These Website Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply to the website operated by Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A., available at mantasmd.com and any webpages, forms, features, or services made available through that website collectively referred to as the “Site.”
In this policy, “Practice,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A. “You” and “your” refer to any person who accesses or uses the Site.
Please read this document carefully. By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you should not use the Site.
1. Medical Emergency
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY OR GO TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
Do not use this Site, an online form, email, text message, patient portal message, or other electronic communication to request emergency or time-sensitive medical assistance. Electronic communications may not be reviewed immediately, and the Practice cannot guarantee a response within any particular period.
2. Educational Information Only
The medical and health information provided on the Site is intended solely for general educational and informational purposes. It is not intended to constitute or replace:
Professional medical advice;
A medical examination or consultation;
A diagnosis;
Medical treatment;
A prescription or treatment plan; or
Advice from a healthcare professional who is familiar with your individual medical history.
Although the Practice uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and useful information, medical knowledge, standards, recommendations, and treatment options change over time. The Practice does not represent or warrant that Site content is complete, current, appropriate for your circumstances, or free from error.
Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding a medical condition, symptoms, medication, procedure, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of information you have read on the Site.
3. No Physician-Patient Relationship
Accessing or using the Site does not establish a physician-patient relationship between you and Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A., Alexander Mantas, M.D., or any physician, employee, contractor, or affiliated healthcare professional.
A physician-patient relationship is established only after the Practice has accepted you as a patient and the required professional services, registration, consent, and clinical evaluation processes have occurred.
Submitting an appointment request, contact form, portal message, insurance inquiry, or other electronic communication does not guarantee that:
The Practice will accept you as a patient;
An appointment has been scheduled;
A requested appointment time is available;
A physician has reviewed your information;
Medical advice will be provided; or
A response will be provided within a particular period.
4. Relationship to the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
This Website Privacy Policy describes information collected through the public-facing Site. It is not a substitute for the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how the Practice may use and disclose protected health information and explains patients’ rights concerning that information.
If information submitted through the Site becomes part of a patient’s medical or billing record, the Practice will handle that information in accordance with applicable law and the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
The Practice’s current HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices should be provided separately and made available through a clearly labeled link on the Site. If these Website Terms conflict with the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices concerning protected health information, the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable law will control.
5. Information We May Collect
Depending on how you use the Site, the Practice and its service providers may collect the following categories of information.
A. Information You Provide
Information you voluntarily submit may include:
Name;
Telephone number;
Email address;
Mailing address;
Date of birth;
Appointment preferences;
Physician or referral information;
Insurance information;
Patient status;
Information included in a message or form;
Technical-support requests;
Accessibility requests;
Communication preferences; and
Other information you choose to provide.
You should not submit detailed medical information through a general contact form or ordinary email. Use the Practice’s approved secure patient portal or another method specifically authorized by the Practice for clinical communications.
B. Information Collected Automatically
When you access the Site, certain information may be collected automatically, including:
Internet Protocol address;
Browser type;
Device type;
Operating system;
Referring webpage;
Pages viewed;
Date and time of access;
Approximate geographic region derived from an IP address;
Navigation path;
Website errors;
Site-performance information; and
Cookie, analytics, or similar technology identifiers.
An IP address, cookie identifier, or similar identifier may qualify as personal information under applicable law, even when it does not directly identify a person by name.
C. Information From Service Providers
The Practice may receive information from organizations that help operate the Site or provide related services, such as:
Website hosting providers;
Security and fraud-prevention providers;
Patient portal providers;
Appointment scheduling providers;
Form-processing providers;
Analytics providers;
Communications providers;
Payment processors; and
Information technology vendors.
6. How Information May Be Used
Subject to applicable law and the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices where applicable, information collected through the Site may be used to:
Operate, administer, secure, and maintain the Site;
Respond to inquiries;
Process appointment requests;
Communicate administrative information;
Direct patients to appropriate Practice resources;
Verify or update contact information;
Improve Site navigation, content, performance, and accessibility;
Detect malicious activity, fraud, intrusion attempts, and technical problems;
Maintain business and security records;
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
Establish, exercise, or defend legal rights;
Investigate suspected misuse of the Site; and
Accomplish other purposes disclosed when information is collected or authorized by you.
The Practice does not use website information to make automated medical diagnoses or treatment decisions.
7. Website Forms
The Site may contain forms through which users can request information, request an appointment, provide feedback, or contact the Practice.
Submitting a form does not confirm an appointment or create a physician-patient relationship. The Practice may contact you by telephone, email, or another method using the contact information you provide.
General website forms should not be used to submit highly sensitive information, detailed medical histories, Social Security numbers, passwords, financial account information, or urgent medical concerns unless the form is expressly designated by the Practice as appropriate and secure for that purpose.
Information submitted through a website form may be transmitted to and processed by vendors that provide website hosting, form delivery, security, scheduling, communications, or related services to the Practice. When required by applicable law, the Practice enters into appropriate agreements with vendors that receive or maintain protected health information on the Practice’s behalf.
8. Email and Electronic Communications
Ordinary email and general website communications may not be encrypted or secure. You should not use ordinary email to send sensitive medical, financial, or identity information.
The Practice will never ask you through an unsolicited email to provide your password or complete payment-card information. If you receive a suspicious message that appears to originate from the Practice, do not respond, open attachments, or select links in the message. Contact the Practice using a telephone number independently obtained from the Practice’s official website or another trusted source.
Messages reaching the Practice may be reviewed by authorized workforce members other than a physician when reasonably necessary to route, process, or respond to the communication.
9. Patient Portal
If the Site links to a patient portal, the portal may be operated by a third-party service provider and may have separate terms, privacy notices, and security practices.
The patient portal should be used only for permitted, nonemergency purposes. Portal availability and response times are not guaranteed. Access credentials must be kept confidential, and users are responsible for activity conducted through their accounts to the extent permitted by law.
If you believe that your account has been compromised, promptly notify the Practice and the portal provider, where applicable.
10. Payments
The Practice does not directly collect or store complete payment-card information through the public-facing portions of the Site unless expressly stated at the point of collection.
If the Site provides an online payment link, payment information may be collected and processed directly by an independent payment processor. The payment processor’s terms and privacy policy will govern its collection and processing of payment information.
The Practice may receive limited transaction information, such as the patient’s name, payment amount, transaction date, payment status, and a truncated account identifier, when necessary for payment reconciliation and recordkeeping.
You should not send payment-card information through a general contact form, ordinary email, or text message.
11. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Site may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential operation, security, user preferences, performance measurement, and analytics.
Cookies may include:
Essential cookies, which help the Site operate and provide requested functionality;
Security cookies, which help detect malicious activity and protect forms or accounts;
Preference cookies, which remember selected settings;
Analytics cookies, which help the Practice understand Site usage and performance; and
Third-party integration cookies, which may be set when the Site displays or connects to an outside service.
Your browser may allow you to block or delete cookies. Disabling cookies may affect the operation of certain Site features.
Where consent is required by applicable law, nonessential cookies or similar technologies will be used only after the required consent has been obtained.
12. Analytics, Advertising, and Tracking Technologies
The Practice may use carefully selected technologies to evaluate Site performance, improve usability, prevent fraud, and understand general traffic patterns.
The Practice will not knowingly configure tracking technologies to impermissibly disclose protected health information. The Practice evaluates tracking technologies, data flows, vendor relationships, contractual safeguards, and the locations where tracking technologies operate.
The Practice does not knowingly authorize third parties to use protected health information obtained through the Site for targeted advertising, cross-context behavioral advertising, data brokerage, or unrelated marketing.
The Practice does not sell protected health information. The Practice does not sell personal information collected through the Site for monetary consideration.
If the Site uses advertising, remarketing, session-recording, call-tracking, analytics, chat, embedded media, or similar services, the Practice will disclose those services as required and apply appropriate safeguards. A cookie-management tool, browser settings, or other opt-out mechanism may be provided where applicable.
Browser-based “Do Not Track” signals are not interpreted uniformly throughout the industry. The Site may not respond to every Do Not Track signal. The Practice will honor legally recognized opt-out preference signals where required by applicable law and technically applicable to the Site.
13. Disclosure of Information
The Practice may disclose website information in the following circumstances, subject to applicable law:
To vendors that provide services for the Practice;
To healthcare professionals or organizations when authorized or legally permitted;
For treatment, payment, or healthcare operations where permitted;
To process appointment or referral requests;
To complete requested transactions;
To protect the security and integrity of the Site;
To investigate fraud, abuse, or unlawful conduct;
To comply with a subpoena, court order, legal process, or government request;
To satisfy regulatory, licensing, reporting, or public-health obligations;
To protect the rights, safety, or property of the Practice, patients, Site users, or others;
In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, asset transfer, or similar transaction, subject to applicable legal protections; or
With your authorization or at your direction.
