Privacy Practices

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 14, 2024

Introduction

Forrest Health (“Forrest” or “We”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.

This policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the websites forresthealth.org, pinegrovetreatment.com or any other website that links to this policy (the “Website”), and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies to information we collect:

On the Website.
In email and other electronic messages between you and the Website.
When you interact with our advertising and applications on third-party websites and services, if those applications or advertising include links to this policy.

It does not apply to information collected by:

Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website, application, or service operated by Forrest or any third party, including our affiliates and subsidiaries; or
Any third party, including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Website.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using the Website, you agree to this Privacy Policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of the Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

Children

Our Website is not intended for children, as defined under applicable law. Children may not provide any information to or on the Website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child, please contact us at the email address identified in the Contact Information section.

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Website, including information:

By which you may be personally identified, such as name, e-mail address, and other identifiers by which you may be contacted online or offline (“personal information”);
About your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.

We collect this information:

Directly from you when you provide it to us.
Automatically as you navigate the Website. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, device identifiers, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.

Information You Provide to Us

The information we collect on or through our Website may include:

Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website, including when you enter a contest or sweepstakes, nominate someone for an award, get a Spirit of Women Membership, send a cheer card, contact us, or submit requests or applications, including, a sponsorship or charitable donations request form, a sliding fee discount application, a food truck vendor request, a public records request, or a request from law enforcement for release of protected health information. This information may include your credit card or bank account information (including cardholder name, card account number, expiration date, and security code), name, address, company/firm name, email address, telephone number, place of employment, information related to spouses and dependents (including name and date of birth), annual household income, signature, data related to your transactions when you make a payment through our Website (including your payment amount and billing address), patient name and identifying information, date of birth, requesting agency information (including department, badge number, and fax number), social security number, federal tax ID number, number and age of children, interests, information related to your organization and event for the purposes of requesting sponsorships or donations, award nomination information (including nominee name, department, location, or unit, nominee hospital, and information related to your nomination), recipient information for the purposes of sending cheer chards (including card recipient’s name, email address, location, and hospital number), and any messages or comments you provide to us.
Information that you provide when you request a price estimate. This information may include your name, phone number, procedure information, and insurance details.
Information that you provide when you apply for medical rotations. This information may include your name, hometown, medical school, specialty interest, GPA, class rank, COMLEX/USMLE 1 and 2, information related to absences of longer than six months from medical school, and information related to what interests you about our program.
Information that you provide in connection with volunteering with us or requesting a job observation/shadowing opportunity. This information may include your name, email address, telephone number, signature, date of birth, current school, role desiring job shadow, reason for job shadowing experience, the name and phone number of any Forrest employees to whom you have spoken about job shadowing, reference information (including reference name, address, telephone number, email address, and relationship), current employer and occupation, information related to how you learned about Forrest, whether you are a former Forrest employee or volunteer, and whether you currently have relatives who are employed at Forrest (and, if yes, who and in which department), areas of interest, personal statement, preferences and sensitivities, and emergency contact name and telephone number.
Information that you provide when logging in to view our webcams. This information may include your username, security band number, password, and any images we collect.
Information that you provide when you apply for employment with Forrest or for training classes. This information may include your email address, password, username.
Your search queries on the Website.
Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses), if you contact us.

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies

As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:

Details of your use of our Website, including traffic data, location data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Website.
Information about your computer, mobile device, and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, browser type, and the device’s unique device identifier.

We also may use these technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across third-party websites or other online services (behavioral tracking). For information on your choices for opting out of behavioral tracking on the Website and how we respond to web browser signals and other mechanisms that enable users to exercise choice about behavioral tracking, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

The information we collect automatically helps us to improve our Website and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:

Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Website according to your individual interests.
Speed up your searches.
Recognize you when you return to our Website.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting, you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website.

Web Beacons. Pages of the Website and our e-mails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit Forrest, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain Website content and verifying system and server integrity).

Third-Party Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Some content or applications on the Website are served by third parties, including advertisers, ad networks and servers, content providers, and application providers. These third parties may use cookies alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use our Website. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and devices and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content.

We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly. For information about how you can opt out of receiving targeted advertising from many providers, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.

How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:

To present our Website and its content to you.
To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us.
To understand how users interact with our Website and gauge user interest.
To improve our Website and customize and optimize your experience.
To conduct marketing and advertising activities.
To collect and process applications for employment.
To maintain the Website and troubleshoot problems.
To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us.
To notify you about changes to our Website or any products or services we offer or provide though it.
In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
For any other purpose with your consent.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction.

