Website Privacy Policy

MultiCare Health System “MultiCare” wants to make sure you understand all aspects of managing your care, and your privacy is an important piece. MultiCare has created this privacy policy so you are aware of the methods in which we collect and share your information.

This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use and protect personal information collected from visitors (“Users” or “You”) to the MultiCare website (the “Site”), and serves to assist You in making informed decisions when using our Site and services. Please read this entire statement to understand how your information will be treated. This Privacy Policy explains how information about you is collected, used and disclosed by MultiCare and only applies to the Site and services offered through the Site.

Any information that is Protected Health Information (defined below) is governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices and will be used and disclosed solely as permitted by our Notice of Privacy Practices. For more information about the privacy of Protected Health Information, please see our Notice of Privacy Practices.

This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and made a part of the Terms of Service. Please review our Terms of Service, as they govern your use of our services and limit our liability to you. By using our Services, you agree that we may treat your information in the ways described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to any of the terms described in this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service, you should refrain from using these Services.

Information we collect

When you visit and use our virtual Services, we may collect information in order to be a better partner in your health. This information includes Personal Information, Protected Health Information, Transaction Information, Location Information and Usage Data.

• “Personal Information” is information that can be used to identify, contact or locate you. Examples include name, address, email address, telephone number or other information you may provide.
• “Protected Health Information” is personally identifiable information that is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and its supporting regulations (“HIPAA”).
• “Transaction Information” is payment information provided by you, such as payment card type and expiration date and last four digits of your payment card number.
• “Location Information” is a subset of Personal Information that can be used to locate the device you use to access the Services. Location Information may include: (i) the location of the device derived from GPS or WiFi use; (ii) the IP address of the device or internet service used to access the Services; and (iii) other information made available by a user or others that indicates the current or prior location of the user. If you do not want us to collect Location Information from your device, please disable the location setting(s) on your device or delete our Apps. Please note that disabling the location setting may affect certain features of the Services and the Apps.
• “Usage Data” is information that we automatically collect about your use of the Services and your device. This could include the date and time of your visit, the amount of time you spend on the site and your location at the time of your visit, down to the city level. This type of information does not usually, by itself, uniquely identify an individual, and may include your IP address, web browser and operating system, device model and manufacturer, and your activity on the Services.

We use this information on an aggregate basis in order to track Site statistics, identify pages that are most popular to our visitors, conduct performance monitoring and troubleshooting, and provide information about our products and services that we think you might find useful. We also use this information for site and system security. We do not share server log information with third parties for marketing or other purposes. We only combine collected data with identifiable information in order to improve services to you, if it is necessary to complete a task you have asked us to perform (for example, to troubleshoot a problem you are having with the Site) or if we tell you (for example, if you fill out a form that states it will be combined with collected data).

How we collect your information

MultiCare collects the information you provide directly to us when you do things like create an account or contact us with inquiries and comments, and may gather information from other sources such as third-party websites. We are collecting this information so that we can improve our communication with you and the Services we provide you. We collect the minimum amount of information necessary to perform or improve the Services you are seeking.

We also collect information you provide to us directly. We collect information about you when you do the following:

• Create an account or register on the Site
• Access or use the Services
• Pay your patient account statements
• Schedule an appointment
• Register for an educational event
• Order items or services through the Site
• Complete and submit forms
• Respond to a survey
• Subscribe to a newsletter
• Submit or post content
• Contact us with inquiries and comments
• Engage in other activities, services, features or resources that we make available on the Site that require your information

When you fill out a form, register, order items, or otherwise provide your information, we collect and process the data that you provide. This may include:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Other Unique Identifiers, such as Social Security Number
• Financial Information
• Other Information

We may also obtain information about you from other sources, including commercially available sources such as data aggregators, public databases and other third parties. For example, if you are on a third-party website and you opt in to receive information from us, that website will forward your contact information to us so we may contact you as requested. We may combine this information with the information we collect from you to help us tailor our communications and improve our Services.

How we use your information

We may use the information we collect about you so that we can provide you with better Services, and we may also anonymize your information and aggregate with other users in order to improve our Services overall.