When protected health information is involved, disclosures are governed by HIPAA, applicable Texas medical-privacy law, and the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
14. Texas Medical Privacy
The Practice handles confidential physician-patient communications and medical records in accordance with applicable federal and Texas law.
Information concerning a patient’s identity, diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment that is created or maintained by a physician may be confidential and privileged under Texas law. The Practice will not disclose such information except as authorized or permitted by applicable law.
Nothing in this Website Privacy Policy expands the Practice’s authority to use or disclose protected health information beyond what is authorized by law and the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
15. Texas Consumer Privacy
Certain organizations and categories of data are exempt from, or treated differently under, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, including certain entities and information governed by HIPAA.
To the extent the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act or another consumer-privacy law applies to personal data processed through the Site, eligible Texas residents may have rights regarding:
Confirmation of whether personal data is being processed;
Access to covered personal data;
Correction of inaccuracies;
Deletion of covered personal data;
Obtaining a portable copy of covered personal data;
Opting out of targeted advertising;
Opting out of the sale of personal data; and
Opting out of certain profiling.
These rights are subject to statutory definitions, exemptions, identity-verification requirements, record-retention obligations, medical-record requirements, legal privileges, and other limitations.
A request may be submitted using the contact information at the end of this policy. The Practice may request information reasonably necessary to verify the requester’s identity and authority. Requests involving medical records will be processed under the Practice’s HIPAA procedures and applicable Texas medical-record law rather than solely under general consumer-privacy procedures.
If a request is denied and applicable law provides an appeal right, the response will explain how to submit an appeal.
16. Children’s Privacy
The Site is intended primarily for adults and for parents or legal guardians seeking information or services for themselves or their family members. It is not directed to children under 13.
The Practice does not knowingly collect personal information online directly from a child under 13 without legally required parental consent. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal information directly through the Site without appropriate authorization, contact the Practice so the information can be evaluated and handled in accordance with applicable law.
A parent or legal guardian may use the Site to seek information or request services for a minor. Medical privacy rights involving minors may depend on the circumstances, the nature of the care, parental or representative authority, and applicable law.
17. Data Security
The Practice uses reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards intended to protect information under its control. These safeguards may include encryption in transit, access controls, system monitoring, vendor management, security updates, backups, and workforce procedures, as appropriate to the information and systems involved.
No website, electronic communication, database, or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, the Practice cannot warrant the absolute security, availability, integrity, or confidentiality of information transmitted to or from the Site.
You are responsible for using reasonable security practices, including protecting account credentials, maintaining device security, using current software, and avoiding untrusted networks when transmitting sensitive information.
If the Practice determines that a legally reportable breach or security incident has occurred, the Practice will provide notifications required by applicable law.
18. Data Retention
The Practice retains information for as long as reasonably necessary to accomplish the purposes for which it was collected and to satisfy legal, regulatory, clinical, financial, security, insurance, and recordkeeping obligations.
Retention periods vary based on the nature of the information and whether it becomes part of a patient’s designated record set, medical record, billing record, security log, business record, or legally protected file.
The Practice may retain information when reasonably necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, detect fraud, preserve evidence, enforce agreements, or comply with a legal hold.
19. External Websites and Services
The Site may contain links to external websites and services that are not owned or controlled by the Practice. These may include patient portals, payment services, scheduling systems, maps, social-media platforms, educational resources, laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations.
A link does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee. The Practice is not responsible for an external website’s availability, accessibility, security, accuracy, content, products, services, or privacy practices.
When you leave the Site, your activity is governed by the terms and privacy policies of the external service.
20. Text Messages and Telephone Communications
If you provide a mobile telephone number, you may receive calls or text messages relating to an inquiry, appointment request, scheduling, patient care, billing, or another Practice-related purpose, as permitted by law and consistent with the preferences or consent you provide.
Message and data rates may apply. Delivery is subject to wireless-carrier availability and is not guaranteed. Text messages may not be encrypted and should not be used for emergencies or detailed sensitive medical information.
Where applicable, you may opt out of automated text messages by replying STOP. You may request assistance by replying HELP or contacting the Practice. Opting out of text messages will not prevent the Practice from communicating through other legally permitted methods.
