PRIVACY POLICY
St. Louis Cardiogenic Shock Consortium (STL Shock Consortium)
Last Updated: December 2025
Introduction
The St. Louis Cardiogenic Shock Consortium (“STL Shock Consortium,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who access and use this website (the “Website”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect information obtained through the Website.
Use of the Website is also governed by our Terms of Use, which set forth the conditions for access, participation, and acceptable use.
Scope and Applicability
This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors and registered users of the Website, including users located in the United States and internationally. It is intended to align with applicable privacy and data protection laws, including U.S. state privacy laws (such as the California Consumer Privacy Act), the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other international data protection standards where applicable.
Information We Collect – Information You Provide
We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide, including your name, email address, professional affiliation, account credentials, and profile or registration information submitted through member forms.
Information We Collect – Automatically Collected Technical Information
When you access the Website, we may automatically collect limited technical information, including browser type and device information, login timestamps and session activity, and network identifiers such as IP addresses stored only in hashed or anonymized form where applicable. This information is collected solely for security, authentication, audit, and governance purposes.
Consent and Audit Records
Access to certain areas of the Website requires explicit acceptance of our Terms of Use. Acceptance is recorded electronically and may include the date and time of acceptance, accepted Terms version, user account identifier, and hashed technical identifiers. These records are maintained as immutable audit logs for governance, compliance, and security purposes and are not used for marketing, profiling, or advertising.
How We Use Information
Information collected through the Website is used exclusively for managing user accounts and access, facilitating professional collaboration and educational activities, maintaining Website security and integrity, enforcing Terms of Use, and meeting governance, audit, and legal obligations. We do not sell, rent, or commercially exploit personal information.
Legal Bases for Processing
Depending on the context, personal information is processed based on your consent, our legitimate interests in operating a professional and educational consortium, and compliance with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.
Prohibition on Patient-Identifiable Information
The Website is not intended for the collection, storage, or transmission of patient-identifiable or protected health information (PHI). Users are prohibited from uploading or sharing such information. All clinical or case-based discussions must be fully de-identified in accordance with applicable privacy laws and professional standards.
Cookies and Tracking
The Website uses limited cookies and similar technologies that are strictly necessary for core functionality, security, and user authentication. We do not use advertising cookies, marketing trackers, or behavioral profiling technologies.
Data Storage and International Transfers
Information may be stored on servers located in the United States or other jurisdictions. Where international data transfers occur, appropriate safeguards are implemented to protect information in accordance with applicable law.
Data Retention
Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and to comply with legal, governance, and security obligations. Certain records, including consent and audit logs, may be retained even after account deactivation for compliance, accountability, and institutional governance purposes.
Security Measures
We employ reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and use of the Website is at your own risk.
Individual Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, or to restrict or object to certain processing activities. Requests will be evaluated in accordance with applicable law and governance requirements. Certain data may not be eligible for deletion due to audit, security, or compliance obligations.
Children’s Privacy
The Website is intended for professional use and is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Any changes will be reflected by the “Last Updated” date above. Continued use of the Website after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
Contact Information
Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy may be directed via Contact Us page.