Privacy Policy

Heelex Medical (HEELEX, LLC) ("we", "us", "our") respects the privacy of every patient and visitor. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect on https://www.heelex.net, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.

Scope. This policy applies to information collected through our website and the SMS opt-in process described below. It does not replace the Notice of Privacy Practices governing your protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA, which we provide separately at the time of your first clinical visit.

1. Information we collect

1.1 Information you give us directly

When you opt in to receive SMS messages or contact us through a form, we collect:

• Your phone number
• Your consent to send SMS messages
• Your name and basic contact information (including email address, if provided)
• Your messaging history with us
• The condition you are inquiring about (selected from a dropdown on the contact form)
• A free-text "best time to reach you" field. You may also write an open-ended note — we ask that you not include diagnoses, lab results, insurance IDs, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other sensitive identifiers in free-text fields.
• Phone calls: our phone system records inbound/outbound call metadata (caller phone number, call time, duration). Some calls may be recorded for quality assurance; we will inform you before recording during a call.

1.2 Information collected automatically

• Analytics: we use Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors use the site (pages visited, scroll depth, clicks, browser, device, approximate location from IP). Clarity may also record anonymized session replays.
• Advertising: we use Google Ads to measure which advertisements bring patients to the site. Google sets a "gclid" parameter on paid clicks; we store this in a first-party cookie for up to 90 days to attribute later phone or form conversions.
• Cookies: small text files that store the gclid attribution identifier and remember your interactions. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings; doing so will not affect your ability to use the website or schedule care.

2. How we use information

• To respond to your callback or text requests.
• To schedule appointments and follow-up clinical care.
• To send SMS appointment reminders, status updates, and conversational messages — only if you opt in on the form (see Section 4).
• To measure the effectiveness of advertising and improve our website.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.

3. How we share information

We do not sell or rent your information. We may disclose your information to:

• Our affiliated companies and members of our clinical and administrative team who need access to provide care or follow up on your inquiry.
• Third-party service providers, business advisors, or consultants who provide services to us — specifically: Netlify (website hosting and form processing), GoTo Connect (phone and SMS), Google (Analytics, Ads), and Microsoft (Clarity). These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, restructuring, financing transaction, or sale of assets.
• As required by law, subpoena, court order, or administrative order, or to assert claims or rights or to defend against claims.

We do not share your personal information, phone number, or SMS consent opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

3.1 Consumer SMS Registration Data

We do not transfer consumer SMS registration data to external organizations in order to provide our service.

3.2 No-Transfer Commitment

Your data will not be transferred to external organizations. This applies to all external transfers and is permitted only where strictly required by law.

3.3 Safeguards for Personal Information

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of personal information.

• Access to personal information is limited to authorized personnel who need it to provide the service.
• Where processing is performed by contracted processors, access is limited to those bound by confidentiality obligations.
• We apply safeguards intended to protect personal information throughout its handling and storage.

4. SMS messaging consent

When you select the SMS opt-in option on our website form, you agree to receive customer care messages from Heelex Medical at the phone number you provide.

Message frequency may vary; we expect 1 to 4 messages per month per patient on average. Message and data rates may apply through your wireless carrier. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP; you can request more information by replying HELP. Standard SMS is not encrypted end-to-end; do not include sensitive medical information in text messages.

See our full SMS Messaging Opt-In Policy for additional detail.

5. How long we keep information

We retain website analytics and Google Ads attribution data for up to 26 months (Google's defaults). Form submissions are retained in Netlify for up to 12 months before automatic purging. Phone call recordings and SMS history are retained per GoTo Connect's retention defaults (typically 90 days for recordings; longer for text history). Information that becomes part of your clinical record is retained per state medical records law.

6. Your rights

• Access: you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: you may request that we correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: you may request deletion of website-collected information; clinical records are subject to retention law.
• Withdraw SMS consent: reply STOP to any text or contact our office.
• Opt out of advertising tracking: use your browser's "Do Not Track" setting or visit adssettings.google.com.

7. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards including HTTPS encryption, secure form submission, and access controls on staff accounts. No internet transmission is 100% secure, so we encourage you to call the office directly for anything sensitive rather than emailing or texting it.

8. Children

Our services are not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13 through this website.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our practices evolve or as required by law. We will revise the "Effective" date at the top whenever we make material changes. Continued use of our website after a change indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you have inquiries related to SMS communications, please contact us using the information provided on this website.

Privacy and SMS Inquiries

• Privacy-related questions or requests
• SMS communication inquiries
• Requests regarding your personal information

You can reach us by texting the word HELP to (865) 999-5988 for support. You can also contact us directly:

• Phone: (865) 999-5988
• Email: office@heelex.net
• Mail: HEELEX, LLC, 6450 Kingston Pike, Suite 2, Knoxville, TN 37919