Privacy Notice

How we collect, use and protect personal information on respiratorycareweek.org, in plain language.

1. Who we are

This website, respiratorycareweek.org (the “Site”), is operated by Alliance for Health Implementation Science, Inc. (“AHIS,” “we,” “us”), a Delaware nonprofit corporation based in Thousand Oaks, California. AHIS is responsible for the personal information collected through the Site. Respiratory Care Week is hosted by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC); AARC does not operate this Site or receive the information you submit here. Questions: info@ahis.org.

2. What we collect

Information you give us. You can use most of the Site without giving us any personal information. We only collect what you choose to submit:

• Thank-you form: who you’re thanking, your note, your first name, your email address, your relationship (for example, patient or family member), how you want your name shown, the card you picked, and your permissions. Optional: your last name, city or state, a photo, and a video or post link.
• Email: anything you send to info@ahis.org.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our hosting provider keeps standard server logs, such as IP address, browser type, pages requested and the date and time of the request, to operate and secure the Site.

3. What we don’t do

• We don’t use advertising cookies, tracking pixels or retargeting.
• We don’t show ads.
• We don’t sell or rent your personal information, or share it for advertising.

The Site loads its typeface from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google to fetch it. Some links we share elsewhere (for example, on social media) are short links on focusonthepatient.org managed by Rebrandly, which counts how many times each link is clicked. If we add analytics to the Site, we will update this notice first.

4. How we use your information

• To review your thank-you note and, with your permission, publish it on the wall of thanks.
• To email you about your note, including asking before we publish it.
• To report campaign results in aggregate (for example, the number of thank-yous). These reports do not identify individuals.
• To operate, protect and improve the Site, and to meet legal obligations.

5. What we publish

We publish a thank-you note only after it has been reviewed, and only with the release you give in the form. We email you before it goes live. We show your name the way you chose (full name, first name only or anonymous) and never publish your email address. We may edit notes for length and clarity and remove private details. If you checked the optional box, we may also share your note on Focus on the Patient social media. You can ask us to take your note down at any time, and we will do so promptly.

6. Health information

The Site does not ask for your medical history. Please don’t include personal medical details, patient names, dates of birth or medical record numbers in your note. If your note includes health information, we use it only to review, follow up and, with your release, publish it. We do not use notes for advertising, for sale, or to train artificial-intelligence models. Healthcare providers are welcome to thank colleagues but should not share a patient’s story.

7. Service providers

AHIS staff and AHIS contractors review submissions and support campaign operations. They may use your information only for AHIS’s work on the Site, and they are bound by confidentiality.

We also use a small number of service providers. They process information only on our behalf and according to our instructions:

• Netlify, Inc. (United States): website hosting, server logs, form processing and form notification emails.
• Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft 365): email and secure storage used to receive, review and keep submissions.
• Google LLC (Google Fonts): delivers the Site’s typeface.
• Rebrandly: short links shared off the Site and their click counts.

We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety or security of AHIS, the Site or others.

8. How long we keep it

• Published notes: for as long as the note is published plus a reasonable period for our records, along with your release.
• Notes we don’t publish: deleted within 12 months of review, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
• Messages: for as long as needed to respond and keep reasonable records.
• Server logs: according to our hosting provider’s standard retention.

9. Your choices and rights

You can ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, or to take down a published note, by writing to info@ahis.org. We will respond within a reasonable time and in line with applicable law.

10. Do Not Track and California privacy

Do Not Track. We do not track visitors across websites or over time, and we do not allow third parties to do so on this Site. The Site works the same way whether or not your browser sends a “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signal.

California residents. This notice is intended to meet the California Online Privacy Protection Act. We do not sell or share personal information, and we do not disclose it to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

11. Children

The Site is intended for adults. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. Only people 18 or older may submit a thank-you note. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, contact us and we will delete it.

12. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect personal information, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections and limited access to form submissions. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. Links to other websites

The Site links to other websites, such as AARC’s Respiratory Care Week page and social media. Their privacy practices are their own, and we encourage you to read their policies.

14. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed. Material changes will be highlighted on the Site.

15. Contact us

Alliance for Health Implementation Science, Inc.
107 N Reino Rd #1019, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
info@ahis.org