Privacy Policy

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Website Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to the Nationwide Children's Hospital's Affiliated Covered Entity (collectively, “Nationwide Children’s Hospital”) and we take important steps to protect the privacy and security of your information. This Website Privacy Policy (“Policy”) forms part of our posted Terms of Use (the “Terms”) and describes how personal information is collected, used and disclosed when you use our websites (including https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/ and other websites that link to this Policy), together with any mobile apps and related online services we offer (collectively herein, the "Services"). This Policy also describes certain rights you can exercise with respect to your information.

By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound and abide by our Terms and this Policy. THE TERMS INCLUDE AN AGREEMENT TO SUBMIT ALL DISPUTES TO MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND A WAIVER TO BRING ANY CLAIM UNDER A CLASS ACTION OR IN A JURY TRIAL. PLEASE SEE SECTIONS 9-11 IN THE TERMS FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS IN ANY DISPUTE INVOLVING OUR SERVICES.

We may in our sole discretion modify, alter or otherwise update this Policy at any time, and by using the Services after the posting of a modification, you accept the modification. Please check back from time to time to ensure you are aware of any updates or changes.

This Policy does not apply to protected health information ("PHI") as defined under the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act and related regulations (collectively “HIPAA”). Patient medical records and other such information is subject to our posted Notice of Privacy Practices.

1. Types of Information We Collect

In order to better serve you with our Services, we may collect the following categories of information through the Services:(i) contact information you provide (such as name, mailing address, e-mail address, or phone number), (ii) credit/debit card information (only for foundation donations, bill payment, and online purchases), (iii) any subscription preferences if you receive communications from us, (iv) any surveys you respond to with feedback, and (v) Online User Activity as described below.

If you provide us with information regarding another individual (such as a child), you represent that you have that person's consent to provide such information and to permit us to use it in accordance with this Policy.

2. How We Use Information We Collect

We may use the information we obtain about you, to the extent allowed by applicable laws, for purposes including to:

  • Provide the Services to you, including to provide information and the services offered through the Services or otherwise by us, and provide other important notices;
  • Respond to your requests, questions and comments;
  • Monitor the performance of our Services, including metrics such as total number of visitors, traffic, and demographic patterns;
  • Tailor the content we display through the Services and in our communications, including any content or advertising that we believe may be of interest to you;
  • Operate, evaluate and improve our Services, and diagnose or fix technology problems; and
  • Comply with and enforce as needed applicable legal requirements, industry standards, our policies and our contractual rights.
  • We may also use or share information in an aggregate manner or as may otherwise be permitted by law for many purposes such as research, analysis, modeling, marketing, and improvement of our Services.

3. How We Share Information

We may share your information with third parties in the following circumstances:

  • We may share your information with service providers that we believe need the information to perform a technology, business, or other professional function for us (examples include IT services, maintenance and hosting of our Services, payment processors, marketing partners, and other service providers).
  • If you voluntarily share or submit any content for public posting through our Services (e.g., picture, story, commentary), or link it to any social media platforms, that post and any content or information associated with it may become available to the public.
  • We also may disclose information about you: (i) if we are required to do so by law or legal process; (ii) when we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent harm or financial loss; (iii) in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual fraudulent or illegal activity; or (iv) under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of our staff, patients, users of the Services or the public.
  • We reserve the right to transfer the information we maintain in the event of an organizational change of control (e.g., merger or acquisition). If there is a change of control, your information will be transferred subject to this Policy.

Where appropriate and possible, we will limit sharing of your information in accordance with the choices you have provided us.

4. Data Security

The confidentiality and security of your information is important to us. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place the appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures designed to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITY RELATED TO THE SECURITY, PRIVACY, AND CONFIDENTIALITY RISKS INHERENT IN SENDING ANY CONTENT OVER THE INTERNET. By its very nature, internet-connected systems cannot be absolutely protected against intentional or malicious intrusion attempts. We do not control the third party sites and the internet over which you may choose to send confidential personal or health information or other content and, therefore, we do not warrant any safeguard against any such interceptions or compromises to your information. When posting any content on an internet site, please think carefully about your own privacy in disclosing detailed or private information about yourself and your family.

5. Online User Activity

We, our service providers, and advertising partners may collect certain information about the device(s) you use to access our Services and your use of our Services by automated means, including but not limited to cookies and other similar technologies ("Online User Activity").

When you use the Services, the information we may collect by automated means includes, for example:

  • Usage Details about your interaction with our Services (such as the date and time of use, pages visited, features used);
  • Device Information including the IP address and other details of a device that you use to connect with our Services (such as device type, model and operating system information); and
  • Location information where you choose to provide the website or app with access to information about your device’s location.

We collect some basic Web log file data about visitors to our Services. 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 Services.

On certain pages, our website does, and our third party providers may, set and access “cookies.” Cookies assign a unique identification to your device and are typically stored on your device by your web browser. We may also use pixel tags (also known as web beacons, web bugs, and clear GIFs) on the Services. Information collected through cookies and pixel tags are used to enhance the usability of the site overall and on a per user basis.

If a user does not want information collected through the use of cookies, most browsers allow the visitor to reject cookies, but if you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features our Services provide. We may share non-personal information obtained via cookies with our advertisers and affiliates. Because there is not yet a consensus on how companies should respond to web browser-based do-not-track ("DNT") mechanisms, we do not respond to web browser-based DNT signals at this time.

6. Use of Technology to Serve our Advertisements on Other Websites and Choices you Have

Where permitted by law, we contract with third party advertising companies to serve our users relevant advertising about us on other websites. These third party advertising companies places, use or rely on technologies, such as cookies and pixel tags, to gather anonymous information about user activity on our Services as well as on other websites. The third-party advertising companies also collect and store information about our interactions with users and their actions, which may include which ads we've shown, on which sites we showed the ads and whether the ads were clicked on.

