Privacy Policy

Cates Family Eye Care (“Cates Family Eye Care,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates catesfamilyeyecare.com (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the Site, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Information you provide directly — such as your name, email address, phone number, and message content when you fill out a contact form, request an appointment, or email our office.
• Appointment scheduling information — when you use our online scheduler (provided by our third-party partner, 4PatientCare), the information you enter is submitted directly to that provider to book your visit.
• Automatically collected information — such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referring site, gathered through standard web server logs and analytics tools.
• Cookies and similar technologies — small files stored on your device that help the Site function properly and allow us to understand how visitors use the Site (see Section 3).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to inquiries, schedule appointments, and communicate with you about our services
• Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its content
• Understand how visitors use the Site so we can make it more useful
• Comply with legal obligations and protect the security of the Site

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

The Site may use cookies and similar technologies (such as Google Analytics) to remember preferences, measure traffic, and understand visitor behavior. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies through their settings; doing so may affect how some parts of the Site function. The Site does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals.

4. Third-Party Services

The Site links to or embeds services operated by other companies, including:

• 4PatientCare — our online appointment scheduling provider. Information you submit through the scheduling widget is governed by 4PatientCare’s own privacy policy, not this one.
• Google (Maps, Reviews, Analytics) — used to display our location, patient reviews, and site-usage statistics.
• Social media platforms — such as Facebook, if linked from the Site.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services, and we encourage you to review their individual policies.

5. Health Information

⚑ Placeholder — confirm with the practice and, ideally, legal counsel before publishing: this section should stay consistent with Cates Family Eye Care’s official HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which governs how protected health information is handled once you become a patient.

This Privacy Policy covers information collected through the Site itself. It does not describe how Cates Family Eye Care handles protected health information (PHI) created or received in the course of providing eye care services — that information is governed by our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, available at our office and upon request. If you submit health-related details through a contact form before becoming a patient, we take reasonable steps to keep that information confidential, but we recommend calling our office directly for any sensitive medical questions rather than submitting them through the Site.

6. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards designed to protect information submitted through the Site. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

8. Your Choices

You may contact us at any time to ask what information we have collected about you, to request corrections, or to request that we delete information you have submitted, subject to any recordkeeping obligations we may have under applicable law.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Effective Date” at the top of this document will reflect the date of the most recent revision. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to:

Cates Family Eye Care
2001 Chester Blvd., Richmond, IN 47374

Phone: 765-966-0583   |   Email: Catesfec@gmail.com