Privacy Policy

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Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) describes the type of information that eSupport Health (the “Company,” “we” or “us”) gathers from visitors to the eSupport Health Website (the “Site”) and users of the eSupport Health telehealth support service that is offered through the Site (the “Service”).  The Service is intended to provide a telehealth-based solution to facilitate online support groups and thereby address a clear need for social connection in chronic disease communities.  Because persons with certain chronic diseases are at a higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to common symptoms, the Service is intended to provide an accessible and effective option for social connections.  The Site exists both to provide a platform to access the Service, and to provide information about the Service and the Company. Because persons with certain chronic diseases are at a higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to common symptoms, the Service is intended to provide an accessible and effective option for social connections.  The Site exists both to provide a platform to access the Service, and to provide information about the Service and the Company.

Collection, Use, and Sharing of Personal Information

“Personal Information” means information that can be associated with a particular user.  The two charts below detail – separately with respect to the Service and the Site – what Personal Information we collect, how and why we collect such Personal Information, and how – if at all – such Personal Information is shared.

Note that “Personal Information” differs from “Protected Health Information,” which is specifically Personal Information that relates to the past, present, or future (1) physical or mental health condition of an individual; (2) treatment for such condition, or (3) payment for such condition.  Our collection, use, and disclosure of Protected Health Information is addressed in the Notice of Privacy Practices provided separately to users of the Service.

Collection, Use, and Sharing With Respect to the Service

What Personal Information We Collect

  • How We Collect the Personal Information
  • Why We Collect the Personal Information

Contact/onboarding information, including name, email address, and phone number.

  • Users provide information through the Site, and as part of communicating with a support group coach prior to taking part in a support group.
  • We use this information to communicate with you about use of the Service, such as scheduling support group sessions and providing Service-related announcements.

Information related to diagnosis.

  • Users are asked to indicate that they have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as part of onboarding.
  • In order to achieve the best and most useful experience for all users, participation in the Service is limited to individuals who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Information related to payments.

  • In the event that a user participates in a part of the Service for which a fee is charged, the user will be asked to provide information related to payment.
  • This information is necessary in order to bill for fee-based portions of the Service.

Information you provide voluntarily.

  • Users may communicate various personal information as part of communications with us, or during support group sessions.  We do not actively solicit such information.
  • We do not actively solicit more information than is necessary effectively to provide the Service.

    We do not share this information, except as explained below under “Third-Party Contractors,” “Business Transitions,” and “Compliance with Law and Prevention of Harm.”

    Collection, Use, and Sharing With Respect to the Site

    What Personal Information We Collect

    • How We Collect the Personal Information
    • Why We Collect the Personal Information

    Information you provide voluntarily.

    • Users may provide certain information voluntarily as part of interacting with the Site, such as by using a contact form to email a question or comment.
    • We use this information to communicate with users who choose to contact us about the Site.

    Automatic information collection, such as the use of cookies, web beacons, or pixel tags that give information about browsing and search history, as well as interactions with the Site.

    • When users access the Site, they are asked to consent to the use of cookies and other forms of automatic information collection.  Such collection does not occur if the user does not consent.
    • Collection of information about use of the Site and how users come to locate the Site is helpful in improving and promoting use of the Site.

    We do not share this information, except as explained below under “Third-Party Contractors,” “Business Transitions,” and “Compliance with Law and Prevention of Harm.”

    Third-Party Contractors – We may use contractors (“Service Providers”) to perform limited services on our behalf, such as hosting websites and providing email services.  Service Providers are required to obtain only the Personal Information they need to deliver the service, to maintain the confidentiality of Personal Information, and not to use Personal Information for any purpose other than provision of the service.

    Compliance with Law and Prevention of Harm – We may disclose your Personal Information or any information submitted via the Sites if we have a good faith belief that disclosure of such information is helpful or reasonably necessary to: (i) comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request; (ii) enforce any applicable terms of service, including investigations of potential violations thereof; (iii) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud or security issues; or (iv) protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of the Company, our users, yourself or the public.  We may be required to disclose Personal Information in response to a lawful request by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.

    Business Transitions – We may share information with businesses that are legally part of the same group as the Company, or that become part of that group.  We reserve the right – in the event of a business transition such as a merger – to transfer Personal Information to a new business owner, on the condition that such Personal Information must be treated in accordance with this Policy.