For information about opt out programs that these third party advertising companies participate in, and the effect of opting out, click the following: NAI Opt Out, click here, and DAA Opt Out, click here. By clicking either of these websites, you will then leave our Services for other online sites where you may specify your preferences under those opt-out programs. You can also click the preference icon that may appear on some of our advertising served through these technologies.

7. Online Advertising

You may see our advertisements on various websites, web pages, social media and other platforms. Please note that online advertising services do not always provide us with complete information about the platforms or websites on which our advertising may appear. If you believe that our advertising is being displayed through websites or channels that promote inappropriate or offensive content, please contact us as directed below.

8. Links to Outside Websites

Throughout the Services, we provide links to outside websites. We do this as a courtesy and are in no way implying an endorsement of or responsibility for the accuracy or content of the outside website. You should refer to the ownership and disclaimer information posted on those sites.

9. Donors and Fundraising Activities

When you make a gift to us through a physical (e.g., check) or electronic form of payment, your contact and donation information may be entered into our donor records. If you opt in, we may send you emails or mailings in the future informing you of other giving opportunities or providing news about us.

10. Subscriptions and Newsletters

If you subscribe to a newsletter, publication or press release published by us 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. We will only send messages to individuals who have opted in to subscribe and who have provided their e-mail address to us directly. We do not use this email address list for any other purpose, and we only add individuals at their request. At any time, you may opt out by using the unsubscribe link provided on our Services and in the publication email, which will remove your information from the distribution list for that publication. 

Only we will send you information via email; we will not allow any outside company to use our email lists. When an email advertisement is delivered to recipient there will be an option given to opt-out of receiving any future mailings. This opt-out will be as easy as following the instructions listed in the email that you receive.

11. Children

We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13 on our Services. In the event that we learn that we have collected information from a child under age 13 without parental consent, we will endeavor to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us as directed below.

12. International Data Transfers and Use

Our Services are controlled and operated by us from the United States. By using the Services and providing us with information, you understand and agree that your information may be stored and processed, transferred between and accessed from the United States and other countries which may not guarantee the same level of protection of information as the one in which you reside, and you consent to the transfer of this data to the United States for processing by us in accordance with this Policy.

13. Contacting Us

If you have any questions, concerns or comments about this Policy or our privacy practices, or if you would like us to update information or preferences you provided to us, please contact us as follows:

This Policy was last updated July 21, 2023.

Terms of Use

These Terms of Use (the “Terms”) govern the Nationwide Children's Hospital's Affiliated Covered Entity (collectively, “Nationwide Children’s Hospital”) websites (including https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/ and other websites that link to these Terms), together with any mobile apps and related online services we offer (collectively herein, the "Services").  These Terms do not govern the actual provision of medical care by Nationwide Children’s Hospital to any patients.

By accessing and using the Services, you agree to the following Terms (including our accompanying Website Privacy Policy), which apply to any electronic content, functionality, features, and applications provided through the Services (collectively, “Materials”). Please read these terms and our Website Privacy Policy carefully before you start to use the Services. By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound and abide by our Terms (including the Website Privacy Policy), and represent that you are of legal age to form a binding contract with us. If you decline or violate the Terms, you may not access or use the Services.

THESE TERMS INCLUDE AN AGREEMENT TO SUBMIT ALL DISPUTES TO MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND A WAIVER TO BRING ANY CLAIM UNDER A CLASS ACTION OR IN A JURY TRIAL. PLEASE SEE SECTIONS 9-11 BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS IN ANY DISPUTE INVOLVING OUR SERVICES.

We may in our sole discretion modify, alter or otherwise update our Terms at any time, and by using the Services after the posting of a modification, you accept the modification. Please check back from time to time to ensure you are aware of any updates or changes.

1. Our Materials; No Medical Advice Given

Any medical or other health-related information found on our Services are strictly for general INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, and should not be used in place of a consultation with your physician or other health care provider. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider prior to starting or stopping any treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nationwide Children’s Hospital is not responsible for injuries or damages you may incur as a result of you stopping medical treatment or your failure to obtain medical treatment. Use of Services like our website does not establish a doctor-patient relationship.

You assume full responsibility for using the information offered by the Services, and you understand and agree that we are not responsible or liable for any claim, loss, or damage resulting from its use. While we try to keep the information on the Services as accurate as possible, we disclaim any warranty concerning its accuracy, timeliness, and completeness, and any other warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We also does not warrant that access to the Services will be error- or virus-free, or accessible at all times. We may terminate your access to the Services in our sole discretion, at any time, and without prior notice. We may also remove any content from the Services for any reason, without prior notice. Content removed from the Services may continue to be stored by us, including, without limitation, in order to comply with certain legal obligations, but may not be retrievable without a valid court order or similar legal process.

2. Restrictions on Use

You agree not to: (a) decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, modify, reduce the Services to human readable form or create derivative works based upon the Services or any part thereof; (b) disable any licensing or control features of the Services; (c) introduce into the Services any virus or other code or routine intended to disrupt or damage the Services, or alter, damage or delete any Materials, or retrieve or record information about the Services or its users; (d) remove, obscure, or alter any notice of the copyright or other proprietary legends on the Services or Materials; (e) sublicense, assign, translate, rent, lease, lend, resell for profit, distribute or otherwise assign or transfer the Materials or access to the Services to others; (f) use, or allow the use of, the Services or the Materials in contravention of any federal, state, local, foreign or other applicable law, or rules or regulations of regulatory or administrative organizations; (g) otherwise act in a fraudulent, illegal, malicious or negligent manner when using the Services; (h) post violent, defamatory, indecent, sexually explicit, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful or other inappropriate photos or other content, including any posts intended for defaming, stalking, bullying, abusing, harassing, threatening, harming, impersonating or intimidating people or entities; (i) create, solicit, transmit, or procure the sending of, any unwanted, unsolicited or harassing comments or communications, including advertising or promotional material, without our prior written consent, including any junk mail, spam or any other similar solicitation; or (j) access or use the Services by means of any automated program, expert system, electronic agent or bot except for search engine optimizations; (k) engage in any attempted or actual unauthorized access to any portion of the Services; or (l) scraping, copying, republishing, licensing, or selling the data or information on the Services for commercial purposes.

