1 Scope and Acceptance
These Website Terms of Use (Terms) govern use of www.altru.org and other public-facing websites and general website features operated by Altru Health System that expressly link to these Terms (Website). In these Terms, Altru, we, us, and our refer to those entities. These Terms address general website use, not the provision of healthcare.
Please read these Terms before using the Website. When a Website feature asks you to accept these Terms, selecting I agree or taking another clearly identified acceptance action indicates your agreement. Any other asserted acceptance through use of the Website is subject to the notice and assent requirements of applicable law. If you do not agree, do not use features requiring acceptance. Choosing not to use the Website does not waive your patient rights or prevent you from seeking care through other available channels.
2 Patient Portals and Clinical Services
These Terms do not govern MyChart or other patient portals, clinical messaging, access to medical records through a portal, remote patient monitoring, telehealth encounters, e-visits, diagnosis, treatment, or other clinical services. Those services are governed by applicable law and their separate portal terms, clinical agreements, informed consents, privacy notices, and service-specific requirements. A link from the Website to one of those services does not make these Terms the agreement governing that service.
If a clinical or portal service is embedded within a Website page, this exclusion still applies to the clinical or portal function. These Terms may govern the surrounding general website content, but they do not alter the clinical service or the rights and obligations arising from it. Separate terms expressly presented for another nonclinical feature control over these Terms for that feature if they conflict.
Nothing in these Terms establishes consent to treatment, telehealth, release of medical information, research participation, or marketing; limits a right to access or obtain medical records; changes an existing provider-patient relationship; or waives a patient right or a clinical, privacy, security, accessibility, or nondiscrimination duty imposed on Altru by law. These Terms do not limit liability for clinical care or replace an agreement concerning that care.
3 Educational Content and Medical Emergencies
General health information on the Website is provided for education. It is not a diagnosis, an individualized treatment recommendation, or a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your circumstances. Do not disregard professional advice or delay seeking care because of Website content. Browsing educational content or sending a general website inquiry does not, by itself, establish a provider-patient relationship.
Do not use general website forms, ordinary email, or nonclinical chat features for emergencies or urgent medical needs. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or seek emergency care immediately. General website channels are not continuously monitored and should not be relied upon for time-sensitive care. For patient-specific questions, use the communication method your care team directs you to use, MyChart.
4 Appointment Requests and Other Website Tools
A general website appointment request is a request, not confirmation of an appointment. Follow the confirmation instructions provided by Altru. Availability, provider participation, services, and locations may change. Information shown in a provider directory or general service description does not guarantee that a particular service is appropriate for you or covered by your insurance.
General pricing tools and cost illustrations may depend on assumptions and information you provide. Review the notice accompanying the specific estimate. These Terms do not alter a legally required good faith estimate, your rights concerning surprise billing, a financial-assistance determination, or a separate billing or payment agreement.
Donations, employment applications, and payments may be subject to separate notices or terms displayed with the transaction. A payment does not, by itself, constitute consent to clinical care or a waiver of a billing dispute or other protected right.
5 Privacy and Electronic Communications
The Website Privacy Policy explains information practices for general website activity. Altru's HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices addresses protected health information. These Terms do not authorize a use or disclosure prohibited by either applicable law or an applicable privacy notice, and acceptance of these Terms is not a HIPAA authorization or consent to optional tracking technologies.
Do not submit sensitive medical, financial, or identity information through a general website feature unless the feature is specifically intended to receive it. Use the designated patient portal or other approved channel for patient information. Information you send through a general contact feature may be routed to appropriate personnel to address your inquiry, consistent with applicable privacy requirements.
If you choose an electronic feature, communications needed to complete that feature may be sent through the method you select. This does not enroll you in optional promotional email, text messages, or calls. Any required consent, opt-out instructions, or program-specific terms will be presented separately. These Terms do not eliminate a right to request another communication method when available or required by law.
6 Eligibility and Account Responsibilities
Public educational content may be accessed without creating an account. Age, identity-verification, and representative-authority requirements for an account or feature will be stated with that feature. Nothing in these Terms requires a minor to surrender rights concerning confidential care or overrides the rules governing a parent, guardian, proxy, or other representative.
If a general website feature provides an account, supply accurate information, protect your credentials, and use only accounts you are authorized to access. Notify Altru through the contact method below if you suspect unauthorized access. Do not use another person's identity or credentials without lawful authority. Patient-portal accounts and proxy access remain governed by their separate terms.
7 Permitted Use and Intellectual Property
Website content, design, software, logos, and other materials are owned by Altru or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. Subject to these Terms and applicable third-party restrictions, Altru permits you to view the Website and to download or print content made available for that purpose for personal, noncommercial use. Preserve copyright, attribution, and other proprietary notices.
