collect
Information you give us
- Email address, when you subscribe to our newsletter
- Name, if you provide one
- Message content, when you email us or submit a form
- Story submissions, if you send us your account for possible publication
Information collected automatically
- Server logs — IP address, browser type, pages viewed, timestamps. Standard web hosting records.
- Cookies — see the cookie section below.
What we do not collect
- Your diagnosis, condition, medications, or medical history
- Payment information — we do not process payments or take donations through this site
- Anything from anyone we know to be under 13
How we use what we collect
- To send the newsletter you subscribed to
- To respond when you contact us
- To publish a story you have explicitly asked us to publish, in the form you approved
- To understand which articles are read, in aggregate, so we write more useful things
- To keep the site working and secure
- To meet legal obligations
Who we share it with
We share personal information only with service providers who need it to operate the site on our behalf, and only for that purpose:
- HighLevel — website hosting, email delivery, and subscriber management
- [LIST ANY OTHERS — analytics, email, forms. If none, delete this line.]
We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect someone's safety. If we are ever compelled to hand over information, we will tell you unless we are legally prohibited from doing so.
We have never sold personal information and we do not intend to.
Cookies
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. We use only the ones needed to make the site work and keep it secure.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
msgsndr_id | HighLevel | Keeps the site working across pages |
cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Security and bot protection |
__cf_bm | Cloudflare | Security and bot protection |
__stripe_mid | Stripe | Fraud prevention, loaded by our website platform. We do not process payments here. |
We do not use advertising cookies and we do not run analytics. Nothing on this site tracks you across other websites, and we do not share browsing behaviour with advertising platforms.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking the ones above may break parts of the site.
Your choices and rights
Everyone
- Unsubscribe — every email has a link, and it works immediately
- Ask what we hold — email us and we will tell you
- Ask us to delete it — email us and we will, unless law requires otherwise
- Ask us to correct it
California residents
Under the CCPA as amended by the CPRA, you have the right to know what we collect, to delete it, to correct it, to opt out of sale or sharing (we do neither), and to limit use of sensitive personal information. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these. To make a request, email us with "Privacy Request" in the subject line.
EU, EEA, and UK residents
[JENNIFER TO CONFIRM APPLICABILITY BEFORE THIS SECTION IS PUBLISHED.] Where GDPR applies, you have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection, and you may lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority. Our lawful basis for sending the newsletter is your consent, which you may withdraw at any time.
How long we keep it
- Subscriber records — until you unsubscribe, then deleted within 30 days
- Email correspondence — 24 months from your last message to us
- Server logs — 12 months
- Published stories — indefinitely, unless you ask us to remove yours, which we will do
Security
We use reasonable safeguards to protect what we hold, including encrypted connections and access limited to people who need it. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we will not claim otherwise. If a breach affects your information, we will notify you as the law requires and as decency requires.
Children
This site is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us information, email us and we will delete it.
Links to other sites
We link to research, organizations, and resources we think are useful. We do not control those sites and this policy does not cover them. Read theirs.
Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date above. For changes that materially affect your rights, we will email subscribers rather than relying on you to check.
Contact
Questions, requests, or concerns: [email protected]
From the Hart Management LLC
6586 W Atlantic Ave, Ste. 4845
Delray Beach, FL 33446