Effective Date: June 23, 2026
Emerald City Acupuncture LLC respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, and protected when you visit emeraldcityacupuncture.com.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
We may collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:
- Complete a contact or appointment-request form
- Contact us by email or telephone
- Communicate with us regarding our services
- Subscribe to communications, when available
This information may include your:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Preferred appointment time
- Questions, comments, or other information included in your message
Please do not submit detailed medical, diagnostic, insurance, financial, or other sensitive information through the general website contact form.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, limited technical information may be collected automatically by our website hosting, security, and analytics services. This may include:
- Internet Protocol address
- Browser and device type
- Operating system
- Pages visited
- Referring website
- Date and time of your visit
- General website usage information
This information is generally used to operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website.
How We Use Information
We may use the information collected through the website to:
- Respond to questions and appointment requests
- Communicate with prospective and existing patients
- Provide information about our services
- Operate and improve the website
- Maintain website security
- Comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements
- Protect the rights, safety, and property of Emerald City Acupuncture LLC and others
We do not sell or rent personal information submitted through this website.
Text Messaging
With your consent, we may communicate with you by text message (SMS) regarding appointment reminders, scheduling, and general practice communications.
By providing your mobile number and opting in, you agree to receive text messages from Emerald City Acupuncture LLC related to your care and our services. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.
You may opt out of text messaging at any time by replying STOP to any message, or by contacting us directly at (252) 606-1123 or info@emeraldcityacupuncture.com. You may opt back in at any time by replying START or by contacting us.
Standard SMS text messaging is not a secure or encrypted method of communication. Please do not include sensitive medical, diagnostic, or financial information in text messages. Use the secure patient portal for any communication involving protected health information.
Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of receiving services from Emerald City Acupuncture LLC.
Patient Portal and Health Information
Our website provides access to a patient portal operated by OptiMantra, an independent third-party service provider.
Information submitted through the OptiMantra patient portal is collected and processed according to OptiMantra’s terms, privacy policies, and applicable agreements with Emerald City Acupuncture LLC.
When communicating sensitive medical or health information electronically, please use the secure patient portal rather than the general website contact form or ordinary email.
To the extent that information is considered protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, it will be handled in accordance with applicable law and Emerald City Acupuncture LLC’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
This website Privacy Policy does not replace or modify any applicable Notice of Privacy Practices.
Cookies and Analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help the site function properly and to understand how visitors use our website.
Necessary/Functional cookies — These support core website functionality, such as security, form submission, and basic site operation. The website may not function properly without these.
Analytics cookies — We use Google Analytics to understand general website usage, including the number of visitors, pages viewed, time on site, device and browser type, referring websites, and general geographic location (such as country or region, derived from IP address). We have not enabled Google Signals within Google Analytics. Google Analytics may set its own cookies and process information according to Google’s privacy policy, available at https://policies.google.com/privacy. Google acts as an independent data controller for certain information it collects through this service.
We do not currently use advertising or remarketing cookies on this website.
Your choices: You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics tracking generally by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Disabling cookies may affect how some portions of the website function.
Third-Party Services and Links
Our website may contain links to or embedded content from third-party services, including:
- OptiMantra
- Google Maps
- Social-media platforms
- Website analytics, hosting, security, or spam-prevention providers
These third parties may collect information according to their own privacy policies. Emerald City Acupuncture LLC is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of third-party websites and services.
How We Share Information
We may share information with service providers that help us operate the website, manage communications, maintain security, or provide patient-related services.
We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to:
- Comply with a law, regulation, court order, or legal process
- Respond to a lawful government request
- Prevent fraud or security threats
- Protect our legal rights or the safety of others
- Complete a business reorganization, transfer, or similar transaction
We do not authorize service providers to use information for purposes unrelated to the services they provide to us.
Service providers that create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information on our behalf — such as our patient portal provider — operate under a Business Associate Agreement as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These agreements require such providers to appropriately safeguard protected health information and to use or disclose it only as permitted by law and the terms of the agreement.
Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards intended to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.
However, no website, email system, internet transmission, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Visitors should avoid sending sensitive medical or financial information through unsecured website forms or ordinary email.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to requests, provide services, maintain business and legal records, protect our interests, and comply with applicable requirements.
Your Choices
You may contact us to request that we:
- Correct inaccurate contact information
- Update your communication preferences
- Stop sending nonessential communications
- Delete information submitted through the general website, when legally and operationally permitted
Certain information may need to be retained for medical, legal, regulatory, security, or legitimate business purposes.
Requests involving patient records or protected health information may be governed by separate healthcare privacy procedures and the applicable Notice of Privacy Practices.
State Privacy Rights
Depending on your state of residence, you may have additional rights regarding your personal information under applicable state privacy laws, which may include the right to:
- Know what categories of personal information we have collected about you
- Request access to or a copy of the personal information we have collected
- Request correction of inaccurate personal information
- Request deletion of personal information, subject to legal, medical, and business recordkeeping exceptions
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising)
- Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at (252) 606-1123 or info@emeraldcityacupuncture.com. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests. Information that constitutes protected health information under HIPAA, or that is otherwise needed for medical, legal, security, or recordkeeping purposes, may be subject to separate handling under applicable law and our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Children’s Privacy
This website is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information online directly from children under 13 without authorization from a parent or legal guardian.
A parent or guardian who believes that a child has submitted information through the website may contact us to request its removal.
Medical Emergencies
This website, its contact form, and email are not intended for medical emergencies.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or seek immediate assistance from an appropriate emergency medical provider.
Changes to This Policy
We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes to our website, services, technology, or legal obligations. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.
Contact Us
Questions or requests concerning this Privacy Policy may be directed to:
Emerald City Acupuncture LLC
710-B Cromwell Drive
Greenville, NC 27858
Phone: (252) 606-1123
Email: info@emeraldcityacupuncture.com