Consent to receive marketing text messages, if any, is not a condition of receiving medical treatment.
21. Telehealth
Information about telehealth services on the Site is general and does not guarantee that telehealth is available or appropriate for a particular patient, condition, location, or service.
Telehealth services, when offered, may be governed by separate consent forms, notices, eligibility requirements, professional standards, technology requirements, and terms. A provider may determine that an in-person examination or another level of care is appropriate.
22. Accessibility
The Practice is committed to providing access to its services and website information for people with disabilities. The Practice endeavors to improve the accessibility and usability of the Site and to address identified barriers.
If you experience difficulty accessing information or using a Site feature, contact the Practice using the information below. Please identify the webpage, feature, or information involved and describe the assistance requested. The Practice will make reasonable efforts to provide the information through an accessible alternative method and address the issue.
23. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
Use the Site for an unlawful, fraudulent, harmful, or abusive purpose;
Attempt to obtain unauthorized access to the Site, an account, server, or network;
Interfere with Site availability, security, or operation;
Introduce malware or harmful code;
Probe, scan, or test vulnerabilities without written authorization;
Circumvent access controls or authentication measures;
Impersonate another person;
Submit false, misleading, or unauthorized information;
Harvest information about other users;
Use automated systems to overload or improperly extract content from the Site;
Violate another person’s privacy, confidentiality, or intellectual-property rights; or
Use Site content in a manner that violates applicable law.
The Practice may restrict or terminate access, preserve relevant evidence, and report suspected unlawful activity to appropriate authorities.
24. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise indicated, the Site and its original text, graphics, logos, design, photographs, videos, software, and other content are owned by or licensed to Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A. and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws.
You may view and print reasonable portions of the Site for personal, noncommercial, informational use. You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, modify, publicly display, create derivative works from, or commercially exploit Site content without prior written permission from the applicable rights holder.
Third-party trademarks and content remain the property of their respective owners. No license or ownership right is granted by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.
25. Disclaimer of Warranties
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”
THE PRACTICE DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, SECURITY, AND COMPLETENESS.
THE PRACTICE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR COMPATIBLE WITH EVERY DEVICE OR BROWSER.
Nothing in this section excludes a warranty or obligation that cannot lawfully be excluded.
26. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ALEXANDER MANTAS, M.D., P.A., AND ITS OWNERS, PHYSICIANS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR ITS CONTENT.
This limitation does not apply to liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or another matter for which liability cannot be limited under applicable law.
Nothing on the Site limits any rights a patient may have concerning professional medical services actually provided by a licensed healthcare professional.
27. Indemnification
To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A. and its owners, physicians, employees, contractors, and agents from claims, losses, liabilities, and reasonable expenses arising from your unlawful use of the Site, your material violation of these Terms, or your infringement of another person’s rights.
This provision does not require a patient to indemnify the Practice for the Practice’s provision of professional medical services.
28. Availability and Changes to the Site
The Practice may modify, suspend, restrict, or discontinue all or part of the Site at any time. The Practice does not guarantee that particular content, functionality, forms, portals, or services will remain available.
The Practice may update these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The revised version will be posted with a new “Last Updated” date. Material changes will be communicated through the Site or another method when required by law.
Changes will apply prospectively from their effective date unless applicable law permits otherwise.
29. Governing Law and Venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.
To the extent permitted by law, any judicial proceeding relating solely to the use of the Site or these Terms shall be brought in a state or federal court with jurisdiction in Dallas County, Texas.
Nothing in this section changes a patient’s rights or obligations under laws specifically governing healthcare liability claims, professional services, administrative complaints, or protected health information.
30. Severability and Waiver
If any provision of these Terms is held unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted and the remaining provisions will remain effective.
The Practice’s failure to enforce a provision does not waive its right to enforce that provision or another provision later.
31. Contact Information
Questions concerning these Website Terms of Use and Privacy Policy may be submitted to:
Alexander Mantas, M.D., P.A.
Email: info@mantasmd.com
Do not use this email address for emergencies or urgent medical matters.
For questions, complaints, medical-record requests, privacy-rights requests, accessibility assistance, or communication preferences, please provide sufficient information for the Practice to understand and respond to the request. Do not include unnecessary sensitive medical information in an ordinary email.
32. Copyright Notice