INTRODUCTION
Spine Care New Jersey, operated by Rishi N. Sheth, MD ("Spine Care New Jersey," "we," "our," or "us"), is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we collect it, how we use and protect it, and your rights with respect to that information.
By visiting spinecarenj.com, using any feature of our website, or submitting any form on our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our website or submit any forms.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through spinecarenj.com and through any digital communications we send you in connection with our services. It does not apply to information collected through channels outside this website, such as information collected during an in-person consultation or through your health insurance carrier.
WHO WE ARE
Spine Care New Jersey is a private medical practice providing spine neurosurgery and non-surgical spine care services in Maywood, New Jersey. The practice is led by Rishi N. Sheth, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon. Our primary location is ( Business address ) For all privacy-related inquiries, contact us at: Email: care@spinecarenj.com Address: 119 E. Passaic St, Maywood, NJ 07607
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We collect information in two ways: information you provide directly through our website forms, and information collected automatically when you visit our website.
3A. INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE FORMS
We operate three distinct forms on our website. The information collected by each form is described below.
Make an Appointment Form
When you submit the Make an Appointment form, we collect the following information: your full name, your phone number, your email address, your reason for contact, a brief description of your reason for reaching out, whether you have had any spine imaging (yes or no), your type of health insurance, and how you heard about us. After you submit this form, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a secure link where you may voluntarily upload your insurance card and photo identification (front and back). Submission of insurance and identification documents is optional and is not required to complete your form submission.
Book a Free Call with Dr. Sheth Form
When you submit the Book a Free Call form, we collect the following information: your full name, your phone number, your email address, a description of the symptoms you wish to discuss, whether you have had prior spine imaging such as X-ray, CT, or MRI, whether you have previously seen another spine specialist, your type of health insurance, and the most important question you want to ask during the call. After submission, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a secure link where you may voluntarily upload your insurance card and photo identification (front and back) to assist our team in preparing for your call.
Request Your MRI Review Form
When you submit the MRI Review Request form, we collect the following information: your full name, your email address, your phone number, and a brief description of your reason for seeking a second opinion or MRI review. After submission, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a secure link where you may voluntarily upload your MRI scans, imaging reports, and any other relevant medical records for Dr. Sheth to review.
3B. INFORMATION COLLECTED AUTOMATICALLY
When you visit spinecarenj.com, certain information is collected automatically through the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies, including but not limited to:
Your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring website, pages visited, time spent on pages, and general geographic location (city or region level).
This information is collected through the following third-party analytics and advertising tools:
Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and interact with our website. Google Analytics collects anonymous, aggregated data about user behavior. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel): We use the Meta Pixel to measure the effectiveness of our advertising on Facebook and Instagram, to understand the actions people take on our website, and to reach people who have visited our website with relevant advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Meta (formerly Facebook) may use this data in accordance with its own data policy available at facebook.com/policy.
Google Search Console: We use Google Search Console to monitor our website's presence in Google Search results and to understand search performance data. This tool does not collect personally identifiable information about individual visitors.
For information about how to manage cookie preferences, see Section 9 (Cookies) of this policy.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We use the information you provide and the information collected automatically for the following purposes:
- To respond to your inquiry and schedule your appointment, consultation, or free call with Dr. Sheth.
- To verify your insurance eligibility and benefits in preparation for your visit or consultation.
- To communicate with you about your appointment, call, or MRI review request, including sending confirmation emails, scheduling notifications, and follow-up communications.
- To send you marketing and promotional communications about Spine Care New Jersey, including newsletters, health education content, service announcements, and promotional offers, by email and by SMS text message. You have the right to opt out of marketing communications at any time. See Section 7 (Your Communication Choices) for instructions.
- To send you review requests following your interaction with our practice, asking you to share your experience on Google or other review platforms.
- To improve our website, marketing strategies, and patient experience by analyzing aggregate data about how visitors use our website and how they find us.
- To comply with applicable legal obligations.
All information collected through our website forms is used for internal purposes only, except as described in Section 5 (How We Share Your Information).
HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your personal information with advertisers, data brokers, or unaffiliated commercial entities.
We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- With your explicit direction: If you instruct us to coordinate your care with your personal injury attorney, workers compensation carrier, referral imaging center, referring physician, or other treating provider, we will share only the information necessary to fulfill that coordination, in compliance with applicable HIPAA requirements.
- With our technology vendors: We use GoHighLevel (GHL) as our primary customer relationship management platform, email delivery system, SMS communication system, and automation platform. GoHighLevel processes the personal information you submit through our forms on our behalf as a Business Associate. We have a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with GoHighLevel in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). GoHighLevel's privacy policy is available at gohighlevel.com.
