Privacy Policy

Introduction

Clix Family Hospitals ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, their families, and their pets. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at clixfamilyhospitals.com, use our online booking tools, or receive veterinary services at our hospital located at 601 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119. By accessing our website or using our services, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of our website and services.

Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information to provide and improve our veterinary services:

Personal Information

When you register as a client, book an appointment, submit a contact form, or interact with our services, we may collect your full name, email address, phone number, mailing address, billing and payment information, and emergency contact details. This information is provided voluntarily and is necessary for us to deliver veterinary care and communicate with you regarding your pet's health.

Pet Medical Records

We collect and maintain comprehensive medical records for each pet under our care. This includes species, breed, age, weight, vaccination history, diagnostic results, treatment plans, prescription medications, surgical records, lab work, imaging reports, and behavioral notes. These records are essential for providing continuity of care and are treated with the highest level of confidentiality, consistent with veterinary medical record-keeping standards and analogous to HIPAA protections for human health information.

Website Usage Data

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, time spent on pages, click patterns, and device identifiers. We also collect information about how you interact with our online tools, such as the symptom checker and appointment booking system. This data helps us improve website performance and user experience.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Appointment Scheduling and Management: To process online bookings, send appointment confirmations, reminders, and follow-up communications regarding your pet's care.
• Medical Records and Treatment: To maintain accurate health records, develop treatment plans, coordinate referrals to specialists, and provide ongoing veterinary care for your pet.
• Communications: To respond to your inquiries, send wellness reminders, vaccination due date notifications, prescription refill alerts, and important practice updates. You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time.
• Billing and Payment Processing: To process payments for services rendered, send invoices and receipts, and manage your account balance.
• Service Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, improve our website functionality, enhance our symptom checker tool, and develop new features that better serve our clients and their pets.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including veterinary board reporting requirements.

Data Protection and Security

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information and your pet's medical records from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers. Payment information is processed through PCI-DSS compliant payment processors and is never stored on our servers. Access to medical records is restricted to authorized veterinary staff on a need-to-know basis. We conduct regular security audits and maintain backup systems to ensure data integrity. While no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, we are committed to protecting your information using commercially reasonable measures.

Protection of Pet Medical Records

Although veterinary records are not subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Clix Family Hospitals voluntarily applies HIPAA-analogous protections to all pet medical records. We believe your pet's health information deserves the same level of confidentiality afforded to human medical records. We will not disclose your pet's medical records to third parties without your written consent, except when required by law, when necessary for emergency treatment by another veterinary provider, or when required by state veterinary board regulations. You have the right to request copies of your pet's complete medical records at any time, and we will provide them within five business days of a written request.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Essential cookies are required for the website to function properly, including session management and security features. Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our site, allowing us to improve content and navigation. Functional cookies remember your preferences, such as appointment booking selections, to provide a more personalized experience. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some website features, such as online booking. We do not sell cookie data or tracking information to third parties.

Third-Party Services

We may share limited information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our practice and website. These include our appointment scheduling platform, payment processing services, email communication providers, website analytics tools, and cloud hosting services. Each third-party provider is contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it to perform the specific services we have engaged them for. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or your pet's medical records to any third party for marketing or commercial purposes.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and regulatory record retention requirements.
• Opt-Out: You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are 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 collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: