Online privacy practices

Children’s Wisconsin is strongly committed to protecting the privacy of its online users. We do not share voluntarily provided, personally identifiable information for any purpose other than the use described at the point of collection. The only exception is described under "Donations and Fundraising Events" (below).

We continuously try to improve the security of our information systems. While we have many security measures to protect electronically transmitted information and frequently review and try to improve the security of our site, in today's computing environment, no organization can completely guarantee that a third party won't gain (illegal or inappropriate) access to information provided via this website. This privacy statement, updated Nov. 2018, describes the information we collect and how we use it.

Log file data

We collect some basic log file data about site visitors. This information includes domain names, website traffic patterns and server usage statistics. This information is used for site management and administration and to improve the content and overall performance of our site.

Cookies

We use transient (temporary) “cookies” during a site visit but do not gather information from a user’s computer. The “cookie,” which is a small text file stored in temporary memory, is used to measure the effectiveness of the website, and to comply with subscription preferences that our visitors have given us. The “cookie” is erased when the visit ends.

The site also uses persistent “cookies” on a limited basis as part of our web advertising, to capture demographic and other behavioral information. Users may opt out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising through their browser settings or by adding an Opt-Out Browser Add-On (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/). You can turn off or erase cookies in your browser preferences at any time without affecting site performance, if you wish to do so.

Interest-based advertising

We may also use cookies, pixels, beacons, or other web tracking technologies to track the amount of time spent on our sites or social media and whether or not certain content, such as video was viewed. We may work with a trusted third party to collect and process this information for us, based on our instructions and in compliance with our Privacy Policy.

We may also participate in interest-based advertising using similar technology. This means that you may see advertising on our website tailored to how you browse or shop, or you may see advertising for Children’s Wisconsin on other websites based on your browsing behavior across websites. Some websites where we may advertise belong to ad networks that use your web browsing history to choose which ads to display on their network websites; these ads include advertising for Children’s Wisconsin, but no personal information about you is shared with those third party ad networks. Other websites where you see our ads, such as Facebook, may use interest preferences that you have chosen on those sites, as well as registration and other information about you, to choose which ads to display to you. Some internet browsers, websites such as Facebook and mobile devices offer opt-outs for interest-based advertising. Please refer to the website that you are visiting, your browser and/or your device settings for additional information.

You can opt-out of receiving interest-based ads from third parties who are members of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) or who follow the Digital Advertising Alliance’s Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising by visiting the opt-out pages on the NAI website and DAA website. (http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/) and (http://www.aboutads.info/choices/).

Online forms

Children’s Wisconsin provides a number of forms, some of which request personal information. These online forms are secure (see Data Security below). We adhere to the requirements outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) legislation, which ensures security and privacy of an individual's medical records. Please note that Children’s Wisconsin will not intentionally share the contents of any email feedback or comment form with any third party. However, due to the nature of electronic communications, we cannot and do not provide any assurances that the contents of your email will not become known or accessible to third parties.

How we use the information

Children's Wisconsin uses the information you provide to fulfill your online request, facilitate customer service and inform you of our programs and events.
We do not rent or sell visitors' personal information to third parties, such as marketers.

We inform the companies that help Children's Wisconsin with donations made by credit card that they may not share or use personally identifiable information for any other purpose.

We do not share any third-party or personally identifiable information you provide with gifts in honor or memory of a loved one.

We do not share any personally identifiable information we may collect in surveys, although we may share aggregated survey results with analysts to help improve the website. The aggregate data cannot be used to identify individuals and participation in any survey is voluntary.

It is possible that we could be required to disclose personally identifiable user information in response to a search warrant, subpoena, court order or pursuant to applicable law; that can happen to any organization keeping records. We may also disclose personally identifiable user information to protect our legal rights and the security or integrity of our website, or to avoid liability. Those kinds of disclosures are highly unlikely, but possible.

Data security

Children's Wisconsin makes reasonable efforts to ensure that all of the transactions that occur on our website are secure. We store personally identifiable data with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect information you may submit on our site. SSL is the industry standard protocol.

Other sites

This site has links to other sites we think may be of interest to our visitors. Their purpose is to provide visitors with convenient access to other sites that might interest them. A link to another site does not imply an endorsement of the site's content or services. We are not responsible for the content or for the privacy practices of sites not owned by Children's Wisconsin. We encourage you to be aware of that when you leave our site and to read privacy statements at any sites that collect personally identifiable data.

Email newsletters and related services

If you subscribe to a newsletter, publication or press release published by Children's Wisconsin and distributed via email, we will keep your email address in a private distribution list. Messages sent electronically do not reveal recipients' email addresses or any other personal information. Children's Wisconsin will only send messages to individuals who have opted to subscribe and who have provided their email address to us directly. We only add individuals at their request. At any time, you may opt out by using the unsubscribe link provided in the publication email, which will remove your information from the distribution list for that publication. Or you can send an email to webmaster@childrenswi.org and notify us of your desire to be removed from our email distribution lists.

Donations and fundraising events

When you donate to Children's Wisconsin or register for a fundraising event, we ask you to voluntarily provide your name, address, telephone number, email address and possibly credit card number so we can process your donation or event registration, send you a receipt or confirmation, and communicate with you if necessary. If you'd like, you can provide that information another way (by phone or regular mail). When you make a gift on our site, your information goes into a database maintained by the Children's Wisconsin Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Children's Wisconsin. The Foundation may then send you email or mailings about other opportunities to support the hospital. You will always have the opportunity to opt out using any of the opt-out methods, included in any fundraising solicitation by the Foundation.

Passwords

If you have signed up for MyChart, you are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that no unauthorized person shall have access to your passwords or accounts. It is your sole responsibility to (1) control the dissemination and use of activation codes and passwords; (2) authorize, monitor, and control access to and use of your account and password; (3) promptly inform us of any need to deactivate a password.

Deletion and removal of information

Non-identifiable information in our aggregate database will not be deleted. Like all responsible website publishers, we maintain backup files as a protection against natural disasters, equipment failures or other disruptions. Backup files protect you and us because they lower the risk of losing valuable data. Removing a record from our main files does not remove that record from any backup systems. It may take up to six months before all information in a backup record is completely erased through the normal recycling of backup files. In the meantime, as long as backup records exist, they receive the same privacy and security protections as our other records.

Changes to our privacy and security policies

Children's Wisconsin necessarily reserves the right to change this policy from time to time, without advance notice. We will promptly post any changes to our privacy policy on all sites owned by Children's Wisconsin.

Contact information

If you have any questions about these privacy policies or the practices of this site, please send an email to webmaster@childrenswi.org.

Reviewed Nov. 2018