California Thoracic Society – Privacy Policy

 

Introduction

Effective date: October 30, 2026

The California Thoracic Society ("CTS," "we," "us," or "our") is a nonprofit professional society and a chapter of the American Thoracic Society. We respect your privacy. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

Who collects your information: The California Thoracic Society (CTS) is the organization that collects, uses, and protects the personal information described in this policy. When this policy says "CTS," "we," "us," or "our," it means the California Thoracic Society, 447 Sutter Street, Suite 506 - #1054, San Francisco, CA 94108.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and when we share it. It applies to our website at https://calthoracic.org, our online forms, conference and webinar registrations, and our email and text message (SMS) communications.

By using our website or services, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have questions, see "Contact Us" at the end of this page.

Information We Collect

CTS collects personal information in three ways: directly from you when you fill out forms on our website, register for a conference or webinar, or complete a faculty Speaker Agreement Form (sent by email and Adobe Sign); when you communicate with us by email, phone, or text message; and automatically, through cookies and similar tools, when you visit our website.

Information you provide to us:

  • Contact Us forms: your name, email address, phone number (if provided), and your message.
  • Conference registration: for our Annual Educational Conference and other events, registered through our Event Espresso registration system: name, credentials, title, organization, mailing address, email address, phone number, registration type, dietary or accessibility needs, and payment details.
  • Non-CME (nCME) webinar registration: first name, last name, title, organization, email address, and phone number (if requested).
  • Conference faculty and speakers: name, title, organization, email address, mobile phone number, travel and presentation details, and any disclosure information required for continuing medical education.
  • Other forms: information you submit for membership (including your mobile phone number, if you choose to receive texts), newsletter sign-ups, donations, exhibitor registration, and abstract or poster submissions.

Payment information: Payments are processed by secure third-party payment processors. CTS does not store full credit card numbers on our website.

Information collected automatically: When you visit our website, we may collect your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. We use cookies and similar tools for this purpose (see "Cookies and Analytics" below).

How We Use Your Information

We use your information only to carry out our educational and professional mission, including to:

  • Respond to your questions and requests.
  • Process conference, event, and webinar registrations and payments.
  • Send confirmations, reminders, schedules, and event updates.
  • Coordinate with conference faculty and speakers about sessions, travel, and logistics.
  • Issue continuing education certificates and meet accreditation requirements.
  • Manage memberships, donations, and newsletter subscriptions, and send membership updates by email or by text (to members who have opted in to texts).
  • Improve our website and programs.
  • Comply with legal obligations and protect the security of our website.

How We Share Your Information

CTS does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone. We share information only in the limited cases below.

  • Contact Us forms: Information you submit through our Contact Us forms is not shared with any third party.
  • Conference registration: Information you submit when registering for our conferences is not shared with any third party, other than the service providers described below.
  • nCME webinar sponsors: Some non-CME webinars are supported by sponsors. For these webinars only, we may share your first name, last name, title, and organization with the webinar sponsor. We never share your email address or phone number with sponsors. Sponsors are not permitted to share this information with anyone else.
  • Service providers: We use trusted vendors to run our website, registration system, payment processing, email, and phone and text messaging (such as RingCentral). These vendors may access your information only to perform services for CTS and must keep it confidential.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of CTS, our members, or others.

SMS Privacy Disclosure: SMS opt-in data and consent are not shared with third parties or affiliates. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. See "SMS Terms & Conditions" below.

SMS Terms & Conditions (Text Messaging)

1. SMS Consent Communication :
"The information (Phone Numbers) obtained as part of the SMS consent process will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes."

2. Types of SMS Communications:

Account Notifications

Higher education

Example Message:  [CTS] This a reminder to send us your biography and headshot. Reply STOP to opt out.
3.Message Frequency
"Message frequency may vary. You may receive up to (  5 ) SMS messages per week regarding your [appointments/account status, etc.]."

4.Potential Fees:
"Standard message and data rates may apply, depending on your carrier’s pricing plan. These fees may vary if the message is sent domestically or internationally."

5.Opt-In Method:
We ask them verbally

6.Opt-Out Method:
"You can opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time. To do so, simply reply "STOP" to any SMS message you receive. Alternatively, you can contact us directly to request removal from our messaging list."

7.Help Instructions:
"If you are experiencing any issues, you can reply with the keyword HELP. Or, you can get help directly from us at  https://calthoracic.org/. You can also contact us at 415-536-0287

8.Standard Messaging Disclosures :

Message and data rates may apply.

You can opt out at any time by texting "STOP."

For assistance, text "HELP" or visit our Privacy Policy [https://calthoracic.org/privacy-policy/] and Terms and Conditions pages. [https://calthoracic.org/privacy-policy/#sms-terms]

Message frequency may vary.

Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use the site. We may use analytics and social media tools for this purpose. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, but some parts of the site may not work properly. Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals.

Third-Party Websites

Our website links to other sites, such as the American Thoracic Society, our partner organizations, our job board, and our social media pages. CTS is not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Please review their privacy policies.

How We Protect Your Information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. These include secure (SSL) connections on our forms and limited staff access. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your information only as long as needed for the purposes in this policy, such as running events, maintaining continuing education records, and meeting legal or accreditation requirements. When it is no longer needed, we delete it or make it anonymous.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are intended for healthcare professionals and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have, we will delete it.

Your Choices and California Privacy Rights

You may contact us at any time to:

  • Ask what personal information we hold about you.
  • Correct or update your information.
  • Ask us to delete your information, subject to legal or accreditation record requirements.
  • Unsubscribe from emails by using the "unsubscribe" link in any email.
  • Stop text messages by replying STOP.

Under California's "Shine the Light" law (Civil Code Section 1798.83), California residents may ask whether we share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. CTS does not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date. We encourage you to review it periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a request, please contact us:

California Thoracic Society 447 Sutter Street, Suite 506 - #1054 San Francisco, CA 94108 Phone: 415-536-0287 Email: office@calthoracic.org Website: calthoracic.org/contact