3. User Content

You hereby grant us a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use and display the information and materials that you provide to us through the Services as reasonably necessary to provide the Services to you and your organization (if applicable), subject to our Website Privacy Policy. You agree that we are free to use any feedback, ideas or suggestions (“Feedback”) that you provide to us with respect to the Services for any purposes whatsoever without any restriction, including developing and marketing new products, services and features without any liability or payment of any kind to you. You waive all intellectual property rights in any such Feedback.

By posting any content on any of our social media sites, you grant us the irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, publish, display such content and the right to create derivative works from your content, edit or modify such content and use such content for any purpose. You hereby release us from any and all liability in connection with our use of any and all pictures, images, content, or video posted on any of our social media sites.

4. Privacy

Personal information collected by us in connection with the Services will be maintained in accordance with our posted Website Privacy Policy. However, as stated in the Website Privacy Policy, it does not govern how we use your protected health information ("PHI"), as defined under the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act and related regulations, since that information is governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices.

5. Our Intellectual Property Rights

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for lawful purposes in accordance with our Terms. The Services contain Materials owned or licensed by us, including name, logo, text, images, audio/visual works, icons and scripts and other materials provided on or through the Services. Except as provided above, none of the Materials may be copied, distributed, displayed, downloaded, licensed, modified, published, re-posted, reproduced, reused, sold, used to create a derivative work, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from us or the third party owner. Materials on the Nationwide Children's web site are protected by copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, and/or other regulations and statutes. Trademarks and service marks that may be referred to in the Services belong to us or their respective owners. Nothing in the Services should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any trademark without our written permission.

Unless otherwise stated, users may print or download information from this site for personal, non-commercial use only, provided the user (you) identifies the source of the material (Nationwide Children's Hospital) and include a statement that the materials are protected by copyright law. You must use the following statement when using materials from this website: Copyright © 2023 Nationwide Children's Hospital. All rights reserved.

Any reproduction of artwork or photographs appearing on the pages of the website is prohibited without prior written consent from an authorized representative of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. All content on the website provided by third parties is subject to any applicable terms and conditions provided by that third party, and you agree to be bound by those terms and conditions.

6. Reporting Claims of Infringement or Other Violations Regarding the Services

We respect the intellectual property rights of others, and we prohibit users of our Services from submitting, uploading, posting or otherwise transmitting any materials that violate another person's intellectual property rights or these Terms. You can report any suspected incidents of infringement or other violations to us via the contact information provided at the end of these Terms.

7. Text Message Program

We may offer you enrollment in an SMS text message program to assist you with navigating your care. This may include features such as updates related to your visits, MyChart account updates, one-time passcode, billing notifications, prescription reminders, and care management.

TEXT MESSAGES MUST NEVER BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY, NOR SHOULD THEY BE USED TO COMMUNICATE URGENT HEALTH MATTERS. In an emergency, immediately dial 911 and/or go to the nearest emergency room. For non-emergency urgent matters, please call your physician, go to an emergency room, or dial 911, as necessary.

When you sign up for text messages from us, you:

  1. Confirm that you want to be enrolled in texts from us and that you understand that text messages are not always encrypted throughout their transmission, so there is some risk that texts can be intercepted in transit and read by an unauthorized person. Additionally, text messages may be available to anyone who has access to your phone, such as if they see a notification pop-up on your phone’s home screen.
  2. Agree that we may send you recurring automated texts at the number you provided. You do not need to consent to receive texts as a condition of receiving care. Message and data rates may apply. Text “STOP” at any time to stop receiving text messages; text “HELP” for help.
  3. Represent that you are 18 years or older, are legally able to enter into agreements on your own behalf and agree to these Terms.  If you will be receiving or sending texts on behalf of another individual (such as a child, parent or partner) who is the patient, you are also representing that you have the legal right or authority, or have obtained all necessary consents and authorizations, to communicate on behalf of such other person.

If you opt-out of the text program you will receive a final message confirming that you were unsubscribed. You will no longer receive text messages from the short code you opted out from. If you want to join again, sign up using your MyChart account or text HELP to the short code for instructions.

If you experience issues with the text message program you can reply with the keyword HELP for more assistance, or you can get help directly at 614-355-3750 or via email at nchservicedesk@nationwidechildrens.org.

Text message frequency may vary based on the Services. Participating carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.  As always, message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider. For any questions about our text program, you can reach us via the contact information provided below.

8. Links in the Services or to our Services

The Services may contain links to third party sites. Access to any other website or service referenced in the Services is at the user’s own risk and we are not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information, data, opinions, advice or statements made on other sites. We provide these links merely as a convenience and the inclusion of such links does not imply an endorsement, recommendation or approval. The content, accuracy, opinions expressed and other links provided by linked sites are not investigated, verified, monitored or endorsed by us. If you decide to visit, or transact business at any linked site, you do so at your own risk and it is your responsibility to take all protective measures. The third party sites are not controlled by us, and may have different terms of use and privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

You may link to our Services, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval, or endorsement on our part without our express written consent. The Services may provide certain social media features that enable you to: link from your own or certain third-party websites to certain content on our Services; send communications with certain content, or links to certain content, using the Services; or cause limited portions of content on the Services to be displayed or appear to be displayed on your own or certain third-party websites. You may use these features solely as they are provided by us, and must not otherwise: establish a link from any website that is not owned by you; cause the Services or portions of it to be displayed on, or appear to be displayed by, any other site (for example, scraping, framing, deep linking, or in-line linking); or take any action with respect to the Services that is inconsistent with these Terms. We may disable any social media features and any links at any time without notice in our sole discretion.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability

YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ARE AT YOUR OWN RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT A REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS OR MATERIALS CONTAINED IN THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT THE DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT OUR SERVERS ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS THROUGH USE OR DOWNLOADING MATERIAL FROM THE SERVICES. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE OR BY EXTENSION OUR OWNERS, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR SERVICE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT, ACTUAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT MAY ARISE FROM THE SERVICES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES, AND IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

The provisions in these Terms are intended to be only as broad and inclusive as is permitted by applicable law. We reserve all rights, defenses, and permissible limitations under applicable law.

