Privacy Policy

At Ferro Foot & Ankle, you're more than a patient, you're family, and that includes how we treat your information. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect when you visit ferrofootandankle.com, how we use it, and the choices you have. We've written it in plain language, because you shouldn't need a law degree to understand what happens to your information.

This policy applies to ferrofootandankle.com and to the phone calls, text messages, emails, and website chat conversations that start there. It is written for our website visitors and covers Ferro Foot & Ankle, with offices in Charlestown, Indiana and Floyds Knobs, Indiana.

About Your Protected Health Information

This Privacy Policy covers information collected through our website and our website-based communications. It is separate from our Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how we handle protected health information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) once you become a patient of the practice. Our Notice of Privacy Practices is available on our New Patients page and in both of our offices.

Please do not send detailed medical information, test results, or other sensitive health details through our website forms, our website chat, email, or text message. These channels are convenient, but they are not fully secure. If you need to discuss something medical, call us at 812.286.2500 and we'll help you find the right way to share it.

Information We Collect

Information You Give Us

Request an Appointment form. When you request an appointment, we collect your first and last name, phone number, email address, how soon you would like to be seen, how you heard about us, and anything you choose to include in the message field.

Contact form. When you contact us through the website, we collect your first and last name, email address, phone number, and the content of your message.

Website chat. Our website uses a chat feature to answer common questions and help visitors get in touch with our office. When you use it, we collect the information you type into the chat, along with a record of the conversation. That may include your name, phone number, email address, and the reason you're reaching out.

Email and text communications. If you email us or exchange text messages with us, we keep a record of those messages and the contact information you used.

Information Collected Automatically

Like most websites, ours automatically records basic technical information when you visit, which may include your IP address, browser type, device type, the pages you view, the date and time of your visit, and the website or search you came from. This information helps us keep the site working properly and understand which pages patients find most useful.

Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies, which are small files stored by your browser, to keep the site functioning, remember your preferences, and understand how the site is used. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies through your browser settings. Turning off cookies may affect how parts of our website work.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your appointment requests, questions, and messages

• Schedule, confirm, remind you about, and follow up on appointments

• Communicate with you by phone, email, and text message about your care and our practice

• Ask about your experience and invite you to leave a review

• Send you practice news, health information, and occasional promotional messages, where you have agreed to receive them

• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our website and the website chat

• Understand which services and content are most helpful to the people we serve

• Meet our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

Our Website Chat

The chat feature on our website is operated with the help of a third-party technology provider and may use automated (AI-assisted) responses. It is a convenience tool for general questions, directions, hours, and getting in touch with our office. It does not provide medical advice, it cannot diagnose or treat a condition, and it is not monitored around the clock.

Chat conversations may be stored by our provider and reviewed by our team so we can follow up with you and improve how we answer questions. Please don't share detailed medical information, insurance numbers, Social Security numbers, or payment information in the chat.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, do not use the chat. Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Text Messages (SMS)

If you provide your mobile number and agree to receive text messages, Ferro Foot & Ankle may text you about:

• Appointment confirmations, reminders, and scheduling changes

• Requests for feedback or an online review after your visit

• Replies to questions you send us or start through our website chat

• Practice news, health information, and occasional promotional offers

Consent. You may agree to receive text messages by giving us your mobile number on a website form, in the chat, on a patient form, or by texting us first. Consent to receive marketing or promotional text messages is not a condition of receiving care or of purchasing anything from us.

Message frequency and cost. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.

Opting out. You can stop text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message from us. Reply HELP for help, or call our office at 812.286.2500. Opting out of text messages does not affect your care, and we may still need to contact you by phone or mail about your appointments.

Mobile information will not be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

Email Communications

If you give us your email address, we may use it to respond to your inquiry, confirm and follow up on appointments, request feedback, and send practice news, health information, and promotional messages. Every marketing email we send includes an unsubscribe link, and you can also ask us to remove you by calling 812.286.2500. Unsubscribing from marketing email does not stop appointment-related or care-related messages.

How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these limited circumstances:

Service providers. We work with third-party companies that help us operate, including our website host, our appointment and communications platforms, our text messaging and email providers, our website chat provider, and our practice management and billing systems. These providers may access your information only to perform services for us, and they are required to protect it.

Health care operations. Where you are a patient, information may be shared as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices. That may include sharing with other providers involved in your care, with your insurance carrier, or as otherwise permitted or required by HIPAA.

Legal and safety. We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, or court order, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our patients, our team, or the public.

Business transfers. If the practice is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, patient and website information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the protections described in this policy.

Mobile information will not be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

How We Protect Your Information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we collect. No website, email system, or text message is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Information you send us over the internet is sent at your own risk, which is why we ask you to keep sensitive medical and financial details off our web forms, chat, email, and text messages.

Your Choices

You can:

• Stop text messages by replying STOP to any message from us

• Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link at the bottom of any marketing email

• Ask us to update or correct the contact information we have for you

• Ask what information we have about you, and request that we delete information that we are not required to keep

To make any of these requests, call us at 812.286.2500 or write to us at the address in the Contact section below. Please note that as a health care practice, we are required by law to retain certain records for a set period of time, so we may not be able to delete everything.

Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13. We treat children as patients, and we welcome them, but appointment requests, forms, and messages regarding a child should be submitted by a parent or legal guardian. If you believe a child has submitted information to us through the website, please call us at 812.286.2500 and we'll remove it.

Third-Party Websites and Links

Our website may link to other websites, including social media pages, review sites, patient form downloads, and community partners. We're not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit from ours.

Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" setting. Because there is not yet a consistent industry standard for how to respond to those signals, our website does not currently respond to them.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll change the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continuing to use our website after we post an update means you accept the updated policy.

Contact Us

Email:office@ferrofootandankle.com

Telephone Number:8122862500

Mailing Address: Ferro Foot & Ankle

9403B County Road 403 Charlestown, Indiana 47111