Effective September 2015
The Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Teaching and Research Foundation (OTRF) adheres to the highest standards of ethical practices in all of our operations. The Foundation respects and protects the privacy of visitors to our Website, www.otrfund.org. This Privacy Policy is your guide to how we collect and handle information we learn about you from visiting our Website. We do not collect personally identifying information about you, unless you voluntarily choose to create an account or make an online donation.
Access and use of this Website constitutes your acceptance of this Privacy Policy in its current or modified form. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Website.
We reserve the right to modify or amend the terms of this Privacy Policy from time to time without notice. Your continued use of our Website following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will constitute acceptance of those changes.
The Foundation collects two types of information:
1) Information we passively collect regarding standard Web server traffic patterns, through your access and use of our Website.
IP Addresses
The Foundation logs IP addresses for systems administration purposes. This information helps us determine how often different areas of our website are visited. We do not link IP addresses to any personally identifiable visitor information.
Cookies
The Foundation may use cookies to track the use of our Website in order to facilitate and enhance your experience while on our Website. “Cookies” are small pieces of information that are sent to your Web browser and stored on your computer’s hard drive. The cookies enable us to facilitate access to different aspects of our Website. Cookies also help us to improve your experience on our Website, for example, by remembering your address or other personal information when you request information or services on our Website. The cookies are temporary and can be automatically deleted or removed by your browser after you finish browsing our Website. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can disable this function so that your browser will not accept cookies. Please be aware that disabling this function may impact your experience on our Website.
HTTP Requests
As you browse our Website, your browser issues HTTP Requests to our Web servers requesting data, including text, images, videos, or other multimedia materials, which we log and track. The HTTP requests include details about the browser and the computer making the requests, such as the host name, the browser type, referrer, and language. This information is retained only for the purpose of maintaining and troubleshooting Web transactions.
Traffic Analysis and Aggregated Information
To assist us in monitoring use of our Website, IP addresses, cookies and HTTP Requests may be collected by and/or provided to a third party, who will aggregate the data and then provide us with statistical analysis of traffic flow through our Website. This process does not involve visitors’ personal information. This traffic analysis and aggregated information is used and retained for the purpose of Website analysis and to help us improve our Website.
2) Information you give us – personally identifiable information
The Foundation may collect any content, record, or electronic communication of any kind that you voluntarily provide to us, which may include without limitation, your (a) contact information, (b) demographic information, (c) financial information, and (d) other personal information required to process your request for information (i.e., donations, request for publications, e-newsletter subscriptions, educational programs, employment inquiries, etc.). We will not obtain personally identifying information about you when you visit our site unless you choose to provide such information to us. Providing such information is strictly voluntary unless the information is required to complete a transaction
You are not required to create a user account or enter your name or mailing address when using our Website. If you choose to create a user account, the Foundation will retain the preferences you select so that you will not have to reenter information each time you access our Website or make a donation. You can access your profile by entering your name and password each time you use our Website.
We use the information you provide in order to deliver the information or services that you request and/or to process your donations, and so that we may send information and materials that we think may be of interest to you.
Except as disclosed below, we do not sell, barter, give away, rent or permit anyone outside of the OTRF access to your personal information.
We occasionally use third-party agents, affiliates and partners to perform functions such as marketing, analytics, etc., on our behalf. These entities have access to only the pertinent personal information needed to perform their functions and are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of any personal information provided. They are restricted from using, selling, distributing or altering this data in any way other than to provide the requested services.
If you provide the Foundation with your information as a donor, the Foundation may share applicable information with the Fund Partner relevant to your donation, which is generally limited to your name, amount of your donation and your address. We do not provide your information to any other Fund Partner.
We also may use or disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to (a) conform to applicable law or comply with legal process served on us or our Website; (b) protect and defend our rights or property, our Website and users, and (c) act under emergency circumstances to protect the personal safety of our employees, our affiliates, agents, or the public.
The Website is published in the United States and is subject to laws of the United States. If you are located in a country outside the United States and voluntarily submit personal information to us, you thereby consent to the general use of such information as provided in this Privacy Policy and to the transfer of that information to, and/or storage of that information in, the United States. The OTRF shall not be liable under any circumstances for damages resulting from use of information collected from visitors to the site.
Opt Out or Change Your Contact Information
You can prevent unwanted communication from the Foundation by choosing any of the three options below:
1) Individuals who have voluntarily created a user account can update their personal contact information and may choose which communications, if any, they would like to receive from the Foundation.
2) You also may select the email options link found at the bottom of outgoing emails and request to be removed from the distribution list.
3) You may send an email to update your personal contact information and to opt-out of receiving future communications.
Kids and Privacy
This Website is not directed toward children under 13 years of age and the Foundation does not knowingly collect or use information from children under age 13 through this Website.
Security
The OTRF strives to protect the transmission of any information submitted by visitors.
Our server uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect credit card and other information submitted via the forms on this site. SSL is the industry standard security protocol. All off-line information is securely stored and is accessible only by authorized staff.
We limit access to personally identifiable information about you to our employees and third-party agents, who we reasonably believe need to have access to your information to provide you with the information or services you request. All other vendors are required to use reasonable measures to protect the security of information.
Please remember that any information you share in public areas of our Website, such as message boards or feedback sections, becomes public. This Privacy Policy does not apply to any information you choose to make public in these areas of our Website. Please be careful about what you disclose, and do not post any personal information that you expect to keep private in the public areas of our Website.
This Website may link to, or be linked to other Websites not maintained by or related to the Foundation. The OTRF is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of any third parties or third-party Websites, including any linked or linking Websites. To the extent that you disclose personally identifiable information to any such third parties, different policies may apply to their use and disclosure of personal information that you disclose to them. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of such Websites before disclosing your personal information to them.
Research: We will ask for your specific authorization (permission) if the researcher(s) will have access to your name, address or other information that reveals your identity. However, under rare circumstances we may use or share your health information only if OTRF obtains a waiver of authorization in advance for disclosure, or for a researcher to begin the research process.
Limited Data Set: We may use or disclose a limited data set (i.e., in which certain identifying information has been removed) of your health information for purpose of research, public health or healthcare operations. Any recipient of that limited data set must agree in advance to appropriately safeguard your information. Incidental
Uses and Disclosures: Reasonable steps will be taken to ensure your privacy is protected; however, while providing your treatment, your information could be incidentally disclosed.
Questions About our Policies
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of our Website, or to update your personal information or request to be removed from future mailings, you can email us.