Except as permitted by law or an applicable license, do not reproduce, distribute, sell, modify, republish, or exploit Website materials for commercial purposes without permission. No ownership interest is transferred, and no right to use Altru trademarks or imply Altru endorsement is granted.
These restrictions do not limit fair use, other rights provided by law, or your rights to obtain and use your own medical records. They also do not prohibit authorized record sharing or other activities protected by applicable healthcare law.
8 Prohibited Conduct
Do not use the Website to violate law, infringe another person's rights, impersonate a person or organization, or submit fraudulent, threatening, harassing, or malicious material. Do not attempt unauthorized access, bypass security or access controls, interfere with Website operations, introduce malicious code, or collect other users' information without authorization.
Do not use automated tools to extract Website content or interact with the Website in a manner that defeats access controls, infringes rights, exposes personal information, or materially burdens the systems. Ordinary use of accessibility tools, lawful indexing permitted by Altru, and legally protected access to information are not prohibited by this section.
9 Third Party Links and Automated Features
The Website may link to or display third-party content or tools. Review the terms and privacy notices for the service you choose. A link does not, by itself, represent Altru's endorsement, and third-party service availability is outside Altru's direct control. Altru remains responsible for duties that applicable law imposes on its own selection, configuration, or use of third-party services.
If a general website feature uses automated responses or artificial intelligence, it will be identified with that feature. Unless expressly offered as a clinical service under separate clinical terms, the feature provides general navigation or educational assistance, not diagnosis or treatment. Automated responses may be incomplete or incorrect; confirm important information with the appropriate Altru department. Clinical automated tools are excluded under Section 2.
10 Availability Changes and Access Restrictions
Altru may maintain, update, replace, or discontinue general website content and features. Temporary interruptions may occur. Altru may restrict a general website feature when reasonably necessary for security, unlawful activity, misuse, maintenance, or compliance with law. Where appropriate and feasible, Altru will provide notice or another way to complete a requested nonclinical transaction.
Restricting general website access does not authorize Altru to deny care, terminate a clinical relationship without required procedures, withhold records, or restrict a legally protected right. Portal access decisions and clinical-service interruptions are governed by the applicable separate agreements and law. Contact Altru for an alternative way to request assistance or records.
11 General Website Disclaimers
To the extent permitted by law, general website content and nonclinical features are provided as available without a guarantee that they will be uninterrupted, error-free, or suitable for every purpose. Altru disclaims implied warranties concerning general website functionality to the extent those warranties may lawfully be disclaimed. Altru does not guarantee that all educational content is complete or current for every individual circumstance.
These disclaimers apply only to general website content and nonclinical functionality. They do not apply to clinical services, a legally required disclosure or estimate, an express commitment in a separate agreement, or an obligation or warranty that cannot lawfully be excluded. They do not excuse Altru from privacy, security, accessibility, or other legal duties.
12 Limited Liability for General Website Use
To the extent permitted by applicable law, Altru and its covered affiliates will not be liable for indirect or consequential economic losses arising solely from use of general website content or nonclinical website functionality. This exclusion does not apply to direct damages.
This section does not limit or exclude liability arising from clinical care; bodily injury or death; damage to tangible property; fraud; gross negligence; willful misconduct; violation of law; privacy, confidentiality, or information-security obligations; infringement of a patient right; or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. It does not require indemnification by a patient or website user.
13 Governing Law and Disputes
North Dakota law governs these Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law, without displacing a mandatory protection that applies to you. These Terms do not require arbitration, waive a jury trial or class-action right, shorten a legal deadline, or select an exclusive court for a dispute. Applicable law determines the proper forum and available remedies.
You may contact Altru with a concern, but contacting Altru first is not a condition of bringing a claim or filing a complaint with a regulator. A concern about clinical care, billing, privacy, or patient rights may also be submitted through the applicable patient or regulatory process.
14 Updates and General Provisions
Altru may revise these Terms prospectively. The Last Updated date identifies the current version. Material changes will be brought to users' attention through an appropriate Website notice or another method. Where renewed acceptance is required, the relevant feature will request it. A change does not retroactively waive an accrued right or alter an existing clinical or portal agreement.
If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply to the extent permitted by law. A failure to enforce a provision does not waive the right to enforce it later. These Terms constitute the agreement concerning general website use only; they do not supersede portal, clinical, privacy, financial, employment, or other service-specific agreements or notices.
15 Contact and Alternative Assistance
For questions about these Terms or general website assistance, contact Altru Health System at 701-780-5055 or write to Patient Relations, 1200 South Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58201. For an emergency, call 911. For patient-specific care, portal support, medical records, billing, privacy, or accessibility assistance, use the designated contact for that service.