10. Indemnification

You agree that you will be responsible for any damages resulting from your violation of these Terms. You further agree to indemnify and hold us, and by extension our owners, affiliates, officers, directors, agents, employees, contractors, or service providers, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third party to or arising out of: (i) your breach of these Terms; (ii) your violation of any law or the rights of any third party in connection with your use of the Services or our social media sites; or (iii) information that you provided to us through the Services.

11. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; and Class Action Waiver

EXCLUDING DISPUTES ADDRESSED THROUGH ARBITRATION AS PROVIDED BELOW, YOU AGREE TO SUBMIT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COMPETENT STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS LOCATED IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO IN RELATION TO ANY CLAIM, DISPUTE, OR DIFFERENCE ARISING FROM THESE TERMS, AND YOU AGREE TO WAIVE ANY RIGHT OF REMOVAL OR TRANSFER WHETHER DUE TO FORUM NON-CONVENIENS OR OTHER REASON. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Transaction Act (UCITA) are expressly excluded from these Terms.

We are reachable via the contact information at the end of these Terms to address any concern you may have regarding your use of the Services. The parties shall use their best efforts to settle any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement directly through consultation and good faith negotiations, which shall be a precondition to you initiating a lawsuit or arbitration against us. Any matter or dispute relating in any way to your use of the Services or these Terms, which is not so resolved shall be submitted to binding confidential arbitration as provided below.

Excluding claims by us for injunctive or other non-monetary relief, any claims related to the Services and any dispute or controversy arising out of or related to these Terms (including the Website Privacy Policy), including without limitation, any and all disputes, claims (whether in tort, contract, statutory, or otherwise) or disagreements concerning the existence, breach, interpretation, application, or termination of these Terms, shall be resolved by final and binding arbitration in accordance with the JAMS Inc. Streamlined Arbitration Rules & Procedures then in effect. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on the parties. Judgment on any award(s) rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Nothing in this section shall prevent either party from seeking immediate injunctive relief from any court of competent jurisdiction, and any such request shall not be deemed incompatible with the agreement to arbitrate or a waiver of the right to arbitrate. The parties undertake to keep confidential all awards in their arbitration, together with all confidential information, all materials in the proceedings created for the purpose of the arbitration and all other documents produced by the other party in the proceedings and not otherwise in the public domain, except to the extent that disclosure may be legally required of a party, necessary to protect or pursue a legal right, or to reinforce or challenge an award in legal proceedings before a court or other judicial authority.

The arbitration shall take place in Columbus, Ohio or at the option of the party seeking relief, online, by telephone, via written submissions alone or in your state of residence if requested, and be administered by JAMS; provided however, that in the event that five (5) or more individuals seek to initiate (or do initiate) arbitration proceedings against us in a coordinated or related manner (e.g., coordination among plaintiffs or their counsel with regard to similar claims), then instead of such arbitrations being administered by JAMS, we may elect in our sole discretion to consolidate such arbitrations before an arbitrator mutually agreed-upon by the parties (and terminate any pending administration by JAMS), (i) with such arbitrator being a retired federal or state judge and experienced with the subject matter of the arbitration, and (ii) except with respect to administration of the arbitration proceedings, the arbitrator shall follow the JAMS Inc. Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures or a similar set of procedures from the arbitration organization that the selected arbitrator is associated with.

YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRAIL IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING. IN ADDITION, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW AND EXCEPT FOR CONSOLIDATED ARBITRATION AS PROVIDED ABOVE, YOU AGREE THAT EACH PARTY TO A DISPUTE HEREUNDER MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR A CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. Unless both you and we agree (of for consolidated arbitration as provided above), no arbitrator or judge may consolidate more than one person’s claims or otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.

12. The Services Are Operating from the USA

Our Services are owned and operated from the United States. We make no representation that content or materials in the Services are appropriate or available for use in other jurisdictions. Access to any of the Services from jurisdictions where such access is illegal is strictly prohibited. If you choose to access the Services from other jurisdictions, you do so at your own risk. You are always responsible for your compliance with applicable laws.

13. Entire Agreement; Severability

You acknowledge that you have read and understood and agree to be bound by these Terms. You further agree that these Terms (including the other posted policies herewith) constitute the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between you and us, and supersedes all other proposals or prior agreements oral or written, and any other communications relating to the subject matter of these Terms. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, it shall not affect the validity of the remainder of these Terms, which shall remain valid and enforceable according to its terms, and the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of the agreement shall continue in effect. You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and us as a result of these Terms or your use of the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may have negotiated and executed written agreements with specific individuals or organizations with respect to specific matters addressed therein, and nothing in these Terms is intended to supersede any such agreements.

14. Contacting Us

We read every message that comes to us. We also try to respond back within at least 48 hours of its receipt. If you have questions about our Terms or Services you can contact us as follows:

These Terms were last updated August 17, 2023.

Social Media Community Guidelines

Thank you for being a follower of Nationwide Children’s Hospital on social media. Nationwide Children’s participates on social media in order to provide individuals and families with pediatric health news and hospital information.

While we encourage followers to share thoughts and opinions on Nationwide Children’s social media accounts, we expect that this will be done in a respectful manner.

All links posted as comments on Nationwide Children’s social media channels will be reviewed and may be deleted.

A comment will be deleted if it contains:

  • Hate speech, profanity, obscenity or vulgarity;
  • Nudity in profile pictures;
  • Defamation, name calling/and or personal attacks to a person or people, or Nationwide Children’s employee;
  • Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile;
  • Comments that violate the privacy of our patients and their families;
  • Comments including misinformation;
  • Comments that include promotion of events, groups, pages, web sites, organizations and programs not related to or affiliated with the hospital; or
  • Other comments that the Nationwide Children’s Social Media team deems inappropriate.

Violations of the Nationwide Children’s comment policy may cause the author to be blocked from Nationwide Children’s social media accounts.

Please remember that information posted on any of our social media platforms should not be considered medical advice and should not replace a consultation with a health care professional. Also, Nationwide Children’s makes reasonable efforts to monitor and/or moderate content posted on its social media platforms; however, we cannot always respond in a timely manner to online requests for information.

Please exercise caution when posting medical information on any of our social media sites. Please do not disclose personal identifiable information like your location, medical record number, financial information, etc.

By submitting content to Nationwide Children’s social media accounts, you understand and acknowledge this information is available to the public. Please note, that other participants may use your posted information beyond the control of Nationwide Children’s. Content you have made available via this site may be used, published, copied and/or reprinted.

All links to other websites linked from Nationwide Children’s social media sites are provided as a service to readers. Links do not constitute endorsement by Nationwide Children’s and as such we are not responsible for the content of external websites.

That’s the plain language version of some of the key considerations when using Nationwide Children’s social media accounts. Please keep reading for further terms and conditions regarding participation on Nationwide Children’s social media sites.

BY POSTING ON NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE USER AGREEMENT ("AGREEMENT").

  1. By accessing, viewing and/or posting any content on any Nationwide Children’s Hospital (“NCH”) social media site you accept, without limitation or qualification, the following terms of use. If you do not agree to these terms, you may not view or post any content to any NCH social media site. Your use of NCH social media sites is acceptance of this Agreement and has the same effect as if you had actually physically signed an agreement. This policy/disclaimer is in addition to any and all third-party policies (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.).
  2. If you are an NCH employee you must adhere to the Employee Social Media Guidelines posted on ANCHOR.
  3. You must be at least 18 years old to post any content on any NCH social media site.
  4. No information on any NCH social media site is intended as medical advice. Information posted on an NCH social media site should not be used in place of professional clinical expertise. Therefore, by participating, you agree that NCH shall not be responsible for information provided under any theory of liability or indemnity. You must contact your health care provider directly for the appropriate information and any health care related advice.
  5. NCH shall not be held responsible for inappropriate content, images or third party links submitted by other users. All pictures, images, content, or video posted by NCH are the copyrighted property of NCH and may not be used without the express written consent of NCH.
  6. NCH does not endorse any product, service, views or content displayed on NCH social media sites. The views expressed on NCH social media sites are those of the users and are not necessarily representative of the views of NCH. You may not provide any content to an NCH social media site that contains any product or service endorsements or any content that may be construed as political lobbying, solicitations or contributions or use an NCH social media site to link to any sites or political candidates or parties or use an NCH social media site to discuss political campaigns, issues or for taking a position on any legislation or law.
  7. As a guest posting content to any NCH social media site on the internet, you agree that you will not: violate any local, state, federal and international laws and regulations, including but not limited to copyright and intellectual property rights laws regarding any content that you send or receive; transmit any material (by uploading, posting, email or otherwise) that is unlawful, disruptive, threatening, profane, abusive, harassing, embarrassing, tortuous, defamatory, obscene, libelous, or is an invasion of another's privacy, is hateful or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable as solely determined in NCH’s discretion; impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity; transmit any material (by uploading, posting, email or otherwise) that you do not have a right to make available under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships; transmit any material (by uploading, posting, email or otherwise) that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party; transmit (by uploading, posting, email or otherwise) any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising (including advertising of non NCH services or products), promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation; transmit any material (by uploading, posting, email or otherwise) that contains software viruses, worms, disabling code, or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; harass another; or collect or store, or attempt to collect or store, personal data about third parties without their knowledge or consent; or to share confidential pricing information of any party.
  8. NCH reserves the right to monitor, prohibit, restrict, block, suspend, terminate, delete, or discontinue access to any NCH social media site, at any time, without notice and for any reason and in its sole discretion. NCH may remove, delete, block, filter or restrict by any other means any materials in NCH's sole discretion. As a public forum, you understand and agree that NCH may disclose your communications and activities with NCH for any and all reasons, including, but not limited to: in response to lawful requests by governmental authorities, including Patriot Act requests, judicial orders, warrants or subpoenas, or for the protection of NCH rights. You agree that in the event that NCH exercises any of its rights hereunder for any reason, NCH will have no liability to you.
  9. By posting any content on any NCH social media sites, you grant NCH the irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, publish, display such content and the right to create derivative works from your content, edit or modify such content and use such content for any NCH purpose. User hereby releases NCH from any and all liability in connection with NCH’s use of any and all pictures, images, content, or video posted on an NCH social media site.
  10. You shall defend, indemnify, and hold NCH and its respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, successors and assigns harmless from and against, and shall promptly reimburse them for, any and all losses, claims, damages, settlements, costs, and liabilities of any nature whatsoever (including reasonable attorneys' fees) to which any of them may become subject arising out of, based upon, as a result of, or in any way connected with, your posting of any content to an NCH social media site, any third party claims of infringement or any breach of this Agreement.
  11. YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITY RELATED TO THE SECURITY, PRIVACY, AND CONFIDENTIALITY RISKS INHERENT IN SENDING ANY CONTENT OVER THE INTERNET. By its very nature, a website and the Internet cannot be absolutely protected against intentional or malicious intrusion attempts. NCH does not control the third party sites and the Internet over which you may choose to send confidential personal or health information or other content and, therefore, NCH does not warrant any safeguard against any such interceptions or compromises to your information. When posting any content on an Internet site, you should think carefully about your own privacy in disclosing detailed or private information about yourself and your family.
  12. You agree that any claim or dispute relating to your posting of any content on an NCH social media site shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio without regard to its conflict of laws provisions, and you agree to be bound and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the local, state or federal courts located in Franklin County, Ohio.
  13. THIS POLICY MAY BE UPDATED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND EACH TIME A USER ACCESSES A NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SOCIAL MEDIA SITE, THE NEW POLICY WILL GOVERN USAGE EFFECTIVE UPON POSTING. To remain in compliance, NCH suggests that you review this Agreement, as well as the other NCH website policies, at regular intervals. By continuing to post any content after such new terms are posted, you accept and agree to any and all such modifications to this Agreement.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities

As a patient of Children's Hospital, I and my parents/family/guardian/visitors have these rights and responsibilities:

As a patient, parent or guardian at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, you can expect to:

  1. Be partners with the hospital staff in your care or the care of your child.
  2. Be called by your name and be given the names of the doctors, nurses, and others who provide care.
  3. Receive care from hospital staff who respect your personal values, beliefs and customs regardless of your race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, income level (socioeconomic status), physical or mental disability, education or illness.
  4. Have hospital staff take the time to listen to what you say, value your opinions and choices, and answer your questions. Know that you can express your feelings or fears and receive caring responses.
  5. Receive prompt, thoughtful care that keeps your daily routine as normal as possible and respects your need to rest and to learn.
  6. Have family and friends around to comfort and help take care of you when they are able.
  7. Be given pain relief and other forms of comfort care when needed, and not be restrained unless it must be done for your safety or the safety of others.
  8. Receive care and treatment in safe and clean surroundings.
  9. Be given as much information as you need to help you decide whether to consent to treatment or refuse it.
  10.  Have access to an interpreter if needed.
  11.  Have access to Pastoral Care or other spiritual counsel of your choice.
  12.  Have privacy during exams and treatment and have the information about your illness kept private.
  13.  Be taught what you need to know and do when you go home.
  14.  Have access to your medical record unless restricted by law.
  15.  Have your complaints heard and resolved.
  16.  Have the right to decide on and to document an advance directive as allowed by law and have hospital staff and doctors comply with your wishes.
  17.  Examine your medical bills and have the charges explained to you.
  18.  Have the right to consent to or refuse to take part in any research program.

As a patient, parent or guardian at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, it is your responsibility to:

  1. Wear Nationwide Children’s Hospital ID badge at all times.
  2. Give complete information about your health.
  3. Follow your treatment plan and tell your health care team if you have pain or changes in condition.
  4. Tell those who care for you when you do not understand your care or what is expected of you.
  5. Know that if you refuse treatment, you are responsible for the outcome.
  6. Follow the hospital’s rules out of respect for other families and hospital staff. This includes respect for the property of others, controlling noise, and following the no-smoking policy.

Patient Liaison:

Nationwide Children's values service to our patients, families and visitors. The hospital offers a Patient Liaison, Lynne Wise, who can be reached at (614) 722-1569 or via e-mail at Lynne.Wise@NationwideChildrens.org.

Administrator On-Call:

In addition, there is a hospital Administrator On-Call at all times to attend to issues should the liaison be unavailable or the issue warrants their attention. The Administrator On-Call can be reached via the hospital operator at (614) 722-2000.

Concerns About Patient Care:

In the event that any of our customers have concerns about patient care and/or safety in the organization, Nationwide Children's encourages them to contact the Patient Liaison or Administrator On-Call to request assistance. If the concerns in question can not be resolved at these levels, the individual is encouraged to contact The Joint Commission. Customers may contact The Joint Commission at the following Web site: http://www.jointcommission.org/report_a_complaint.aspx

Notice of Privacy Practices

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S AFFILIATED COVERED ENTITY NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how all patients of the affiliated entity can get access to this information. Please review this notice carefully.

I. Affiliated Entities Covered By This Notice

This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) covers the Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Affiliated Covered Entity (“ACE”).  The Nationwide Children’s Hospital ACE (also referred to as “we” or “us” in this Notice), includes the following entities:

  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  • Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital d.b.a. Center for Family Safety and Healing
  • Children’s Radiological Institute
  • Pediatric Pathology Associates of Columbus
  • Pediatric Academic Association, Inc.
  • Children’s Anesthesia Associates, Inc.
  • Children’s Surgical Associates Corporation
  • Children’s Psychiatrists, LLC
  • Children’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians, LLC
  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital Toledo, LLC
  • Children’s Newborn Medicine, LLC
  • Northwest Pediatric Specialists, LLC
  • Children’s Community Practices, LLC
  • Northwest Community Practices II, LLC

Federal law requires that we maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information PHI and provide to you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We are required to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured PHI. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice, which may be amended from time to time. We reserve the right to change this Notice of Privacy Practices and to make any new practices effective for information we already have and for information that we receive in the future. Any changes made to this Notice of Privacy Practices will be posted in the Patient Registration area, posted on our website (www.nationwidechildrens.org), and made available to you at your next appointment.

II. Organized Health Care Arrangement

We have agreed to participate in an organized health care arrangement (“OHCA”) with Bon Secours Mercy Health, Inc.(“BSMH”). 

We will share PHI with each participant in the OHCA to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operation relating to the OHCA, as otherwise permitted by applicable law, or as stated in this Notice of Privacy Practices.  We will do so through access to a shared electronic health record (“EHR”).  The OHCA applies to any affiliate of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Affiliated Covered Entity that uses the BSMH shared electronic record. 

This Notice does not create an agency relationship, a joint venture, or any other legal relationship between any affiliate of Nationwide Children’s Hospital ACE and BSMH, and neither party shall be liable for the acts or omission of the other.

III. To What Information Does this Notice Apply?

Protected Health Information or PHI is information that you provide us or that we create or receive about you that re relates to the patient’s past, present or future physical or mental health condition; the provision of health care to the patient; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to a patient. PHI includes demographic information including a patient’s name, address, age, race, and sex.

