On this page:
Effective Date: April 1, 2026
Company Name: Hearing Brain Audiology
Hearing Brain Audiology (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This SMS Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information in connection with our appointment scheduling text message program.
Our SMS Program
We send SMS messages to assist clients with appointment scheduling. These messages can include a secure appointment scheduling link or direct correspondence with one of our audiologists. In all cases, text messages are only sent after the client provides express verbal or written consent.
Program details:
We do not collect any information via SMS. Our SMS service is exclusively used to help you schedule & coordinate appointments with our practice.
During a call with our front desk agent, we may collect the following information:
We collect only the information reasonably necessary to provide our services, respond to your request, and maintain compliance records.
You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information at any time, and we are committed to handling your data in a secure and transparent manner.
We use your information to:
We do not use SMS consent as consent for marketing. SMS consent applies only to the specific Hearing Brain Audiology text messaging program described in this policy.
Caller mobile information and opt-in consent won’t be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
If you provide consent, we may send you an SMS message.
We send SMS messages only after you provide express verbal or written consent to Hearing Brain Audiology.
SMS consent:
If you do not wish to receive text messages from us, you can opt out at any time by declining the on-phone request to send you a one-time text message or by replying with the word ‘STOP’ to the number from which you received the message. Upon receiving your request, we will promptly remove you from our messaging list, and you will no longer receive further text communications from us.
Opt-Out and Help
You may decline the text message during the call.
After you receive a message from us:
You may also contact us for assistance at:
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
SMS consent and phone numbers will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes.
We may share information only with service providers (such as communication platforms) strictly to deliver our services. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
We take the security of your personal information very seriously. We employ industry-standard security measures, including encryption and secure servers, to protect your data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. We continuously monitor our systems to ensure your information is safe and secure, and we are committed to maintaining the highest levels of data protection to safeguard your privacy.
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or mobile networks is 100% secure.
Hearing Brain Audiology is committed to upholding the highest standards of privacy for all personal information. We do not collect sensitive personal information or Protected Health Information (PHI) through SMS. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. Any information shared with third parties is exclusively for the purpose of delivering our services to you. We assure you that your data will never be shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
We do not send Protected Health Information by SMS. If sensitive healthcare information needs to be exchanged, we use other appropriate communication methods.
We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and maintain records of consent and opt-out requests. When information is no longer needed, we delete or securely dispose of it in accordance with applicable requirements.
You may:
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will notify you by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy. In the event of significant changes, we will provide a more prominent notice, such as sending an email notification or displaying a notice on our website.
By continuing to use our services after these changes, you agree to the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to periodically review this policy for the latest information on our privacy practices.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us:
Hearing Brain Audiology
Email: drbaker@hearingbrainaudiology.com
Phone: 312-841-7422
The following gives a simple overview of what kind of personal information we collect, why we collect them and how we handle your data when you are visiting or using our website. Personal information is any data with which you could be personally identified. Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in our privacy policy found below.
Who is responsible for the data collection on this website?
The data collected on this website are processed by the website operator. The operator's contact details can be found in the website's required legal notice.
How do we collect your data?
Some data are collected when you provide them to us. This could, for example, be data you enter in a contact form.
Other data are collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit and use our website. These data are primarily technical data such as the browser and operating system you are using or when you accessed the website. These data are collected automatically as soon as you enter our website.
What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure the proper functioning of the website. Other data can be used to analyze how visitors use the site.
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You always have the right to request information about your stored data, its origin, its recipients, and the purpose of its collection at no charge. You also have the right to request that your data be corrected, blocked, or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address given in the legal notice if you have further questions about the issue of privacy and data protection. You may also, of course, file a complaint with the competent regulatory authorities.
When visiting our website, statistical analyses may be made of your surfing behavior. This happens primarily using cookies and analytics. The analysis of your surfing behavior is usually anonymous, encrypted, and pseudonimized, meaning that we will not be able to identify you through this data. You can object to this analysis or prevent it by not using certain tools. Detailed information can be found in the following privacy policy.
The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data as confidential and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.
If you use this website, various kinds of personal data will be collected. Personal information is any data with which you could be personally identified. This privacy policy explains what information we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.
Please note that data transmitted via the internet (e.g. via email communication) may be subject to security breaches. Complete protection of your data from third-party access is not possible.
The party responsible for processing data on this website is:
The responsible party is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (names, email addresses, etc.).
Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may revoke your consent at any time with future effect. An informal email making this request is sufficient. Please note that data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.
If there has been a breach of data protection legislation, the affected person may file a complaint with the competent regulatory authorities.
You have the right to have data which we process based on your consent or in fulfillment of a contract automatically delivered to yourself or to a third party in a standard, machine-readable format. If you require the direct transfer of data to another responsible party, this will only be done to the extent technically feasible.
If you enter into a contract which requires you to send us your payment information (e.g. account number for direct debits), we will require this data to process your payment.
Payment transactions using common means of payment (Visa/MasterCard, direct debit) are only made via encrypted SSL or TLS connections. You can recognize an encrypted connection in your browser's address line when it changes from "http://" to "https://" and the lock icon in your browser line is visible.
In the case of encrypted communication, any payment details you submit to us cannot be read by third parties.
As permitted by law, you have the right to be provided at any time with information free of charge about any of your personal data that is stored as well as its origin, the recipient and the purpose for which it has been processed. You also have the right to have your data be corrected, blocked or deleted. You can contact us at any time using the address given in our legal notice if you have further questions on the topic of personal data.
We hereby expressly prohibit the use of contact data published in the context of website legal notice requirements with regard to sending promotional and informational materials not expressly requested. The website operator reserves the right to take specific legal action if unsolicited advertising material, such as email spam, is received.
Some of our web pages use cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer and do not contain any viruses. Cookies help make our website more user-friendly, efficient, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.
Most of the cookies we use are so-called "session cookies." They are automatically deleted after your visit. Other cookies remain in your device's memory until you delete them. These cookies make it possible to recognize your browser when you next visit the site.
You can configure your browser to inform you about the use of cookies so that you can decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept or reject a cookie. Alternatively, your browser can be configured to automatically accept cookies under certain conditions or to always reject them, or to automatically delete cookies when closing your browser. Disabling cookies may limit the functionality of this website.
Cookies which are necessary to allow electronic communications or to provide certain functions you wish to use (such as the shopping cart) are stored pursuant to Art. 6 paragraph 1, letter f of the EU DSGVO/GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the storage of cookies to ensure an optimized service provided free of technical errors. If other cookies (such as those used to analyze your surfing behavior) are also stored, they will be treated separately in this privacy policy.
The website provider automatically collects and stores information that your browser automatically transmits to us in "server log files". These are:
These data will not be combined with data from other sources.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
Should you send us questions via contact form on our website, we will collect the data entered on in the form, including the contact details you provide, to answer your question and any follow-up questions. We do not share this information without your permission.
We will, therefore, process any data you enter in the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time. An informal email making this request is sufficient. Data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.
We will retain the data you provide in the contact form until you request its deletion, revoke your consent for its storage, or the purpose for its storage no longer pertains (e.g. after fulfilling your request). Any mandatory statutory provisions, especially those regarding mandatory data retention periods, remain unaffected by this provision.
We collect, process, and use personal data only insofar as it is necessary to establish, or modify legal relationships with us (master data). This is done based on Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract. We collect, process and use your personal data when accessing our website (usage data) only to the extent required to enable you to access our service or to bill you for the same.
Collected customer data shall be deleted after completion of the order or termination of the business relationship. Legal retention periods remain unaffected.
We transmit personally identifiable data to third parties only to the extent required to fulfill the terms of your contract, for example, to companies entrusted to deliver goods to your location or banks entrusted to process your payments. Your data will not be transmitted for any other purpose unless you have given your express permission to do so. Your data will not be disclosed to third parties for advertising purposes without your express consent.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
We transmit personally identifiable data to third parties only to the extent required to fulfill the terms of your contract with us, for example, to banks entrusted to process your payments.
Your data will not be transmitted for any other purpose unless you have given your express permission to do so. Your data will not be disclosed to third parties for advertising purposes without your express consent.
The basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the EU DSGVOGDPR, which allows the processing of data to fulfill a contract or for measures preliminary to a contract.
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies". These are text files that are stored on your computer and that allow an analysis of the use of the website by you. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
Google Analytics cookies are stored based on Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
Click here to disable Google Analytics for this website
IP anonymization
We have activated the IP anonymization feature on this website. Your IP address will be shortened by Google within the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area prior to transmission to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the US and shortened there. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services regarding website activity and Internet usage for the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with any other data held by Google.
Browser plugin
You can prevent these cookies being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the full functionality of this website. You can also prevent the data generated by cookies about your use of the website (incl. your IP address) from being passed to Google, and the processing of these data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
Objecting to the collection of data
You can prevent the collection of your data by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent your data from being collected on future visits to this site: Disable Google Analytics.
For more information about how Google Analytics handles user data, see Google's privacy policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.
Outsourced data processing
We have entered into an agreement with Google for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.
Demographic data collection by Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics' demographic features. This allows reports to be generated containing statements about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising from Google and third-party visitor data. This collected data cannot be attributed to any specific individual person. You can disable this feature at any time by adjusting the ads settings in your Google account or you can forbid the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the section "Refusal of data collection".
This website uses the open source web analytics service Matomo. Matomo uses so-called "cookies". These are text files that are stored on your computer and that allow an analysis of the use of the website by you. For this purpose, the information generated by the cookie about the use of this website is stored on our server. The IP address is anonymized before it is stored.
Matomo cookies remain on your device until you delete them.
The storage of Matomo cookies is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising.
The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website will not be disclosed to third parties. You can prevent these cookies being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the full functionality of this website.
If you do not agree with the storage and use of your data, you can disable this feature here. In this case, an opt-out cookie will be stored in your browser to prevent Matomo from storing your usage data. If you delete your cookies, this will mean that the opt-out cookie will also be deleted. You will then need to reactivate it when you return to our site if you wish your activity not to be tracked.
If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require a valid email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive this newsletter. No additional data is collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We only use this data to send the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.
We will, therefore, process any data you enter in the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) of the EU DSGVOGDPR. You can revoke consent to the storage of your data and email address as well as their use for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g. through the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.
The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members area) remain unaffected.
