Web Privacy Statement
Last updated in February 2024
The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCU Health) recently updated our Web Privacy Statement. The following sections explain how VCU Health websites collect and use Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). These types of information can readily identify an individual.
Information Disclosure
Your personal information stays with VCU Health for our own tracking purposes. The only time we will share it is when required by law or as part of a contract (e.g. in the case of a merger). Rarely, there may be times when we share your information with others in order to prevent death or serious injury, or to protect VCU Health’s Site and services.
Cookies, Web Beacons and Other Web Privacy Controls
As an internet user, you have a variety of tools to control cookies, web beacons and similar technologies.
To find out more about cookies, web beacons or similar technology used to deliver advertisements, and how to opt out of them, please review the following external resources maintained by other organizations:
VCU Health websites use privacy controls to know who is using our websites and to see what pages they visit. This helps us understand what information is most helpful to our users. This information is stored in your web browser history using cookies. Blocking privacy controls may affect how VCU Health websites work and appear for you.
What Information We Collect
When you go to VCU Health websites, we gather information to make the site better for you, including:
Non-personal Information About How You Use the Site
We collect non-personal website information, using cookies, to improve our site’s content and better serve you. This may include:
- When you were on the site
- What pages you saw and how long you spent on them
- What browser you used and its version
- Where you came from before our site
- Special codes that help us know your device
- Other technical and diagnostic information
Using Personal Information
Some parts of our websites need personal information, like your name and email, to get services or support from VCU Health programs. If you choose to share personal information in an electronic form or by email, we will only use it for what you’ve agreed to. If you don’t want to share personal information, we can help you over the phone or in person.
Personal data may include, but is not limited to:
- Your email
- Your full name
- Your phone number
- Your address, city, state and zip code
Unsubscribing from VCU Health Communications
If you don’t want to get messages from us, you can unsubscribe by following the instructions included in each communication we send. You can also change your preferences in VCU Health MyChart.
Analytics and Data Measurement
We use tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to see how people use our websites. Although we may share anonymous statistics with third parties, we make sure your PHI is not transmitted or stored in outside systems that do not comply with local, state and federal privacy laws. If you want to opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the opt-out browser add-on.
GA4 does not collect the IP addresses of users or other potential PHI, meaning it is difficult to identify your location or associate website page visits with you. Further, the following pages do not have any Google tracking:
- Request an Appointment
- Patient Referral
- Provider profile pages
- Campaign pages
Web Hosting Security
VCU Health web pages are hosted securely. This includes secure policies and procedures for monitoring, testing, personnel and industry best practices for encrypting information. We follow our own strict policies and laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia to make sure your info is protected.
Links to Other Websites
Our websites have links to non-VCU Health websites. Clicking on them will take you to those outside sites. We are not in charge of those sites’ privacy policies, so we recommend you check the security of every website you visit.
Google Maps API: We use Google Maps on our site. When you access our website’s Google Maps, you agree to Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
With strict integrity and compliance standards, VCU Health follows the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) policy for websites. For more details, read the VCU Web Publishing Guidelines.