IV. Ways We Can Use or Share Your PHI for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations

We can use or share your PHI without your written permission (Authorization) for many activities that are common in hospitals. For instance, we do not need an Authorization from you for the following uses and disclosures:

    • For Treatment. We use and share your PHI to provide care and other services to you--for example, to diagnose and treat your injury or illness. In addition, we may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment options. We may tell you about other health-related benefits and services that might interest you. We may also share PHI with other doctors, nurses, and others involved in your care.
    • To Obtain or Provide Payment. We may use and share your PHI to receive payment for services that we provide to you. For example, we may share your PHI to request and receive payment from Medicare, Medicaid, your health insurer, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), or other company or program that arranges or pays the cost of some or all of your health care (“Your Payor”) and to confirm that Your Payor will pay for health care.
    • To Conduct Health Care Operations. We may use and share your PHI for our health care operations, which include management, care coordination, planning, and activities   that improve the quality and lower the cost of the care that we deliver. For example, we may use PHI to review the quality and skill of our physicians, nurses, and other health care providers. We may use your PHI to conduct quality assessment and improvement activities, including outcomes evaluation and the development    of clinical guidelines. We may also use your PHI to participate in population-based activities relating to improving health or reducing health care costs. Also, we might use your PHI to provide you information on health-related programs or products such as alternative medical treatments and programs.

V. Disclosures You May Authorize Us to Make

We will not use or share your PHI without your authorization, except as described in this Notice.  Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, as applicable, require your authorization.  Subject to certain limited exceptions, we may not use or disclose PHI for marketing without your written authorization.  We may not sell PHI without your written authorization.  You may give us written authorization to use and/or disclose PHI to anyone for any purpose.  If you authorize us to use or disclose such information, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.

VI. Uses and Disclosures in Which You Have an Opportunity to Object

  • Use or Disclosure for Directory of Patients. We may include your name, location in the hospital, general health condition and religious  affiliation in a patient directory without receiving your written authorization unless you tell us you do not want your information in the directory. Information in the directory may be shared with anyone who asks for you by name or with members of the clergy; however, religious affiliation will only be shared with members of the clergy.
  • Disclosure to Relatives, Close Friends and Your Other Caregivers. We may share your PHI with your family member/relative, a close personal friend, or another person who you identify if we (1) first provide you with the chance to object to the disclosure and you do not object; (2) infer that you do not object to the disclosure; or (3) obtain your agreement to share your PHI with these individuals. If you are not present at the time we share your PHI, or you are not able to agree or disagree to our sharing your PHI because you are not capable or there is an emergency circumstance, we may use our professional judgment to decide that sharing the PHI is in your best interest. We may also use or share your PHI to notify (or assist in notifying) these individuals about your location and general condition.
  • Fundraising Communications. We may share with our fundraising staff limited demographic information about you (e.g., name, address, other contact information, age, gender, date of birth), including the dates on which we provided health care to you, department of service information, treating physician, outcome information, and health insurance status without your written authorization. We may contact you with information about the importance of contributions to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and invite you to participate. If you do not want to receive any fundraising communications in the future, you may opt out of receiving such communications by contacting the Privacy Office at the contact information below.
  • Health Information Exchange. We participate in the State of Ohio’s approved health information exchange (“HIE”), and may electronically share your health information for treatment, payment and healthcare operations purposes with other authorized participants in this HIE. HIEs allow your health care providers to access and use your pertinent medical information necessary for treatment and other lawful purposes. Only authorized individuals may access and use your health information from the approved HIE. The State of Ohio’s approved HIE maintains appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect the privacy and security of your health information. Upon request, you may “opt-out” of HIE participation, in full or in part. The opt-out form is available by calling 614-355-0777 to request a copy. If you do not opt out, we may provide your health information to an approved HIE in which we participate in accordance with applicable law. Your decision to opt-out of participation in the approved HIE, in full or in part, may result in a health care provider not having access to information that is necessary for the provider to render appropriate care to you.

VII. Other Specific Uses and Disclosures Which We Are Required to or Permitted to Make

When Legally Required. We will disclose your PHI when required by any Federal, State or local law.

    • Public Health- Activities. We are required or are permitted by law to report PHI to certain government agencies and others. For example, we may share your PHI for the following:
      • to report health information to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability;
      • to report known or suspected abuse or neglect to the appropriate public child protective services agency, as we are required to do by law;
      • to report information about products and services to the S. Food and Drug Administration;
      • to alert a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of developing or spreading a disease or condition;
      • to report information to your employer as required under laws addressing work-related illnesses and injuries or workplace medical surveillance; and
      • to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person for the public’s health or safety or to certain government agencies with special functions such as the State Department.
    • Health Oversight Activities. We may share your PHI with a health oversight agency that oversees the health care system and ensures the rules of government health programs, such as Medicaid, are being followed.
    • Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may share your PHI in the course of a judicial or administrative proceeding in response to a court order or other lawful process.
    • Law Enforcement Purposes. We may share your PHI with the police or other law enforcement officials as required or permitted by law or in compliance with a court order or warrant.
    • Correctional Facilities. We may share your PHI if you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, but only if necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
    • Decedents. We may share PHI with a coroner or medical examiner as authorized by law.
    • Organ and Tissue Procurement. Consistent with applicable law, we may share your PHI with organizations that facilitate organ, eye, or tissue procurement, banking, or transplantation.
    • Research. We may use your PHI for research. Before we disclose any of your PHI for such research purposes in a way that you could be identified, the project will be subject to an extensive review and approval process.
    • Workers’ Compensation. We may share your PHI as permitted by or required by state law relating to workers’ compensation or other similar programs.
    • As required by law. We may use and share your PHI when required to do so by any other law not already referred to above.

VIII. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

We will not use or disclose your PHI without authorization, except as described in this Notice. You may give us written authorization to use and/or disclose health information to anyone for any purpose. Our use or disclosure will be consistent with such written authorization. If you authorize us to use or disclose such information, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.

In certain other situations, we must have your written authorization to use and/or share your PHI.