    Aggregated and De-identified Data – As noted above, this Policy addresses the collection and sharing of Personal Information, that is, information that can reasonably be connected with a particular user.  We may occasionally de-identify and/or aggregate Personal Information – to the extent permitted by law – to the point that it can no longer be associated with a particular user.  When that occurs, such information is no longer Personal Information.

    Sale of Personal Information – We do not sell Personal Information.

    Users’ Rights Regarding Personal Information

    Users of both the Site and the Service have the right to request information about our collection, use, and disclosure of their information (a “Request to Know”), including:

    • the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information we have collected about the user;
    • the categories of sources from which we have collected the user’s Personal Information;
    • the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling the user’s Personal Information;
    • the categories of Personal Information we have sold about the user; and
    • the categories of Third Parties with whom we have shared, disclosed for a business purpose, or sold the user’s Personal Information, and which categories of Personal Information we have sold to which categories of Third Part

    Users of both the Site and Service also have the right to request that we delete their Personal Information (a “Request to Delete”).

    Request to Know

    Users may submit a Request to Know by emailing us at [email protected].

    Users may submit two types of Requests to Know: (1) A request for the specific pieces of Personal Information that we have collected about you in the past twelve months; or (2) a request for the categories of Personal Information that we have collected about you in the past twelve months, and we have used and disclosed that Personal Information.

    When you submit a Request to Know, we may ask you to provide certain pieces of information in order to verify your identity, such as your name, email address, and phone number.  If you submit a Request to Know for the specific pieces of information that we have collected about you, we may also require you to submit a signed declaration under the penalty of perjury stating that you are the consumer whose Personal Information is the subject of the Request to Know.

    If we are able to verify your identity, we will respond to your Request to Know by: (a) providing the requested information; or (b) explaining why we are not required to provide the requested information.  If we are unable to verify your identity, we will respond by explaining why we cannot verify your identity.  We will confirm receipt of your Request to Know within 10 days and will respond to your Request to Know within 45 days. If a response requires additional time, we will notify you of the basis for the delay and may extend our response period up to an additional 45 days.

    If we provide the information requested, we will provide the information free of charge and in a readily useable portable format.  We have no obligation to provide Personal Information to you more than twice in a 12-month period.  If a Request to Know or series of Requests to Know are manifestly unfounded or excessive, we may charge a reasonable fee for processing the Request(s) to Know, or may refuse to process the Request(s) to Know.

    Requests to Delete

    Users may submit a Request to Delete by emailing us at [email protected].  When you submit a Request to Delete, we may ask you to provide certain pieces of information in order to verify your identity, such as your name, email address, and phone number.  If we are able to verify your identity, we will respond to your Request to Delete by (a) deleting your Personal Information and, if applicable, directing any of our Service Providers to delete your Personal Information; or (b) explaining why we are not required to delete your Personal Information.  We may choose to delete Personal Information by de-identifying, aggregating, or completely erasing the Personal Information.  We will specify the manner in which we delete your Personal Information.

    If a Request to Delete or series of Requests to Delete are manifestly unfounded or excessive, we may charge a reasonable fee for processing the Request(s) to Delete, or may refuse to process the Request(s) to Delete.

    Protection and Retention of Personal Information

    As explained more fully in our Security Statement https://esupporthealth.com/security/, we follow generally accepted industry standards, including the use of appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards, to protect Personal Information.  The appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards employed by us may vary depending on the nature of Personal Information collected, with more stringent measures applied to information of a sensitive nature.  In specific, as noted in our separate Notice of Privacy Practices, protections afforded to Personal Health Information must be sufficient to satisfy the standards set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and its associated regulations.

    However, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is entirely secure.  Therefore, while we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security or confidentiality.  Please be aware that certain Personal Information and other information provided by you in connection with your use of the Site may be stored on your device (even if that information is not collected by us).  You are solely responsible for maintaining the security of your device from unauthorized access.

    Personal Information will be retained for as long as is reasonably necessary to achieve the purposes set forth in this Policy, and to comply with all applicable laws.

    Other Provisions

    Accessibility and Language – Any person that is unable to access this Policy through the Site may request this Policy in an alternative format or language by contacting us at [email protected].

