Privacy Policy

CVCOG Website Privacy Policy

The Concho Valley Council of Governments maintains this website as a public service. This policy describes CVCOG’s privacy and security practices regarding information collected from visitors to the site, including what information is collected and how that information is used. The policy applies to all pages beginning with www.CVCOG.org and data.CVCOG.org

Please note that all information collected or maintained by CVCOG is subject to the provisions of the Texas Public Information Act. The email addresses of most members of the public who communicate with state agencies through the Internet are confidential under Texas law.
Exceptions to confidentiality may be reviewed at Texas Government Code 552.137.
Any person who submits information in electronic format through this website is entitled, on request, to receive and review the information CVCOG collects about the person and to have CVCOG correct the information.

Use and Release of Information

Cookies
CVCOG uses persistent, first-party cookies to track and report visitor information and collect information via web-based forms (see Server Logs/Log Analysis Tools and Web-Based Forms below). CVCOG does not implement third-party cookies.

Server Log(s) Analysis Tools
CVCOG uses persistent, first-party cookies, server logs, and log analysis tools to create summary statistics about website usage to improve site management. The statistics are used for purposes such as assessing what information interests users most, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. CVCOG does not report or use this type of information in any manner that would reveal personally identifiable information and does not release the information to any outside parties unless required to do so under applicable law.

The following information is collected for this analysis:

• User/client hostname – hostname (or IP address, if DNS is disabled) of the user/client requesting access
• HTTP header, “user-agent” – type of browser used, the browser version, and the operating system it is running on
• HTTP header, “referrer” – page from which the user/client accessed the current page
• System date – date and time of the user/client request
• Full request – exact request the user/client made
• Status – status code the server returned to the user/client
• Content length – length, in bytes, of the document sent to the user/client
• Method – Request method used
• Uniform Resource Identifier (URI or URL) – location of a resource on the server
• Query string of the URL – anything after the question mark in a URL
• Protocol – transport protocol and version used

CVCOG monitors network traffic for site security and ensures the site remains available. Unauthorized attempts to upload information, change information on this site, or cause damage are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Texas Penal Code Chapters 33 (Computer Crimes) or 33A (Telecommunications Crimes). Except as may be required for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. CVCOG does not use raw data logs for any other purposes; however, it is possible that parts of raw data logs could be determined to be Open Records by the Office of the Attorney General. If such a determination were made after a Public Information Act request for the logs, CVCOG would be required to disclose parts of the logs deemed open by the Office of the Attorney General.

Web-Based Forms
The CVCOG website uses persistent, first-party cookies with web-based forms to collect survey results, provide online registration for CVCOG-sponsored events, collect and report continuing education activities by information resource managers, and record computerized geographic data. Personally identifiable information collected from web-based forms is used only for specified purposes (survey results, online registration, etc.). Each web-based form contains a link to Site Policies, including the Privacy and Security Policy. To the extent personally identifiable information is collected, CVCOG will adhere to all statutory requirements in protecting citizen data.

Email
State agencies may not sell or release the email addresses of most members of the public that have been provided to communicate electronically with a government body without the affirmative consent of the affected member of the public. Exemptions to this confidentiality may be reviewed at Texas Government Code 552.137. Personally identifiable information in a question or comment sent to CVCOG in an email message or submitted via an online form is only used by CVCOG to respond to the request and to analyze trends.

Medical Information Policy

The following privacy policy pertains to medical information collected from consumers by the Area Agency on Aging and the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Concho Valley area. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record,
• Correct your paper or electronic medical record,
• Request confidential communication,
• Ask us to limit the information we share,
• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information,
• Get a copy of this privacy notice,
• Choose someone to act for you, and/or
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

• Tell family and friends about your condition,
• Provide disaster relief,
• Include you in a hospital directory,
• Provide mental health care,
• Market our services and sell your information, and/or
• Raise funds.

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information as we:

• Treat you,
• Run our organization,
• Bill for your services,
• Help with public health and safety issues,
• Do research,
• Comply with the law,
• Respond to organ and tissue donation requests,
• Work with a medical examiner or funeral director,
• Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests, and/or
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actions.

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Medical Record

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request Confidential Communications

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a List of Those With Whom We’ve Shared Information

• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years before the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except those about treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another within 12 months.

Get a Copy of This Privacy Notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will promptly provide you with a paper copy.

Choose Someone to Act for You

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will ensure the person has this authority and can act for you before we act.

File a Complaint If You Feel Your Rights Are Violated

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on page 1.
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

You can tell us your choices about what we share for certain health information. Talk to us if you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care,
• Share information in a disaster relief situation, and/or
• Include your information in a hospital directory.

If you cannot tell us your preference, for example, if you are unconscious, we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes,
• Sale of your information, and/or
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes.

In the case of fundraising:

• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

Our Uses and Disclosures

How Do We Typically Use or Share Your Health Information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

Treat You
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your health.

Run Our Organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Bill for Your Services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.
> For more information, go to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Website.

Help With Public Health and Safety Issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations, such as:

• Preventing disease,
• Helping with product recalls,
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications,
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and/or
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.

Do Research
We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply With The Law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we comply with federal privacy law.

Respond to Organ and Tissue Donation Requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work With a Medical Examiner or Funeral Director
When an individual dies, we can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director.

To Address Workers’ Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Other Government Requests
We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims,
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official,
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, ando/or
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to Lawsuits and Legal Actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order or a subpoena.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach may have compromised your information's privacy or security.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind anytime. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.