Heal Elgin Privacy Policy
Effective date: Sept. 15, 2026
SMS/Text Messaging
When you opt in to text messages from Heal Elgin (a community service of Elgin Adventist Church), we collect your mobile phone number and your consent to contact you. We use this information solely to send the messages you requested — including volunteer scheduling, clinic reminders and updates, appointment reminders, and related program communications.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text-messaging originator opt-in data and consent are not shared with any third parties. We may share limited information with service providers who help us operate the messaging program (such as our SMS platform provider) solely to deliver the messages you requested; those providers are not permitted to use your information for their own marketing.
Message frequency varies, and message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP, or reply HELP for assistance. For full details, see our SMS/Text Messaging Terms & Conditions at https://healelgin.org/sms-terms
Information We Collect from Volunteers
When you register as a Heal Elgin volunteer, we collect the information you provide on our volunteer registration form, including:
– Identity and contact information: your legal name and any preferred name, email address, mobile phone number, and mailing address.
– Emergency contact information: the name, relationship, phone number, and email address of the emergency contact you designate.
– Demographic information: date of birth, gender/sex, race/ethnicity, income level, education level, marital/family status, and the languages you speak. Most demographic fields are optional. We use this information only in aggregate, de-identified form to apply for and report on grants that fund the Heal Elgin project.
– Health and safety information: any allergies you disclose. We collect this because our events include food service and a patient-care environment.
– Professional credentials: for volunteers serving in clinical roles, your professional licenses and designations, student status, academic institution and year, the state(s) in which you are licensed, and a copy of the professional license you upload.
– Volunteer logistics: your availability and selected clinic dates, areas of interest, T-shirt size, whether you were invited and by whom, prior volunteer history, and whether you are seeking continuing education (CE/CME) credit.
We use this information to coordinate and schedule volunteers, verify credentials for clinical roles, maintain a safe environment, meet insurance and liability requirements, and communicate with you about the clinic. If you separately opt in, we also use your mobile number to send text messages as described in the SMS/Text Messaging section above. Uploaded license documents are stored securely and used solely to verify eligibility to serve in a licensed capacity.
As part of registration, volunteers acknowledge a Release and Waiver of Liability that includes a photographic and media release. Photographs, video, or audio captured at our events may be used by Heal Elgin and its clinic partner for program, educational, and promotional purposes.
Information We Collect from Patients
When you register for care at a Heal Elgin clinic, we collect the information needed to provide services and, if you opt in, to send you appointment and clinic reminders. This typically includes your name, contact information (including mobile phone number), date of birth, and the information you provide about your health so our volunteers can deliver appropriate dental, vision, and medical care.
Health information you provide in order to receive care (“clinical information”) is treated with heightened care. It is maintained in our clinical records system under appropriate safeguards, is accessible only to authorized clinical staff and volunteers for the purpose of providing and coordinating your care, and is kept separate from our marketing, CRM, and text-messaging systems. We do not use clinical information for marketing, and we do not disclose it except to provide your care, with your authorization, or as otherwise required or permitted by law.
If you opt in to text messages, we use your mobile number only to send the messages you requested — such as appointment scheduling, reminders, and clinic updates — as described in the SMS/Text Messaging section. Your text-messaging consent and your clinical information are handled separately. Opting in to text messages is never required to receive care.
How We Share Volunteer and Patient Information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to operate our programs:
– With service providers who help us run our website, registration forms, CRM, and messaging platform, who may use the information only to provide those services to us;
– With our clinic operations partner, for insurance, credentialing, and coordination of the free clinic; and
– As required or permitted by law.
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
How We Protect and Retain Information
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we collect, and we retain it only as long as needed for the purposes described above, for grant reporting, or as required by law and our insurance obligations.
Your Choices
You may request to review, update, or delete your personal information, or ask questions about this policy, by emailing info@healelgin.org. You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP.