These terms and conditions of use (“Terms of Use”) govern your use of our online interfaces and properties (e.g., websites and mobile applications) owned and controlled by connectedNP, including this website (the “Site”), and the services available to users through the Site (“Services”). Your compliance with these Terms of Use is a condition to your use of the Site. If you disagree to be bound by the Terms of Use, you should promptly exit this Site. Please also consult our Privacy Policy for a description of our privacy practices, including how we collect and handle your personal health information.

connectedNP is a telemedicine and physical exam practice operated by a single board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, who provides all clinical care directly through the Site. Unlike a multi-provider platform, connectedNP does not connect you with independent third-party providers; your care is provided directly by connectedNP’s licensed clinician.

The content of the Site and the information your clinician provides through the Service are for the purpose of facilitating your care and do not replace your own judgment about when to seek in-person, urgent, or emergency care. You acknowledge that, as with any healthcare relationship, your outcomes depend on factors outside connectedNP’s control, including the accuracy and completeness of the information you provide.

1. Ownership of the Site and Related Materials

All pages within this Site and any material made available for download are the property of connectedNP, or its licensors or suppliers, as applicable. United States and international copyright and trademark laws protect the Site.

2. Electronic Communications

When you use any connectedNP Service, or send e-mails, text messages, and other communications from your desktop or mobile device to us, you are communicating with us electronically. You consent to receive communications from us electronically. You agree that (a) all agreements and consents can be signed electronically and (b) all notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such notices and other communications be in writing.

3. Site Access, Security, and Restrictions

If you consent to receive care via the connectedNP Site, you agree to provide current, complete, and accurate information as required by connectedNP. connectedNP reserves the right to revoke your access to the Site at any time, with or without cause.

You are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate the security of the Site, including, but not limited to, accessing data not intended for you, logging onto a server or account you are not authorized to access, attempting to scan, probe, or test the vulnerability of a system or network, or accessing or using the Site in violation of these Terms of Use or applicable law. If you are under 18, you may use the connectedNP Services only with the consent and direct supervision of a parent or guardian.

The use of any bot, spider, scraper, crawler, robot, or other automated means of any kind to access or copy data on the Site, deep-link to any feature or content on the Site, or bypass our robot exclusion headers or other measures we use to prevent or restrict access to the Site, is strictly prohibited.

Violations of network or system security may result in civil or criminal liability. connectedNP will investigate occurrences that may involve such violations and cooperate with law enforcement authorities in prosecuting users found to be involved. You agree not to use any routine, software, or device to interfere with the proper working of this Site or any activity conducted on it.

4. Disclaimer of Warranties

connectedNP does not warrant that use of or access to the Site will be error-free, glitch-free, or uninterrupted. Defects and glitches may not be corrected. This Site, including any content or information contained within it or any Site-related service, is provided “as is,” with all faults, with no warranties or representations of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, quality of information, title/non-infringement, and fitness for a particular purpose. connectedNP does not warrant the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information obtained through the Site.

You assume all risk and total responsibility for your use of this Site, Site-related services, and any linked websites, even those of third parties. connectedNP does not guarantee or warrant that files available for download will be free of viruses or other destructive programming. You are responsible for implementing procedures sufficient to meet your needs for data backup and security. connectedNP does not warrant or guarantee the quality of any associated websites, portals, or links utilized in tandem with receiving services through connectedNP.

5. Integrity and Accuracy of Information

connectedNP strives to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the Site; however, it makes no warranties, representations, or guarantees regarding the accuracy or correctness of the Site and its content. The Site may contain typographical errors, inaccuracies, or other errors. Unauthorized additions, deletions, and alterations could also be made to the Site by third parties. Please inform connectedNP of any inaccuracies so that they can be corrected. Information contained on the Site may be changed or updated without notice. connectedNP shall have no responsibility or liability for information or content posted to the Site by any non-connectedNP-affiliated third party.

6. Access and License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms of Use and your payment of any applicable fees, connectedNP grants you a limited, non-transferable, non-exclusive, non-sub-licensable license to access, use, and make personal and non-commercial use of the connectedNP Services. This license does not include any commercial or resale use of any connectedNP Service or its contents; any collection and use of service descriptions, pricing, or listings; any derivative use of any connectedNP Service or its contents; any use of account information for the benefit of any third party; or any use of data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools. All rights not expressly granted to you in these Terms of Use are reserved and retained by connectedNP. No connectedNP Service, nor any part of it, may be duplicated, copied, reproduced, traded, sold, resold, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose without the express written consent of connectedNP. You may not frame, utilize framing techniques to enclose, or use meta tags or “hidden text” involving any trademark, logo, or other proprietary information of connectedNP without express written consent. The licenses granted by connectedNP terminate if you do not comply with these Terms of Use.

The contents of the Site, including but not limited to text, documents, files, photographs, audio, images, and video (“Content”), may not be copied, modified, published, distributed, reproduced, or used, in whole or in part, unless authorized in writing by connectedNP.

7. No Medical Advice or Services

The general content of the Site, including without limitation text, copy, audio, video, photographs, illustrations, graphics, and other visuals, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or recommendations of any kind. This general content is distinct from the individualized clinical care, advice, and treatment plans you receive directly from your connectedNP clinician during an actual visit, which are governed by the clinician-patient relationship formed once you begin care.

8. Protected Health Information

connectedNP manages patients’ information in strict compliance with HIPAA rules and laws, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requirements, and applicable Illinois law. connectedNP will not disclose or use any patient’s information in a manner prohibited by law or not covered by this policy, and secures all patient information to prevent unauthorized disclosure or use, including by implementing the requirements of the HIPAA Rules.

connectedNP will inform patients of any breaches of protected information not otherwise covered by 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart D and applicable Illinois law, and will ensure that any subcontractors with access to patient information adhere to the same restrictions that apply to connectedNP. connectedNP will make available to HHS its internal practices, books, and records relating to the use and disclosure of PHI, for purposes of determining compliance with the HIPAA Rules.

You are responsible for providing connectedNP only the minimum personal information necessary to receive the Service, and for using administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to maintain the confidentiality, privacy, and security of information you transmit to connectedNP. You must obtain any consent or authorization required by applicable law before furnishing connectedNP information for use and disclosure under this Agreement, and you may not request connectedNP to use or disclose information in a manner that would violate 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart E.

You agree to notify connectedNP of any limitations in your notice of privacy practices under 45 CFR 164.520, any changes in or revocation of permission to use or disclose your PHI, or any restriction on the use or disclosure of your PHI you have agreed to or are required to abide by under 45 CFR 164.522, to the extent such matters may affect connectedNP’s use or disclosure of your protected health information.

9. Your Health Information Rights

The health and billing records connectedNP maintains are its physical property. The information in them, however, belongs to the patient. You have the right to:

• Request a restriction on certain disclosures and uses of your health information by delivering the request in writing. Agreement to the request is not required or automatically granted.
• Obtain a paper copy of the current Notice of Privacy Practices by making a request.
• Request to inspect and copy your health record and billing record by requesting in writing.
• Appeal any denial of access to your protected health information, except in certain circumstances.
• Request that your health record be amended to correct incomplete or incorrect information, by delivering a formal written request. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, and if denied, you will be informed of the reason and may submit a statement of disagreement to be kept with your records.
• Request that communication of your health information be made by alternative means or at an alternative location, by delivering the request in writing.
• Obtain an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information, by delivering a request in writing.
• Revoke authorizations you previously made to use or disclose information, by delivering a written revocation to our office, except to the extent information or action has already been taken.

You have the right to request information or file a complaint. If you have questions, would like additional information, want to report a problem regarding the handling of your information, or wish to exercise any of your rights, you may contact connectedNP using the information below. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint by message or email.

10. Force Majeure

connectedNP will not be deemed in breach of these Terms or our Privacy Policy due to any event or occurrence beyond its reasonable control, including, but not limited to, fires, civil disorder, floods, earthquakes, internet or public network failures, war, invasion, acts of God, terrorism, storms, severe weather, electrical shortages, strikes, or other disasters.

