Privacy Policy | Hoots Acupuncture PLLC

Effective Date: June 16, 2025

Hoots Acupuncture PLLC ("we," "us," or "our"), operating at www.tcmhoots.com, is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with us.

As a healthcare provider based in New York City, Hoots Acupuncture PLLC adheres to the privacy and security rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended, and other applicable state and federal laws governing the privacy of health information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information from and about users of our website and services, including:

Personal Identifiable Information (PII):

Contact Information: Names, email addresses, phone numbers. This is collected when you use our contact forms, sign up for newsletters, or book appointments.
Health Information: Information related to your health, medical history, symptoms, and treatment plans. This is primarily collected through our secure appointment booking systems and during your course of care.

Technical and Usage Data:

IP Addresses: Your Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, pixel tags (like Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics 4 - GA4), and other similar technologies. This includes data about your Browse actions and patterns on our website, such as pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites.

2. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information through:

Direct Interactions: When you fill out forms on our website (e.g., contact forms, newsletter sign-ups), book appointments through our scheduling system, or communicate with us via email or phone.
Automated Technologies: As you navigate through and interact with our website, we may use automated data collection technologies (like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel) to collect certain information about your equipment, Browse actions, and patterns. This helps us analyze website traffic, understand user behavior, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.

3. How We Use Your Information

To provide, manage, and improve our services to you, including scheduling and confirming appointments.
To respond to your inquiries, questions, and requests.
To send you newsletters, promotional materials, or other communications you have opted-in to receive.
For internal analytical purposes, to understand website usage, and to improve our website's functionality and user experience.
To monitor and analyze the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns (e.g., conversion tracking with Meta Pixel and GA4).
To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including HIPAA requirements.
To bill for our services and process payments.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your information to third parties as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

Service Providers:

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, provided those parties agree to keep this information confidential and comply with applicable privacy laws. These include:

Appointment scheduling software providers.
Payment processors.
Website analytics providers (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel).

Legal Requirements:

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order or subpoena).

HIPAA Compliance:

As a covered entity under HIPAA, we will disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI) only as permitted or required by HIPAA, which includes for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.

Business Transfers:

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data Security

We are committed to protecting the security of your information. We implement a variety of security measures, including physical, administrative, and technical safeguards, to help protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

Storing data on secured servers.
Using encryption for sensitive data transmission.
Implementing strict access controls to limit who can access your information.
Utilizing security features within our Electronic Health Record (EHR) system and Google services for data management.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal and health information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. As a medical provider, we are required by HIPAA and other applicable laws to retain certain medical records for specific periods, which may extend beyond your last interaction with us.

7. Your Rights Regarding Your Information

Under HIPAA, you have certain rights concerning your Protected Health Information (PHI), which Hoots Acupuncture PLLC is committed to upholding. These rights include:

Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical and billing records.
Right to Amend: If you believe that your medical information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the information.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your medical information.
Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.
Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice: You have the right to a paper copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.

Our full Notice of Privacy Practices, which provides more detailed information about your rights and how your health information may be used and disclosed, is available upon request at our office or can be provided to you during your first visit.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel) to track the activity on our website and hold certain information. Cookies are small data files placed on your device. We use them for:

Analytics: To collect information about how visitors use our website, which helps us improve our content and services (e.g., GA4).
Marketing & Advertising: To track conversions, deliver targeted advertisements, and understand the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns (e.g., Meta Pixel).

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

9. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not specifically directed at children under the age of 18. While we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without parental consent, if a parent or guardian makes an appointment for a minor, the minor's health information will be collected and protected under the same HIPAA guidelines as adult patient information. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we may have collected information from your child, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Effective Date." We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Hoots Acupuncture PLLC
109 N 12th St, Ste 810
New York, NY 11249
Phone: 347-833-2275
Email: info@tcmhoots.com