Privacy Policy

This website – www.organ.org (the “Site”) – is owned and operated by Southwest Transplant Alliance, Inc. (STA) which is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization designated by the Center’s for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It is one of 58 federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs).

STA is committed to protecting the privacy of Site users.  The privacy of our users and the security of our site are of utmost importance to STA.  This privacy policy outlines what information might be collected by the Site and how that information can be used.  Except as provided in this policy, STA will not provide your personal information to third parties.  Questions or concerns regarding this policy not addressed here can be directed via the www.organ.org website to the Contact Us page.

The Site does not collect users’ personal information unless it is provided voluntarily by the user. ­ Site users are not required to provide any information they do not wish to

Note:  This policy does not apply whenever visitors leave the STA domains and follow a link to another site. STA is responsible for the content of this website.  However, the Site contains links to other websites for which STA is not responsible for either the content of or privacy practices employed by those sites.

Information collected:

  • Your Personal Information: In the course of using the Site, STA may ask you to provide information such as your name, address, email, phone number and other identifying information. Participation with this Site is voluntary. STA will not obtain personal information about you when you visit the site unless you voluntarily choose to provide such information.

  • Site Usage Information – Whenever you use the Site, certain types of internet usage information may be received and stored; information from your browser, including but not limited to your IP address, pages visited, the length of time you spend on the site, type of browser software and operating system you are using, internet domain through which you access the internet and files you download, which are recorded in the website server logs.  However, no personal information is collected during the tracking process.

If information is submitted, such information may be used to:

  • Determine the efficacy of community education and public awareness efforts, as permitted by Texas law and in a de-identified, aggregated form

  • Contact individuals as allowed under Texas law

  • To otherwise further your organ, eye and/or tissue donation or answer any questions related thereto

  • Conduct research

  • Provide anonymous reporting for internal and external use

  • Provide anonymous information for preparation and distribution of educational materials

  • Help STA maintain the Site, ensure the Site is working properly and help STA make the Site more accessible and useful

STA will not provide, sell, rent or market Your Personal Information to third parties except: (1) to further your organ, eye and/or tissue donation; (2) to agents, website vendors and/or contractors who may use it on STA’s behalf or in connection with their relationship with STA; (3) in response to a validly-issued subpoena, court order, or other legal process; (4) when necessary to establish or exercise STA’s legal rights or defend against legal action; (5) where you request STA to do so; (6) if STA believes in good faith that sharing the information is necessary to protect STA’s rights or property; or (7) as required by law, in a matter of public safety or policy.

The Site may use cookies to remember certain user information.  Cookies are electronic identifiers that are transferred automatically to your computer through your browser that allow STA computers to save certain information you provide us and store information about you so we can recognize you when you visit the Site in the future.  You may, at any time, disable or refuse to accept cookies by changing the preferences or setting on your web browser.  If you choose to disable cookies, you will still be able to use the Site.

STA maintains reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect the information that you provide on this Site.  However, no security system is impenetrable and STA cannot guarantee the security of the Site nor can STA guarantee that the information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted over the Internet, and STA is not liable for the illegal acts of third parties such as criminal hackers.

By using the Site, you signify your agreement to the terms of STA’s privacy policy.  This privacy policy may be modified from time to time without prior written notice. Users may refer to this page on a regular basis for updates to this privacy policy.