Privacy Policy
CARMEN KIDNEY HEALTH
MSC Health Texas LLC dba Carmen [kidney] HEALTH
1. INTRODUCTION
MSC Health Texas LLC dba Carmen Kidney Health (“Carmen [kidney] HEALTH,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and the security of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you visit our website at www.carmen.health (the “Site”), as well as through other interactions with us, including by email, telephone, or through our patient portal.
As a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Carmen [kidney] HEALTH is legally required to protect the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). This Privacy Policy describes our practices for collecting, using, disclosing, and safeguarding your information.
Please review this Privacy Policy carefully. By using any part of this Site, you accept and agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please do not use this Site.
2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
A. Information You Provide Directly
We actively collect information from you when you use certain features of our Site, including when you:
Submit a contact or appointment request form
Sign up for health updates, newsletters, or communications
Communicate with us by email, phone, or online messaging
Provide feedback or complete surveys
The information you provide may include your name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and any health-related information you choose to share (“Personally Identifiable Information” or “PII”).
B. Information Collected Automatically (Passive Data Collection)
Like many websites, we may collect non-personally identifiable information about your use of the Site, including which pages are visited, time spent on the Site, and browser or device information. We may use cookies — small data files placed on your device — to enhance your experience and track Site usage. You may disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features of the Site may not function properly without them.
We may also collect your IP address to analyze usage patterns, administer the Site, and gather aggregate demographic information.
C. Protected Health Information (PHI) and ePHI
If you are a patient of Carmen [kidney] HEALTH, we collect and maintain Protected Health Information (PHI) as necessary to provide kidney care and related health services. This includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, treatment plans, lab results, medication records, and insurance information. The collection, use, and disclosure of your PHI is governed separately by our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which is provided to you at your first clinical encounter and available upon request.
3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
Carmen [kidney] HEALTH uses your information for the following purposes:
- To provide, improve, and personalize the content and features of the Site
- To respond to your inquiries, schedule appointments, and communicate with you about our services
- To recommend next steps or follow-up appointments with your primary care physician or with us at our clinics based on the Check Your Kidneys Survey, if submitted
- To send you health information, appointment reminders, and updates that may be of interest to you
- To administer and improve our clinical operations, quality assurance, and patient safety activities
- To comply with applicable federal and state legal obligations, including HIPAA
- To protect the legal rights and interests of Carmen [kidney] HEALTH
We will not use your Personally Identifiable Information for purposes beyond those described in this Privacy Policy without first obtaining your consent.
4. DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION
A. HIPAA-Covered Disclosures
Disclosures of your Protected Health Information are governed by HIPAA and our Notice of Privacy Practices. We may use and disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations without your separate written authorization. For all other uses and disclosures, we will obtain your written authorization as required by law.
B. Sharing of Personally Identifiable Information
Carmen [kidney] HEALTH may share your Personally Identifiable Information with third parties in the following limited circumstances:
When you provide your consent
When we have engaged a trusted third party (such as a data hosting provider, IT support company, or analytics service) to perform functions on our behalf, subject to confidentiality obligations
When required to protect our legal rights, such as enforcing our Terms of Use
In connection with a sale, merger, or transfer of all or a portion of our business
When required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request
C. Business Associates
We may share your PHI or PII with Business Associates — vendors or contractors who perform services on our behalf that involve access to health information. We require all Business Associates to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and to safeguard your information in compliance with HIPAA. We monitor Business Associate compliance on an ongoing basis.
D. No Sale of Personal Information
Carmen [kidney] HEALTH does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
5. SMS/MMS COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSENT
A. How We Obtain Your Consent
Carmen Kidney Health (“Carmen [kidney] HEALTH”) collects phone numbers through web forms on our Site, such as our contact and appointment request forms and the Check Your Kidneys Survey. Where we collect a phone number, we also present a clearly visible, optional SMS consent checkbox on that same form. By checking that box, you are providing your express written consent to receive SMS/MMS communications from Carmen [kidney] HEALTH.
Important: The SMS consent checkbox is always optional. Checking it is not required to submit the form or to receive our services. Consent to receive SMS messages will never be a condition of receiving care or services from Carmen [kidney] HEALTH.
The disclosure presented on our web forms will read substantially as follows:
“By checking this box, I consent to receive SMS/MMS text messages from Carmen [kidney] HEALTH regarding appointment reminders, health updates, and service-related communications. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time. View our Privacy Policy at www.carmen.health/privacy-policy.”
B. Types of SMS Communications
If you opt in, Carmen [kidney] HEALTH may send you the following types of SMS/MMS messages:
Appointment confirmations and reminders
Follow-up care and health education information
Service updates and general communications from our practice
C. Opt-Out and Help Instructions
You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive from us. After opting out, you will receive one final confirmation message and no further SMS communications will be sent. To request help contact us directly using the information in Section 13.
D. No Sharing of SMS Consent Data
Carmen [kidney] HEALTH does not share, sell, rent, or disclose mobile phone numbers or SMS/MMS opt-in consent data to any third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories of data sharing described in this Privacy Policy exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
6. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
Carmen [kidney] HEALTH employs administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These safeguards include:
- Secure, password-protected access to systems containing health information.
- Regular security audits and risk assessments.
- Workforce training on HIPAA security and privacy requirements.
- Business Associate Agreements with all applicable vendors
Incident response procedures and breach notification protocols.
While we take every reasonable precaution to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.
7. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR INFORMATION
You have the following rights with respect to your personal and health information:
- Access: You may request access to your personal information that we hold on file.
- Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to applicable legal and HIPAA requirements.
- Opt-Out: You may opt out of receiving marketing communications from Carmen [kidney] HEALTH at any time by contacting us at the information below.
For rights related to your Protected Health Information as a patient, please refer to our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes your rights to access, amend, restrict, and receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information in Section 13 below.
8. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY
This Site is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. Parents or guardians who believe their child has submitted personal information to this Site are encouraged to contact us immediately. We encourage parents to talk to their children about their use of the Internet and the information they disclose online.
9. THIRD-PARTY LINKS
This Site may contain links to third-party websites for your convenience. Carmen [kidney] HEALTH is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by our Site. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any websites you visit through links on our Site.
10. USE OF INFORMATION IN SOCIAL AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS
Our Site may include social media features or links. Any content or information you post or make available through social platforms is subject to those platforms’ terms and privacy policies, not this Privacy Policy. Please exercise caution about what personal information you share publicly.
11. NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES
We reserve the right to revise this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make changes, we will post the updated policy on this Site with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
12. HIPAA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
As a HIPAA-covered entity, Carmen [kidney] HEALTH maintains a separate Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) that provides a full description of how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information, your rights regarding your PHI, and our legal obligations. The NPP is provided to patients at the time of their first clinical encounter and is available upon request from our office.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Carmen [kidney] HEALTH or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, without fear of retaliation.
13. CONTACT US
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact:
Carmen Kidney Health
MSC Health Texas LLC dbaCarmen [kidney] HEALTH
Website: www.carmen.health
Email: info@carmen.health