We may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as described in this Privacy Policy:

To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business, including: data analytics providers, advertising networks, social networks (including links to our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages), customer data platforms, customer relationship management platforms, tag management systems, technology providers, live chat software providers, data collaboration platforms, videotelephony software platforms, video sharing platforms (including Vimeo and YouTube; for more information about YouTube’s collection of information, see Google’s privacy policy at: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy ), and web mapping platforms (please note that the Website may include Google Maps features and content. Google Maps may collect users’ IP address, latitude and longitude coordinates, and search terms. For more information, please visit Google’s privacy policy, available at: https://policies.google.com/privacy).
To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Forrest’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by Forrest about our users is among the assets transferred.
For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
With your consent.

We may also disclose your personal information:

To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
To enforce or apply our agreements with you.
If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Forrest, our customers, or others.

Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We do not respond to Do-Not-Track signals at this time; however, we have enabled mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

Tracking Technologies. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of the Website may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

Google Analytics collects personal information through the Website, including through the use of cookies. For information about how Google Analytics collects and processes data, please visit: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites . To opt out of having your information used by Google Analytics, please visit: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/ . For more information, please visit Google’s privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&fg=1 .

Additionally, third parties, including Google (through, for example, our use of Google Analytics Advertising Features, including Dynamic Remarketing), may place and read cookies on your browser, or use web beacons to collect information in connection with ad serving on or through the Website, including for the purposes of showing our ads on sites across the Internet. Our partners will collect personal information for personalization of ads and may use first-party cookies or other first-party identifiers and third-party cookies and other third-party identifiers for personalized and non-personalized advertising and measurement. Ad serving may be based on users’ visits to the Website or other websites on the Internet, and your activity may be tracked over time and across websites. For information about how Google collects, shares, and uses data, please visit: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites . You can opt out of Google’s use of cookies or device identifiers by visiting the Google Ads Settings web page at: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/ . For more information, please visit Google’s privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&fg=1 . You can opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) opt-out page or control the use of device identifiers by using your device’s settings.

Promotional Emails. If you do not wish to receive promotional emails from us, you may send us a return email asking to be omitted from future email distributions, or click “unsubscribe” in the relevant communication. Please note that, even if you unsubscribe from certain email correspondences, we may still need to email you with information relating to important transactional or administrative information.
Targeted Advertising. We do not control third parties’ collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. You can opt out of receiving targeted ads (including ads served using non-cookie technologies) from members of the NAI on the NAI's website, available at: https://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1. You can also visit the Digital Advertising Alliance’s website, available at https://youradchoices.com/, to use its Consumer Choice Tools.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You may contact us at https://www.forresthealth.org/contact/ to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We cannot delete your personal information except by also deleting your account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.

Data Security and Retention

We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password for access to certain parts of our Website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to our Website. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Website.

We retain your information for as long as needed: (i) to conduct business with you; (ii) as needed for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy; and (iii) as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce any agreements.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

It is our policy to post any changes we make to our Privacy Policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law. The date the Privacy Policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you, and for periodically visiting our Website and this Privacy Policy to check for any changes.

Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this Privacy Policy and our privacy practices, contact us at:

Forrest Health
6051 US Highway 49,
Hattiesburg, MS 39401

Or by calling us at 601-288-7000 .

Notice of Privacy Practices

Forrest Health Privacy Notice Document

Pine Grove Privacy Notice Document

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU MAY GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Protected health information (“PHI”) is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition; the provision of healthcare services; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare services to you. Forrest Health System is dedicated to protecting your PHI. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI. Forrest Health System is required by law to abide by the terms of this notice. Please visit our website at http://www.forresthealth.org for a list of the facilities operated by Forrest Health System and bound by this Notice.

HOW YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION WILL BE USED AND DISCLOSED:

We will use and disclose your PHI as part of rendering patient care for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes. For example, your PHI may be used by the doctor or nurse treating you, by the business office to process your payment for the services rendered and by administrative personnel reviewing the quality of the care you receive. We may, and often do, make your records available to medical personnel at other facilities who are providing care and treatment to you, so that they will be aware of your complete medical history as reflected in our medical records system.

Much of your PHI is stored electronically, rather than being in paper form. When we use or disclose your PHI in the ways described in this notice, we may do so by providing printed copies of your health information or by allowing the authorized person or persons to access the electronic record. However, whether your PHI is in paper or electronic form, we will handle it in compliance with the provisions of this notice.

We may also use and/or disclose your PHI in accordance with federal and state laws for the following purposes:

Appointment Reminders: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders.

Treatment Information: We may contact you with information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Fund Raising: We may contact you about Forrest Health System and/or the Forrest General Healthcare Foundation fundraising activities. You have the right to opt-out of such fundraising activities by notifying us in writing.

Disclosure to Department of Health and Human Services: We may disclose your medical information when required by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as part of an investigation or determination of our compliance with relevant laws.

Facility Directory: Unless you expressly object, and with the exception of behavioral health patients, we will include your name, location in the hospital, your condition described in general terms and your religious affiliation in our directory of individuals. The directory information, except for your religious affiliation, will be released to people who ask for you by name.