    International Users – The Company and its servers are located in the United States and are subject to applicable local, state, and federal laws.  Users who choose to access the Site do so on their own initiative and at their own risk, and are responsible for complying with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.  Users who choose to access the Site consent to the use and disclosure of information in accordance with this Policy and subject to such laws.  We may limit the Site’s availability, in whole or in part, to any person, geographic area or jurisdiction we choose, at any time and in our sole discretion.  We do not represent or warrant that the Site, or any part thereof, is appropriate or available for use in any other jurisdiction.

    As to residents of the EU, this means that, if you choose to use the Sites and/or to communicate with us through the Sites, information about you – including Personal Information – will be transmitted outside of the EU to the United States.  The European Commission has the authority, pursuant to Article 45 of the GDPR, to determine that the laws of states outside of the EU provide residents of the EU with an adequate level of data protection similar to that of the GDPR.  Please note that, to date, the European Commission has not determined that the federal and state laws of the United States provide EU residents with an adequate level of data protection.

    Children’s Privacy – The Site is neither directed to nor structured to attract Users under the age of 18.  If you are under the age of 18, you are not permitted to use the Site.  The Company does not knowingly collect Personal Information from users under the age of 18.  If you are a parent with concerns about children’s privacy issues in conjunction with the use of the Site, please contact the Company at [email protected].

    Do Not Track Signals and Collection of Information for Third-Party Advertising – The Company is required to disclose how it responds to “Do Not Track Signals” and whether third parties collect personally identifiable information about users when they use online services.  The Company honors “do not track” signals and does not track, use cookies, or use advertising when a “do not track” mechanism is in place.  The Company does not authorize the collection of personally identifiable information from our users for third-party use through advertising technologies.

    Amendments – We may modify or amend this Privacy Policy from time to time.  If we make any material changes, as determined by us, to this Privacy Policy, including in the way in which Personal Information is collected, used or transferred, we will notify you by e-mail to the address specified in your profile or by means of a notice on the Site prior to the change becoming effective.

    Contact Information

    If you have questions about this Policy, please contact [email protected].

    Effective Date

    The effective date of this Policy is March 25, 2020.

    Mary Rouvelas, JD

    Senior Counsel, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

    Mary is Senior Counsel to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). She created and directs the Judicial Advocacy Initiative, managing law firms that donate pro bono public policy work to ACS CAN. The initiative currently has nine multinational firms working on health issues ranging from access to care to tobacco control. Mary also serves on the Activism Advisory Committee for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), which advises the NMSS’s Chief Executive Officer on how to use public policy to change the lives of people affected by MS. Mary graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College, and earned her Juris Doctor from University of Virginia School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Virginia, the District of Columbia, the US Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and DC Circuits, and at the US Supreme Court.

    Victoria M. Leavitt, Clinical Director

    Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)

    Vicky is a neuropsychologist specializing in the psychological and cognitive symptoms of MS. For over ten years, Dr. Leavitt’s research has focused on symptoms that affect quality of life for people living with MS, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. She also studies neural network alterations in MS.

    In 2018, Dr. Leavitt received a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support a clinical trial of eSupport. With enough rigorous trial evidence supporting the benefits of online support groups, we hope to move from a world in which we recommend support groups to one in which we prescribe support groups.

    Dr. Leavitt is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Defense, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

    Vicky earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York.

    Bill Zeman

    Chief Developer

    Technology leader with 20 years of experience in website development, content management systems and database applications. Bill has founded companies and served as CTO, including for two Scott Galloway startups, L2 (acquired by Gartner for $134M in March 2017) and Section4 (also known as Prof G) through January 2020. As founding CTO of Section4, a video-focused business media startup, Bill helped set the strategic business direction and participated in leadership decisions. He also designed and implemented the full-stack content-delivery solution for videos, podcasts and articles. He implemented best-of-breed stack components to keep costs to a minimum with high flexibility and maintainability, featuring a headless Wordpress CMS, React frontend, and AWS, JWPlayer, Stripe, Zoom, and hubspot integrations. Bill holds a B.A. from Brown University.