We may use your information in the following ways:

• To provide information to you. We provide information to you regarding our products and Services, and products and Services of our affiliates and business partners, that we think may be of interest to you.
• To improve customer service. Information you provide helps us respond to your customer Service requests and support needs more efficiently.
• To support better user experience. We may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Users as a group use the Services and resources provided on our Site.
• To improve our Site. We may use feedback you provide to improve our products and services.
• To run a promotion, contest, survey or other Site feature.
• To send Users information they agreed to receive about topics we think will be of interest to them.
• To send periodic emails.
• We may use the email address to send you information and updates pertaining to your order. It may also be used to respond to any inquiries, questions and/or other requests. If a user decides to opt in to our mailing list, they will receive emails that may include company news, updates, related product or service information, etc. If at any time the user would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, we include an “unsubscribe” option at the bottom of each email.
• For the purposes specified at the time of collection. There may be other purposes that are specified when the information is collected.
• As content on the Site, when uploaded by you or with your permission.
• We may permit You to upload pictures or comments to the Site.
• As otherwise required or permitted by law. There may be times when the law permits or requires Us to use information for other purposes.

We may link Usage Data to the Personal Information we have collected about you. If we link this Usage Data to your Personal Information, we will treat such linked information as Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We may also anonymize your information or aggregate your information with other users of the Services (“Aggregate Information”). This Aggregate Information is not Personal Information, because it cannot be used to identify you, and may be used by us for any lawful purpose.

In addition to those purposes listed above, we may use your information for any other purpose disclosed to you at the time of collection.

Data collection technologies

We use certain technologies to collect the data we reference above so that we can customize the content you receive and personalize your online experience.

We use cookies, pixel tags, log files and other technologies (collectively, “Data Collection Technologies”) to help us provide the Services, tailor our content and enhance your online experience. Our Data Collection Technologies include:

• Cookies: MultiCare’s website may use cookies in specific areas for statistical tracking purposes, to store visitor preferences and to assist in the personalization of a display. A cookie is information that a website puts on your computer’s hard drive so that it can remember something about you at a later time. Typically, a cookie records your preferences when using a particular site. Cookies are used to improve your experience with the Site. Some cookies last only through a single visit to the Site. Others may have an expiration date, and others remain until you delete them. We use cookies to keep track of your movement through the Site during a visit, to gather data about how you use the Site, to store your preferences for certain kinds of information, and to store information about you so that you do not have to provide it every time you visit. You can control how cookies are managed on your computer or device through your browser. If you reject cookies, you may not be able to use some areas of the Site.
• MultiCare reviews the privacy policy of any vendor it uses for Site management. This information can be shared upon request.
• Log Information: When you visit the Services, our servers automatically record certain log file information, such as your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, operating system, browser type and language, referring URLs, access times, pages viewed, links clicked, and other information about your activities on the Services.
• Credit card/account information stored/saved: Bank or credit card information is tokenized and encrypted with the merchant account associated with the agreement. Bank or credit card information is never stored in the system. These services are provided by Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant vendors. Please read these Terms carefully before you use or access the Services, as they are a legal agreement between MultiCare and you. These Terms contain important provisions that limit our liability to you.

How we protect your information

MultiCare uses reasonable data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to protect your data. However, due to the nature of electronic communications, it is impossible to provide 100 percent assurances that your information will not become known or accessible to third parties. If you provide any confidential information about you or your health to us via electronic communication, it is at your own risk.

What about Special Identifiable Information?

Certain identifiable information is particularly sensitive, and we only use that information for the specific purpose it was provided.

• If it is Financial Information, we use the information only to bill for the services or products that you have ordered.
• If it is an Other Unique Identifier, such as a Social Security Number, we use the information only to register you for the requested activity or educational class.

How we share your information

We do not sell, trade or rent your personal identification information to others. We may share your information:

• Notice of Privacy Practices: MultiCare may also share your information consistent with the Notice of Privacy Practices. Health and Personal Information, Personally Identifiable Information and Protected Health Information will be kept confidential as governed by law.
• With our Affiliates, Business Units and Brands: We may share your information internally among our current or future business units, brands and our affiliates to provide, maintain or improve our Services.
• With Vendors, Consultants and Other Service Providers: We may share your information with our vendors (including third-party hosting providers) who need access to such information in order to carry out work or perform services on our behalf.
• In the Event of a Corporate Transaction: In the event we go through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, bankruptcy or sale of all or a portion of our assets, we may disclose your information to the party or parties of such transactions.
• For Legal Purposes: We will disclose your information when we think it is necessary to investigate or prevent actual or expected fraud, criminal activity, injury or damage to us or others or when otherwise required by law, regulation, subpoena or court order, or if necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of MultiCare or others. We may share information if necessary to enforce this Privacy Policy or Terms of Use of the Site. We reserve the right to report to appropriate law enforcement or government agencies activities that we, in good faith, believe to be harmful or unlawful, with or without providing notice to you.