    • Marketing. We must obtain your written authorization prior to using your PHI for marketing materials, except if the communication is in the form of a face-to-face communication made by us to an individual, or a promotional gift of nominal value provided by us. If the marketing involves financial payment to us from a third party, the authorization will state that such payment is involved. However, we may communicate with you about products or services related to your treatment, case management or care coordination, or alternative treatments, therapies, health care providers, or care settings without your permission.
    • Sale of PHI. We must obtain your written authorization prior to selling your PHI, or in the instance that disclosure of your PHI will result in remuneration to us.
    • Uses and Disclosures of Your Highly Confidential Information. Federal and state law requires special privacy protections for certain highly confidential information about you (“Highly Confidential Information”), including any portion of your PHI that is: (1) kept in psychotherapy notes; (2) about mental health and developmental disabilities services; (3) about alcohol and drug abuse prevention, Treatment and referral; (4) about HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis or Treatment; (5) about sexually transmitted disease(s); (6) about genetic testing; (7) about child abuse and neglect; (8) about sexual assault; or (9) Invitro Fertilization (IVF). For any of the foregoing, we must obtain your written authorization for any use or disclosure, except to carry out certain treatment, payment, or health care operations. Before we share your Highly Confidential Information for a purpose other than those permitted by law, we must obtain your written authorization.

IX. Patient Rights

  • You have the right to be informed of our privacy practices. Our practices related to protecting the privacy of your health information are described in our Notice of Privacy Practices (NOPP). The NOPP describes how we use your information to provide treatment to you, to obtain payment for that treatment and for our internal business operations. You will be given the opportunity to obtain a paper copy of the NOPP anytime you visit. When you first become our patient, we will obtain your acknowledgement indicating that you have been given the opportunity to review and/or obtain a paper copy of our NOPP. A current version of our NOPP can also be viewed on our website at nationwidechildrens.org.
  • Right to a Personal Representative. You may identify persons to us who may serve as your authorized personal representative, such as a court-appointed guardian, a properly executed and specific power-of-attorney granting such authority, a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care if it allows such person to act when you are unable to communicate on your own, or other method recognized by applicable law. We may, however, reject a representative if, in our professional judgment, we determine that it is not in your best interest.
  • You have the right to request access to your health information.
    • You have the right to see and obtain a copy of health information that may be used to make decisions about you, such as nurse’s notes, lab tests, prescriptions, and treatment plans. You also may in some cases receive a summary of this health information. You must make a written request to inspect and copy your health information. The request form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0777 to request a copy. We may charge a reasonable fee for any copies.
    • In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request to inspect and copy your health information. For example, you may not read or be given a copy of psychotherapy notes; information collected for use in a civil, criminal, or administrative action, or court case; and certain PHI that is protected by law. In some situations, you may have the right to have this decision reviewed. Please contact the Health Information Management Department at 614-355-0777 if you have questions about access to your medical record.
  • You have the right to request that we disclose your health information to others.
    • If you would like some of your health information sent to someone else, for example to another physician or to your employer, you will need to complete our authorization form indicating that you agree to our disclosing (providing) the information to the others you The authorization form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0777 to request a copy.
    • Once you authorize us to release your health information, we cannot guarantee that the person to whom the information is provided will not disclose the You may take back or “revoke” your written authorization at any time, in writing, by mailing or emailing your revocation to the address below, except if we have already acted based on your authorization.
    • If we maintain an electronic health record containing your health information, when and if we are required by law, you will have the right to request that we send a copy of your health information in an electronic format to you or to a third party that you identify. We may charge a reasonable fee for sending the electronic copy of your health information.
  • You have the right to request to amend your health information.
    • You have the right to ask to amend health information we maintain about you if you believe the health information is wrong or incomplete. Your request must be in writing and provide the reasons for the requested amendment. The amendment form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0711 to request a copy. Fax, e-mail or mail your request to the address listed below. We will review the information as requested and either make the correction or let you know why we think our information is correct. If we deny your request, you may give us a written statement disagreeing with our decision that we will keep with your health information.
  • You have the right to request to receive communications related to your health in another way or at other locations.
    • We normally send your healthcare information to the address and phone numbers you have provided. However, if you would like to have the information sent elsewhere to protect your privacy, you may do so. We will not ask you to explain why you are making the request. We will agree to reasonable requests. To carry out the request, we will ask you for another address or another way to contact you, for example, mailing to a post office The confidential communication form is available by mail at the address below, can be be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0711 to request a copy. Mail or email your request to the address listed below or turn in your completed form at any Patient Registration location.
  • You have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your health information.
    • You have the right to ask to restrict uses or disclosures of your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to ask to restrict disclosures to family members or to others who are involved in your health care or payment for your health care. Although we may consider your request, please be aware that we are under no obligation to accept it or abide by it unless the request concerns a disclosure of PHI to a health plan for purposes of carrying out payment or health care operations, and the PHI pertains solely to a health care service for which the provider has been paid out of pocket in full. The restriction request form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0711 to request a copy. Mail or email your request to the address listed below.
    • If you pay out of pocket in full for specific services, you may request that PHI about that service not be disclosed to your health plan. The “Do Not Bill Insurance” form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0711 to request a copy. Turn in your completed form at any Patient Registration location.
    • We may also have policies on minors that permit your minor child to request certain limits on your access to their health information.
  • You have the right to request an accounting of people to whom we have disclosed your health information. You have the right to receive an accounting of certain dis closures of your health information made by us during the six years prior to your request. This accounting will not include disclosures of information made: (i) for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes; (ii) to you or pursuant to your authorization; (iii) to correctional institutions or custodial law enforcement officials; (iv) for our patient directory or to person’s involved in your care; and (iv) other disclosures for which federal law does not require us to provide an The accounting request form is available by mail at the address below, can be downloaded from our website, or you may call 614-355-0711 to request a copy. Mail or email your request to the address listed below.
  • You have the right to express concerns or to ask questions. If you have any concerns about the privacy of your health information or if you have questions about our procedures, you may contact our Privacy Officer at:

Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Attention: Nationwide Children’s Hospital ACE Privacy Officer
700 Children’s Drive
Columbus OH 43205
PrivacyOffice@NationwideChildrens.org
(614) 355-0711

    • You have the right to file a complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us at the address listed above. You may also notify the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of your complaint at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html.

We will not take any action against you for filing a complaint.

 

Download Notice of Privacy Practices