    Jamie Tobias

    Head of Growth & Partnerships

    Jamie Tobias joined eSupport Health as Head of Growth & Partnerships in March of this year. In this new role, Jamie is focused on building relationships with MS Centers around the country, launching new marketing initiatives and providing overall advisory support to the organization. Before joining eSupport, Jamie was VP of Business Development at Section4, an online education startup founded by NYU Professor Scott Galloway. Before joining Section4, Jamie spent 9 years at NYU's Stern School of Business, most recently as Assistant Dean where she oversaw a portfolio of the school's most strategic global programs and relationships.  Prior to joining NYU, Jamie spent 3 years as Vice President of Business Development for Marquis Jet Partners (now NetJets) and held various positions at American Express managing large enterprise partnerships.

    Lenny Teytelman, PhD

    CEO & Co-Founder, protocols.io

    Lenny is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of protocols.io, a leading platform for collaborative research method development and sharing, leveraging web and mobile technology to create a global online community of researchers. The collaborative platform is used for sharing science methods, computational workflows, clinical trials, operational procedures, safety checklists, instruction manuals and more. Lenny holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Genetics and Computational Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. He was also a Postdoctoral Researcher at MIT.

    Zongqi Xia, MD, PhD

    Principal Investigator, Pittsburgh Institute of Multiple Sclerosis Care and Research

    Dr. Xia is a Principal Investigator in the Pittsburgh Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases & the Pittsburgh Institute of Multiple Sclerosis Care and Research. He is an Assistant Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Informatics and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Xia holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College, MD and PhD from Case Western Reserve University, and a Master’s degree in Clinical Investigation from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Xia completed his Neurology residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard and Broad Institute. Dr. Xia's interdisciplinary translational research program leverages multi-stream data from patients and applies data science approaches to address clinically relevant questions in the field of multiple sclerosis and related disorders.

    Brenda Williams, MFA

    Executive Director, Human Resources at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC)

    Brenda Williams is an Executive Director at The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) with over 25 years of experience in Human Resources. Brenda concurrently serves as Chief of Staff to the Chief Human Resources Officer and Global Head of Employee Relations. Within this role, she is responsible for leading HR strategic planning, providing oversight of human capital risk for the organization, and developing an integrated, global employment practices function. Prior to this role, Brenda led DTCC’s Learning and Talent Management team with responsibility for leadership development, learning solutions, talent/succession planning and organizational development. Before joining DTCC in 2009, Brenda held a number of HR leadership roles, including positions at Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and American Express. She is an active mentor and has a long history of supporting arts & education-related community initiatives. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an MFA from Columbia University.

    David Wennberg, MD, MPH

    Board Member, Quartet Health

    David is a board member and former Chief Executive Officer of Quartet Health, a technology company focused on patients with chronic medical and concomitant behavioral health conditions. The company's goal is to use technology to transform mental health through partnering with health insurers and providers to deliver an integrated model of care. Previously, David was Chief Executive Officer at High Value Healthcare Collaborative, a consortium of 15 healthcare delivery systems who participated in data collaboration. David has a Doctor of Medicine degree from McGill University and a Master's in Public Health from Harvard University.

    Alexei Stoliartchouk, MS

    CTO, CPO & Co-Founder of Protocols.Io

    Alexei is Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer of protocols.io, a leading platform for digital respiratory academic research that leverages web and mobile technology to create a global online community of scientists. The collaborative platform is used for sharing science methods, computational workflows, clinical trials, operational procedures, safety checklists, instruction manuals and more. Alexei has expertise in leading the development process of complex technologies that help professionals share and discover life sciences from concept to production. Alexei holds a B.S. from the Moscow Aviation Institute and his Master's degree from the University of Memphis.

    Victoria M. Leavitt, PhD, FAAN

    Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)

    Vicky is a neuropsychologist specializing in the psychological and cognitive symptoms of MS. For over ten years, Dr. Leavitt’s research has focused on symptoms that affect quality of life for people living with MS, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. She also studies neural network alterations in MS.

    In 2018, Dr. Leavitt received a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support a clinical trial of eSupport. With enough rigorous trial evidence supporting the benefits of online support groups, we hope to move from a world in which we recommend support groups to one in which we prescribe support groups.

    Dr. Leavitt is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Defense, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

    Vicky earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York.

    Ed Moed

    CEO, Hot Paper Lantern

    Ed is the Chief Executive Officer of Hot Paper Lantern, an agency that fuses marketing and communications with business consulting and technology solutions to help make brands more relevant. Ed is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. He leads business strategy and provides overall direction to operations, finances, new services development, client services and new business. He is currently a trustee for his alma mater, Drew University, and has been on various other boards and advisory councils including Council of PR Firms, YJP, the Montclair Art Museum, Little Kids Rock and MyGoodDeed.org. Ed holds his B.A. from Drew University.

    Phil De Jager, MD, MPhil

    Director, MS Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

    Dr. Phil De Jager serves as Director at the Center for Translational Computational Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He is also a professor in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the aging Brain. His focus is on characterizing and targeting the neuro-immunologic component of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. De Jager's work as a clinician-scientist is to apply modern methods of neuro-immunology, statistical genetics, and systems biology to the understanding of common neurodegenerative diseases such as MS. After graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. from Yale University, Dr. De Jager received a PhD in Neurogenetics from Rockefeller University and an MD from Cornell University Medical College, before completing his MMSc in Clinical Investigation at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and MIT.

    Sean Cavanaugh, MPH

    Former Deputy Director, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under President Barack Obama

    Sean is currently the Chief Commercial Officer and the Chief Policy Officer at Aledade, Inc., a platform that assists primary care providers such as independent practices, health centers and clinics, through offering data, analytics and regulatory expertise. Previously, Sean served as Deputy Administrator and Director at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under President Barack Obama. He has extensive expertise in the health care space and a deep passion for aiding those with disabilities. Sean holds a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and Master’s of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

    Laura A. Kozak

    LPC

    As a Licensed Professional and National Certified Counselor, Laura has over 15 years of experience providing inpatient crisis care, clinical project management, and behavioral counseling for children and families. She recently served as a resilience coach in a clinical trial telehealth intervention for individuals with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers. She has a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Ed.S. in Counseling Services from Rider University. In her free time, Laura enjoys practicing self-care and wellness, which includes yoga, essential oils and spending time at the beach.

    Amanda R. Cohen

    MSOT

    Amanda Cohen is an Occupational Therapist working with people who have neurologic impairments, helping them to recover and maintain the skills necessary for daily living. She assists in improving function, modifying lifestyle, and achieving goals to enhance overall quality of life. Amanda has training in group therapy, and values the support provided in that setting. She is a New Jersey native, now residing in Miami, Florida. Amanda holds a B.A. in Psychology, and received her M.S. degree in Occupational Therapy from New York University. For several years Amanda has led "Neurotango" classes, tango dancing as a therapeutic treatment for individuals with neurologic disability, to improve ambulation and functional mobility.

    Robin Reyes

    Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

    As Chief Technology Officer, Robin oversees the information technology strategy and provides leadership on governance, risk, and compliance.

    Robin brings over 15 years of technology leadership experience to eSupport Heath. In his previous role as Global Director of Information Technology, Robin was responsible for IT operations at Geotext—and later Lionbridge Legal—where he led the technology team in a broad range of functions to ensure the continuity of services and safeguarding of data for the world’s top law firms, financial institutions, and other leading enterprises.

    Robin is recognized by ISACA as a CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) and holds a B.A. from the City University of New York.

    An avid sports fan, Robin has developed a love for playing golf. He also ran the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon.

    Joe Duncan

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

    Joe is the cofounder of eSupport Health and has served as its CEO since the company was formed in November 2019. He is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in founding, building, and leading effective organizations, and whose counsel is sought out across a variety of businesses.

    Since 2012, Joe has served as an advisor to the CEO of protocols.io, the leading digital repository for academic research. He led protocols.io’s initial seed round and continues to be actively involved as a trusted advisor to the company.

    From 2015 to 2017, Joe served as General Manager at Lionbridge Technologies, where he established the Legal Division, following Lionsbridge’s acquisition of Joe’s company, Geotext Translations, Inc.

    In 1997, Joe founded and served as CEO of Geotext, a multimillion-dollar business providing premium language services to global 100 law firms and major corporations. Geotext became the go-to translation company for many of the world’s most critical cross-border legal matters. At its peak, Geotext had over 120 full-time employees and 3,500+ contractors around the world. In 2015, Geotext was acquired by Lionbridge.

    Joe holds a B.A. in English Literature, with a Minor in Political Science, from the University of Southern California and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. Joe enjoys reading, running, and hiking in the Adirondacks with his family. Recently Joe learned to surf which involves more wiping out than catching waves, but he enjoys the challenge.