Your choices; interest-based content

In addition to using cookies and related technologies as described above, we use third-party service providers to serve interest-based advertisements for MultiCare products and services across the internet. These service providers may collect non-identifiable information about your interactions with our website through the use of these technologies. In the course of serving these advertisements, these third-party companies may place or recognize a unique cookie on your computer, and may record information to these cookies based upon your activities on any of our sites and/or services and on third-party websites. Each of these companies uses this cookie information according to their own privacy and security policies. If you do not wish to have this information used for the purpose of serving you interest-based advertisements, then you may opt out as indicated below. Please note that you will continue to receive generic advertisements. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices for not having this information used by third-party service providers for this purpose, please visit thenai.org/opt-out.

Some internet browsers include the ability to transmit “do not track” signals. As uniform standards have not been adopted, we do not currently respond to browser “do not track” signals. For more information regarding “do not track,” please visit All About Do Not Track.

Security

MultiCare has security measures in place to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of information under our control. MultiCare employs strict security measures to safeguard online financial transactions through the use of current industry encryption standards. Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 or higher and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) with 256-bit encryption. Any connection between your web browser and an https-protected page on our site uses this level of encryption. Learn more about MyChart Security Settings.

Email

Transmittal of emails to this Site should not be considered to be private. Email transmissions should be considered to be at risk of becoming known or accessible to third parties. If you provide any confidential information about you or your health to us via electronic communication, it is at your own risk. If you wish to correspond with us about your health via email on the open internet, please complete and return the consent below. Patient Consent to Allow Email Correspondence.

Opt in/out

We may ask for additional information in order to offer materials of interest to individuals with specific needs. We offer an opt in/out option, which is stored with your account. We will continue to send information to you as long as you agree to receive it.

Links to other sites

The Site contains links to other websites as a service to our visitors. We do not endorse the products of the companies associated with these third-party websites, and we do not control the content or links that appear on these websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external websites. These websites and services have their own privacy policies and customer service policies, and browsing and interactions on those websites are subject to the terms and policies of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statement of any other site that you visit.

Children’s information

MultiCare respects the privacy of all online users, especially children. Our Services are not intended for use by children under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect information, including personal information as defined by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13 years of age, you should not register or provide personal information to us unless your parent or guardian expressly gives us permission. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 13 years of age that you believe has disclosed personal information to us or on the Site, please contact us so that we can delete the child’s information.

Updating your information

If your information needs to be updated, corrected or deleted, please notify us. Your personal information can only be deleted in accordance with our data retention policy, and as permitted by law. Further, personal information may remain in databases, access logs, backup media and other records. We cannot update or remove information from records of third parties.

Disclaimer

The content provided by MultiCare is for general information purposes only and is in no way intended to be a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified professional. MultiCare encourages internet users to be careful when using medical information. If you are unsure about your medical condition, consult a physician. Although we carefully review our content, we cannot guarantee or take responsibility for the medical accuracy of the content we provide, nor can MultiCare assume any liability for the content of websites linked to our Site.

Although we attempt to keep the Site updated, neither MultiCare nor any employee or contractor warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published on the Site or any site that links to or is linked from the Site. MultiCare shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained using this website does so at their own risk.

Changes to this privacy policy

MultiCare may update this privacy policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the “updated” date at the bottom of this page. We encourage you to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we collect and use your information. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications. Your continued use of the Services after changes have been posted indicates your consent to the amended terms of the Privacy Policy. If we make material changes that would impact your use of the Services, we will attempt to notify you of the changes, such as by posting a notice directly on the Services, by sending an email notification (if you have provided your email address to us) or by any other reasonable method.

International visitors

MultiCare only offers services within the United States of America, and the Site is only intended to be used by individuals in the United States of America. If you visit our Services or contact us from outside of the United States of America, please be advised that (i) any information you provide to us or that we automatically collect will be transferred to the United States of America; and (ii) by using our Services or submitting information, you explicitly authorize its transfer to and subsequent processing in the United States of America in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

If you are visiting the Site from outside the United States of America, your information will be transferred to, stored and processed in the United States. The privacy laws of the United States of America may not be as protective as those in your jurisdiction. By visiting the Site, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States of America and the use and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. By using this Site, you signify that you agree to the foregoing, and that you accept this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our privacy statement or security practices, or would like to be removed from our mailing lists, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 253-403-2708
Mail:
MultiCare Health System
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 5299
Tacoma, WA 98415-0299

Effective Date: Nov. 1, 2023