- With analytics and advertising partners: Aggregate, anonymized, or pseudonymous data may be shared with Google (via Google Analytics and Google Search Console) and Meta (via Meta Pixel) as described in Section 3B of this policy. These tools operate under their own privacy policies and may combine data collected from our website with data collected from other sources.
- As required by law: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, subpoena, or similar legal process, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Spine Care New Jersey, our patients, or the public.
HIPAA AND PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
If you are a patient of Spine Care New Jersey, certain information you provide to us — including information about your symptoms, imaging history, medical conditions, and treatment — may constitute Protected Health Information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
PHI collected through our website is stored and processed using HIPAA-compliant tools and systems. Our agreement with GoHighLevel includes a signed Business Associate Agreement as required under HIPAA. The secure file upload links provided in our confirmation emails are HIPAA-compliant.
Our full Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes your rights with respect to your Protected Health Information and our obligations under HIPAA, is available upon request. Please contact us at care@spinecarenj.com to request a copy.
Please note that the information you submit through our website forms prior to establishing a formal patient relationship is not subject to HIPAA until a covered relationship exists. However, we treat all submitted information with the same level of care and security that applies to patient health information.
YOUR COMMUNICATION CHOICES
By submitting any form on our website and checking the consent box prior to submission, you expressly consent to receive communications from Spine Care New Jersey by email and by SMS text message. These communications may include appointment confirmations, scheduling updates, care coordination messages, marketing emails, promotional offers, newsletters, and review requests.
SMS Communications: Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. To opt out of SMS communications, reply STOP to any text message you receive from us. To request help, reply HELP. Opt-out requests will be honored within a reasonable time, which may be up to 10 business days. You may also opt out by contacting us at care@spinecarenj.com.
Email Communications: To opt out of marketing emails, click the unsubscribe link included in any marketing email we send you. You may also opt out by contacting us at care@spinecarenj.com. Please note that opting out of marketing emails does not unsubscribe you from transactional communications such as appointment confirmations or direct responses to your inquiry.
MINORS AND AGE REQUIREMENTS
Our website and services are intended for individuals who are 18 years of age or older.
If you are under the age of 18 but are 13 years of age or older, you may not submit any form on our website without the prior consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian. By submitting a form on our behalf of a minor age 13 to 17, the parent or legal guardian represents that they have read and agreed to this Privacy Policy on behalf of the minor, and that they consent to the collection and use of the minor's information as described in this Privacy Policy.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Our website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly allow children under 13 to submit information through our website forms. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at care@spinecarenj.com.
In all cases, medical care for patients under the age of 18 requires consent from a parent or legal guardian in accordance with New Jersey law before any clinical services are provided.
COOKIES
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze website traffic, and support our advertising efforts.
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your device when you visit a website. Cookies allow us to recognize your browser on future visits, remember your preferences, and collect information about how you interact with our website.
We use the following categories of cookies:
Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are required for our website to function properly. They cannot be disabled.
Analytics Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, including which pages are visited most frequently. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. The information collected is aggregated and anonymous.
Marketing and Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertising to you on other platforms after you have visited our website. We use the Meta Pixel and Google Ads tools for this purpose.
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or manage your cookie preferences. You may update your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer of our website.
You may also manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
DATA SECURITY
We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information you provide to us against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include using HIPAA-compliant platforms with signed Business Associate Agreements for the storage and processing of health-related information, secure encrypted file upload links for documents containing sensitive information, and access controls that limit who within our organization can access submitted data.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at care@spinecarenj.com.
DATA RETENTION
We retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, to maintain our business records, and to comply with applicable legal obligations. Information submitted by individuals who never become patients of Spine Care New Jersey will be retained for a reasonable period consistent with our business needs and then securely deleted or anonymized.
If you have become a patient of Spine Care New Jersey, your health information will be retained in accordance with applicable New Jersey medical records retention requirements, which generally require retention of adult patient records for a minimum of seven years from the date of the last patient encounter.
YOUR RIGHTS
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights with respect to your personal information, including the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, the right to request correction of inaccurate information, the right to request deletion of your personal information subject to applicable legal requirements, and the right to opt out of marketing communications.
If you are a patient of Spine Care New Jersey, you have additional rights with respect to your Protected Health Information under HIPAA, including the right to access, amend, and request an accounting of disclosures of your PHI. To exercise your HIPAA rights, please contact us at care@spinecarenj.com to request our Notice of Privacy Practices.
To exercise any of your rights described in this section, contact us at care@spinecarenj.com. We will respond to all requests within a reasonable time.
THIRD-PARTY LINKS
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including but not limited to insurance carrier websites, medical information resources, and social media platforms. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other business reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
GOVERNING LAW
This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under this Privacy Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Bergen County, New Jersey.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:
Spine Care New Jersey Attn: Privacy Officer 119 E. Passaic St Maywood, NJ 07607
Email: care@spinecarenj.com