Terms of Use

Disclaimer of Endorsement and Liability

Altoona Lung Specialists (ALS) does not endorse or recommend any commercial services, products, or, processes. Therefore, mention of commercial services, products, or processes on ALS’s web site, thelungspecialists.com, cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation.

The ALS web site provides links to other internet sites. This is done for informational purposes only and as a convenience for its users. When users select a link to an external web site, they are leaving the ALS web site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the external site.

ALS does not endorse the organizations that sponsor linked, external web sites. In addition, ALS does not endorse products or services that such organizations may offer. Furthermore, ALS does not control or guarantee the currency, accuracy, relevance, or completeness of any information found on linked, external web sites.

ALS cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials published on linked, external web sites. Users must request authorization from the sponsors of those web sites.

ALS is not responsible for any transmissions users may receive from linked, external web sites.

ALS does not guarantee that linked, external web sites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

Information posted on ALS’s web site for public use will not be posted unless developed by or for ALS or appropriate references are made.

In general, it is not ALS’s intention to provide specific medical advice to users of its web site, but rather to provide users with information to help them better understand their health and the current range of approaches related to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment options for lung diseases. ALS urges users to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to their personal medical questions.

Privacy and Security

General Information

Altoona Lung Specialists (ALS) respects the privacy of users of its web site, thelungspecialists.com. ALS does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about visitors to thelungspecialists.com unless required to do so by law.

ALS is especially concerned about protecting the privacy of children. ALS encourages parents and teachers to stay involved with and in control of children’s internet explorations. It is particularly important for parents to offer guidance to their children about providing personal information online.

ALS may automatically collect a limited amount of information about the use of its web site, primarily for statistical purposes (that is, to measure the numbers of visitors to various sections of the site). This information may also be helpful when considering changes to thelungspecialists.com, to make the site more useful to visitors.

Information Collected and Stored Automatically

The following information about users of the ALS web site may be collected and stored automatically:

• The internet domain from which a user has accessed the Internet. For example, if a user connects to the internet through America Online, the domain is aol.com.
• The internet protocol (IP) address of the computer that was used to access the internet. An IP address is a number that is assigned to a user’s computer when he/she logs onto the internet. When a web page is requested, the user’s IP address is included in the message, and the recipient of the request can respond to it by sending another message using that IP address.
• The name and version of the user’s computer operating system and internet browser. For example, Windows 2000 (operating system) and Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape Navigator 7.1 (internet browsers).
• If a user comes to thelungspecialists.com from another web site, the internet address of the “referring” web site.
• The date, time, and duration of the user’s visit to thelungspecialists.com, and the pages visited.

Cookies

When a user visits a web site, the web site’s server generates a piece of information known as a “cookie” and places it on the user’s computer. Some cookies remain on a user’s computer after the user has ended his/her web site visit.
These types of cookies are called “persistent” cookies. They collect personal information about a user and allow the user’s computer to be recognized in the future. Nonpersistent cookies, or “session cookies,” are erased by a user’s
computer after a period of inactivity or when the user closes his/her internet browser. Session cookies do not collect any personal information about a user. They serve technical purposes, such as allowing seamless navigation through
a web site. Session cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session.

The ALS web site does not use persistent cookies at this time. If web site activities which use persistent cookies are included in ALS’s web site they will be specifically detailed in this section of the policy document. Review of this document prior to usage will give the user specific information so that informed decision making can occur.

E-mail Messages Sent to the ALS Web Site

When inquiries are sent to the ALS web site by e-mail, the question(s) and the e-mail address of the sender are stored electronically to allow time for a response to be researched, written, and sent. Unless otherwise required by law, ALS will not identify anyone who sends questions or comments to its web site. ALS does not collect information that will allow users to be identified personally, unless they choose to provide such information.

If children send questions or comments to the ALS web site and include their name and/or home mailing address as part of their message, the information will be used only to respond to them personally. Providing this type of information is optional, and ALS suggests that children obtain their parents’ permission before providing any information online–to the ALS web site or any other web site.

Links to Other Web Sites from the ALS Web Site

ALS web site has links to other web sites. ALS cannot guarantee the privacy or security of information users provide to linked, external web sites.

Accessibility Policy

Altoona Lung Specialists (ALS) is committed to providing access to all individuals–disabled or not–who are seeking information on its web site. To provide this information, ALS’s web site has been designed to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (as amended).

Section 508 requires that all individuals with disabilities (whether they are federal government employees or members of the general public) have access to and use of information and data comparable to that provided to individuals without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed.

Any individual using assistive technology (such as a screen reader, Braille reader, etc.) who experiences difficulty in accessing information, should send an e-mail to mail@altoonalungspecialists.com or call ALS’s office at 814-946-2845 for assistance.
The nature of the accessibility problem and contact information should be included in any e-mail or telephone message. If the accessibility problem involves a particular web page, including the URL (web address) of the page would be helpful. A member of the ALS staff will contact individuals with accessibility problems as soon as possible to assist them and to provide them the information sought.

Linking Policy

Altoona Lung Specialists (ALS) encourages links to its public web resources.

Individuals or organizations wishing to link to the ALS site should direct their link to https://www.thelungspecialists.com. If a description is to be provided with the link, ALS would prefer the following wording:

Altoona Lung Specialists web site (https://thelungspecialists.com) provides accurate, up-to-date information regarding lung cancer, information about prevention, screening and surveillance and resources for people dealing with lung cancer prevention.

The abbreviated description “The web site of Altoona Lung Specialists (https://thelungspecialists.com)” is also acceptable.

Links to individual pages within the ALS web site are also permissible; provided attribution is made to ALS and any descriptive notes accurately reflect the content of the linked page(s).

Some pages on the ALS web site may contain links to external web sites. These links are provided for convenience and informational purposes. In general, it is the policy of the ALS web site to link only to Web sites whose content meets acceptable standards of quality and also supplements or enhances existing content on thelungspecialists.com.

Copyright and Registered Trademarks

Most of the information on Altoona Lung Specialists (ALS) web site has been written by employees. This material is not in the public domain and is subject to copyright restrictions. Permission is required to use it or reproduce it. Permission requests to use artwork, graphics and text in ALS materials may be directed to:

Altoona Lung Specialists

800 Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601

ALS’s logo is also trademarked. This logo cannot be used or reproduced without ALS’s consent. Queries regarding use of the ALS logo should be directed to:

Altoona Lung Specialists

800 Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601