11. User Information

If you upload, submit, transmit, or post any files, health information, medical history, symptoms, conditions, suggestions, ideas, audio, video, personal information, consent forms, agreements, requests, comments, images, or other materials to connectedNP or the Site (“User Information”), you agree not to provide any User Information that is false, inaccurate, unlawful, libelous, abusive, defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, fraudulent, pornographic, or harmful, or that could encourage criminal or unethical behavior; that violates or infringes the trademark, copyright, privacy, trade dress, trade secrets, or intellectual property rights of any person or entity; or that contains or transmits a virus or other harmful component. You agree not to contact other Site users through unsolicited e-mail, telephone calls, mailings, or any other method of communication. You represent and warrant to connectedNP that you have the legal right and authorization to provide all User Information to connectedNP for use as set forth herein.

12. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold connectedNP harmless from and against all damages, third-party claims, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of your breach of these Terms of Use or violation of applicable law, or access by anyone using your user ID and password. connectedNP shall only exercise its rights in this Section after addressing applicable claims with your employer or health plan, should you be accessing the Site or Services through your employer or health plan.

13. Limitation of Liability Regarding Use of Site

connectedNP and any third parties mentioned on this Site are neither responsible nor liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, incidental, punitive, exemplary, special, or other damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, those resulting from lost profits, lost data, or business interruption) arising out of or relating in any way to the Site, Site-related services, or information or content contained within the Site, whether based on warranty, tort, contract, or any other legal theory, and whether or not advised of the possibility of such damages. Your only remedy for displeasure with the Site or Site-related services is to stop using them. To the extent any aspect of the foregoing limitation is not enforceable, the maximum liability of connectedNP to you concerning your use of this Site is $500 (five hundred dollars).

14. Dispute Resolution

connectedNP will attempt to resolve any issue you have with the Site, in good faith, including issues related to services ordered or purchased through the Site, if you bring that issue to connectedNP’s attention. There may be cases where we cannot resolve an issue to your complete satisfaction. In the event we cannot resolve a dispute between us, you agree that all matters related to any access or use of the Site or Services will be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflicts of laws rules. You hereby waive any objections to such jurisdiction or venue. Any controversies or claims arising out of this Agreement, and/or the related use and access of the Site or Services, shall be resolved exclusively in the state courts of Cook County, Illinois.

15. Claims of Copyright Infringement

connectedNP claims no liability or responsibility for copyrighted materials posted on the Site. connectedNP respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), connectedNP will respond promptly to notices of alleged infringement that are properly reported.

If you are a copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of one, and believe your work has been copied in a manner that infringes your copyright, please report it directly to connectedNP by sending a notice including: your name, phone number, email, title, company (if applicable), and identification of the copyrighted work and the material or link you believe is infringing.

16. Right to Modify Revisions

connectedNP reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time, effective upon posting. Continued use of this website after such changes will be deemed acceptance of those changes. You agree to review the Terms of Use each time you access this website to stay aware of any revisions. connectedNP may use Google Analytics or similar third-party tracking services, which employ cookies to collect non-personally identifiable information about visitors in aggregate, capturing usage and volume statistics. connectedNP has no access to or control over these cookies; our companion Privacy Policy covers connectedNP’s own use of cookies only, not the use of cookies by any third party. connectedNP reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate your access to all or part of the Site, with or without cause or notice. If any provision of these Terms of Use is held unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining Terms of Use remain in full force and effect. These Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement between connectedNP and you regarding their subject matter.

17. Notice Concerning Complaints

Complaints about nurse practitioners and other licensees and registrants regulated by the State of Illinois may be reported for investigation to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation, at the following address:

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Division of Professional Regulation, Complaint Intake Unit
555 West Monroe Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60661
Email: FPR.CIU@illinois.gov

Assistance in filing a complaint is available by calling the Complaint Intake Unit at (312) 814-6910. For more information or to file a complaint online, please visit idfpr.illinois.gov.