Effective Date: May 2026
Last Reviewed: May 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how MedFoundationNC.org (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and discloses information when you visit this website. By using this site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
MedFoundationNC.org is an independent editorial publication. We are not a medical provider, pharmacy, hospital, or healthcare organization. We are not affiliated with The Medical Foundation of North Carolina, Inc. or UNC Health Foundation.
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide Directly
When you submit a contact form on this site, we collect the name, email address, inquiry type, and message content you provide. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry. We do not add contact form submissions to marketing lists without your explicit consent.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit this site, our hosting provider and analytics tools automatically collect certain technical information, including:
- IP address (typically anonymized)
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Referring URL
- Pages visited and time spent on pages
- Date and time of visit
This information is used in aggregate to understand how readers use the site and to improve content. It is not used to identify individual visitors.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
This site uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — for the following purposes:
- Analytics cookies: We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate traffic patterns. Google Analytics may set cookies to track sessions and page interactions. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Functional cookies: WordPress and our hosting provider may set cookies necessary for basic site functionality (session management, security).
- Affiliate tracking cookies: When you click a paid link on this site, the affiliated brand or platform may set tracking cookies on your device to attribute the referral. We do not control these cookies. Their use is governed by the privacy policies of the respective brands.
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of this site.
2. Affiliate Link Data Flows
Some links on this site are paid links. When you click a paid link and visit a third-party website, that website may collect information about your visit and purchase in accordance with their own privacy policy. MedFoundationNC.org may receive commission data (indicating whether a purchase occurred) from the affiliate platform. We do not receive personal information about individual purchasers from affiliate networks beyond aggregate commission reporting.
Our affiliate relationships are disclosed in the relevant articles and on our Our Standards & Disclosures page.
3. How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to contact form inquiries
- Understand aggregate site usage and improve content
- Maintain site security and prevent abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell personal information. We do not use personal information for targeted advertising. We do not build individual user profiles.
4. Third-Party Services
This site uses the following third-party services that may process data about your visit:
- Google Analytics: Traffic analysis. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
- WordPress hosting provider: Server logs and infrastructure. Governed by the hosting provider's privacy policy.
- WPForms: Contact form processing. Form submissions are stored in WordPress and may be transmitted to the WordPress admin email. No form data is shared with third-party marketing services.
- Affiliate networks: Commission tracking when paid links are clicked. Each network's privacy policy governs their data practices.
5. GDPR — Rights for Users in the European Economic Area and United Kingdom
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom (UK), you have the following rights regarding your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable UK data protection law:
- Right of access: You may request a copy of any personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate personal data.
- Right to erasure: You may request deletion of personal data we hold, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Right to restriction of processing: You may request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You may request your data in a machine-readable format.
- Right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the form on our Contact page and select “Privacy / Data Request” as the inquiry type. We will respond within 30 days.
The legal bases we rely on for processing include: performance of a contract (responding to contact inquiries), legitimate interests (site analytics, security), and legal obligation (regulatory compliance). We do not process special categories of personal data (health data, biometric data) about site visitors.
6. CCPA — Rights for California Residents
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provides you with the following rights:
- Right to know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to delete: You may request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.
- Right to opt out of sale or sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. No opt-out action is required, but you may contact us to confirm.
- Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
To submit a CCPA request, use the form on our Contact page and select “Privacy / Data Request” as the inquiry type. We will respond within 45 days, with one 45-day extension if necessary.
7. Children's Privacy
This site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately via our Contact page and we will delete that information promptly.
8. Data Retention
Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months for the purpose of responding to inquiries and maintaining records of correspondence. Analytics data is retained in aggregate form indefinitely. Server logs are retained per our hosting provider's standard retention policy (typically 30–90 days).
9. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information processed through this site. No internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Links to Third-Party Sites
This site contains links to third-party websites, including affiliate partners. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected in a revised “Last Reviewed” date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact
For privacy-related inquiries, data access requests, or to exercise any of the rights described in this policy, use our Contact page and select “Privacy / Data Request” as the inquiry type.
We do not publish a physical mailing address or personal email address on this site.