Family and Friends: Unless you expressly object, we may disclose your PHI to family members, other relatives or close personal friends when the medical information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your care.

Notification: Unless you expressly object, we may use or disclose your PHI to notify a family member, a personal representative or another person responsible for your care, general condition or death.

Disaster Relief: We may disclose your PHI to a public or private entity, such as the American Red Cross, for the purpose of coordinating with that entity to assist in disaster relief efforts.

Public Health Activities: We may use or disclose your PHI for public health activities, including the reporting of disease, injury, vital events and the conduct of public health surveillance, investigation and/or intervention.

Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, administrative and/or legal proceedings.

Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your PHI when it concerns abuse, neglect or violence to you in accordance with federal and state law.

Legal Proceedings: We may disclose your PHI in the course of certain judicial or administrative proceedings.

Law Enforcement: We may disclose your PHI for law enforcement purposes or to law enforcement officials under certain circumstances.

Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors: We may disclose your PHI to a coroner, medical examiner or a funeral director.

Organ Donation: We may disclose your PHI to an organ procurement organization.

Research: We may use or disclose your PHI for certain research purposes if an Institutional Review Board or a privacy board has altered or waived individual authorization, the review is preparatory to research or the research is only on decedent’s information.

Public Safety: We may use or disclose your PHI to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the health or safety of another person or to the public.

Specialized Governmental Functions: We may disclose PHI of Armed Forces personnel to military authorities under certain circumstances. If medical information is required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence or other national security activities, or for the provision of protective services to the President of the United States or a foreign head of state, we may disclose it to authorized federal officials.

Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your PHI as authorized by laws relating to workers’ compensation or similar programs.

Communication of Benefits through Government and Government-Sponsored Programs: We may use or disclose your PHI to communicate potential eligibility for such programs as Medicare, Medicaid, or other government-sponsored program.

Business Associates: We may disclose your medical information to a business associate with whom we contract to provide services on our behalf.

AUTHORIZATIONS:

We must have your authorization for any use or disclosure of your PHI involving certain mental health records (including psychotherapy notes), marketing activities, or sale of your information. We will not use or disclose your medical information for any other purpose without your written authorization except as otherwise permitted or required by law. Once given, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time except to the extent that Forrest Health System has taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure as indicated in the authorization. Revocation of any authorization must be in writing and sent to:

Forrest Health System
P.O. Box 16389
Hattiesburg, MS 39404
Attn: Health Information Management Department

CONFIDENTIALITY OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE RECORDS:

The confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records maintained by us is protected by Federal law and regulations. Generally, we may not say to a person outside the treatment center that you are a patient of the treatment center, or disclose any information identifying you as an alcohol or drug abuser unless:

You consent in writing (as discussed below in “Authorization to Use or Disclose PHI”);
The disclosure is allowed by a court order (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”); or
The disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency or to qualified personnel for research, audit, or program evaluation (as discussed below in “Uses and Disclosures”).

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION:

You have the following rights with respect to your medical information:

You may ask us to restrict certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. In most cases we are not required to agree to your request, but if we do, we will honor it. We are required to comply with requests to restrict uses and disclosures of your PHI to a health plan if the purpose for the disclosure is not related to treatment and the health care services to which the medical information applies have been paid out-of-pocket in full.
You have the right to receive communications from us in a confidential manner.
Generally, you may inspect and copy your medical information. This right is subject to certain specific exceptions, and you may be charged a reasonable fee for any copies of your medical information.
You may ask us to amend your medical information. We may deny your request for certain specific reasons. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation for the denial and information regarding further rights you may have at that point. We require you to submit your request for amendment and the reason for the request in writing. If you would like to request an amendment to your health information, please contact: Forrest Health System, Health Information Management Department, P.O. Box 16389, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401 or 601-288-2900.
You have the right to receive an accounting of the disclosures of your medical information made by Forrest Health System during the six years preceding your request, except for disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, disclosures which you authorized and certain other specific disclosure types. The right to receive this information is subject to certain exceptions, restrictions and limitations.
You may request a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
You have the right to receive notice from us in the event of any breach of your unsecured information.
You have the right to complain to us and/or to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services if you believe that we have violated your privacy rights. If you choose to file a complaint, you will not be retaliated against in any way. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated or if you would like further information regarding your rights or regarding the uses and disclosures of your medical information, please contact: Forrest Health System, Privacy Officer, P.O. Box 16389, Hattiesburg, MS, 39404 or call the Toll Free Privacy Number 1-833-557-9356 .

REVISION OF NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES:

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice, making any revision applicable to all the protected health information we maintain. If we revise the terms of this notice, we will post a revised notice at Forrest Health System and will make paper copies of the revised Notice of Privacy Practices available upon request.

FGH – 830121 Lawson 56905 Approved: 07/01/01 Revised: 01/08/20