Effective Date: November 12, 2025
Last Updated: November 12, 2025
1. Introduction
At Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology (“we,” “us,” “our”), your privacy and security are important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal and health‑related information, and your rights with respect to that information. This policy applies to all patients, website users, and visitors to our clinics and online services.
2. What Information We Collect
We collect various types of information in order to provide you with high‑quality endocrine and metabolic care. The types of information collected may include:
a) Personal & Contact Information
Name, address, telephone number(s), email address, date of birth, emergency contact information, insurance or payment information.
b) Medical & Health Information (Protected Health Information)
Medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications, lab results, imaging, provider notes, clinical evaluations, and other health‑related data needed for your care. This is protected health information (“PHI”) under the federal law known as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
c) Electronic & Website Information
Information collected when you use our website, patient portal or mobile applications: e.g., IP address, browser type, device information, cookies, usage data, appointment requests, contact forms.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal and health information for the following purposes:
- Treatment – to provide, coordinate and manage your care, including referrals to specialists or clinical trials.
- Payment – to bill and collect payment for services and to verify insurance eligibility.
- Health Care Operations – to support our operations (quality improvement, training, accreditation, credentialing, business management).
- Patient Communications – to send appointment reminders, health tips, patient surveys, secure messages via the portal.
- Legal & Regulatory Compliance – to meet obligations under federal or state law, respond to legal processes, and ensure the security of our systems.
4. How We Share Information
We may disclose your information in the following ways:
- With your consent or authorization for uses/disclosures not described above (e.g., marketing, research outside of standard care).
- With other healthcare providers, labs, imaging centers or insurers when needed for your care.
- With business associates that perform functions on our behalf (billing companies, IT vendors) under contract requiring them to protect PHI.
- When required by law (e.g., public health authorities, law enforcement) or to prevent serious threats to health or safety.
- In the event of a data breach involving unsecured PHI, we will notify you as required by law.
5. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have certain rights regarding your information. These include:
- Right of Access – you can request a copy of your medical or billing records.
- Right to Amend – you may request corrections to your health information.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures – you can request a list of disclosures we’ve made of your PHI.
- Right to Request Restrictions – you may ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures of your PHI (we are not required to agree except in special circumstances).
- Right to Confidential Communications – you can request we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location.
- Right to Opt‑Out of Certain Communications – you can refuse or withdraw consent for non‑essential communications (e.g., marketing).
- Right to Receive a Paper Copy – you may request a paper copy of this Privacy Policy even if you have previously received it electronically.
6. Security of Your Information
We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. These include encrypted systems, secure user access controls, audit logs, staff training, and secure disposal of records no longer needed. We regularly review and update our security measures to reflect new technology and risks.
7. Retention & Destruction
We retain your health information for as long as permitted or required by federal and state law. Once it is no longer required, we securely destroy or de‑identify it in accordance with our record‑retention policy.
8. Cookies & Online Tracking
Our website uses cookies and tracking technologies to improve functionality, analyze usage, and personalize content. You can disable or restrict cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect the website’s performance.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated version on our website and update the “Last Updated” date above. Your continued use of our services after the changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
10. Contact Information & Complaints
If you have questions about this policy, or want to exercise any of your rights, please contact
our Privacy Officer at:
Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology
6500 N. MoPac
Bldg. 3, Ste. 200
Austin, Texas 78731
Phone : (512) 458-8400
Fax : (512) 458-8593
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
Thank you for entrusting Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology with your care and personal information. We are committed to protecting your privacy and supporting your health journey with respect and dignity.