Health care fundraising activities are guided by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 (HIPAA). Learn more about our fundraising and communication policies.
Charitable Gifts Help Us Achieve Our Health Care Mission
We are a nonprofit organization that relies on support from our community to be a leading-edge medical center providing compassionate care.
As a health care organization, we follow the rules outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which was updated on March 26, 2013 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
As a nonprofit, we receive many questions about who we solicit for gifts. Our donors include patients, patient families, employees, community members and local businesses, among others. There are many ways we communicate with donors and potential donors. Outreach includes direct mail, emails, phone calls, social media, events and one-on-one meetings.
If an individual visits Golisano Children's Hospital at University of Vermont Health, they may receive a solicitation from us. Opting out of solicitations is easy. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please email your name and address to development@uvmhealth.org or call 802-656-2887.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fundraising
Yes. HIPAA updates made by the federal government on March 26, 2013 allow the following PHI to be accessed for fundraising purposes:
- Patient name
- Address and other contact information
- Gender and age (including date of birth)
- Dates heath care services were provided to the patient
- Department of service
- Treating physician
- Health insurance status
Development Office staff are trained in HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule requirements and comply with UVM Health HIPAA policies, including data security requirements.
Yes. All of our solicitations include clear instructions on how to opt out of future fundraising communications by phone, email or through the mail. Or, at any time, you may contact the Development Office at 802-656-2887 or email development@uvmhealth.org. Your first and last name, mailing address and telephone number will be required in order to opt you out.
When an individual opts out, they will no longer receive solicitations, but they will receive newsletters, event invitations and other communications.
Yes; but please note that receipt of a gift is not an automatic opt back in. In these cases, a development officer will contact the patient donor and ask if they’d like to opt back in. The patient donor will be asked to confirm their approval via email.
Please contact the Development Office at 802-656-2887 or email development@uvmhealth.org with any questions. We are happy to communicate with you.