TERMS OF USE

Please read these terms of USE CAREFULLY before you register OR OTHERWISE USE THIS WebSITE (the “Site”). By registering OR ACCESSING INFORMATION on this site, you agree to be bound by these terms of USE, which govern the use of the site’s content, including the volunteer database. 

The Site is owned and administered by the Yale New Haven Health Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response (the “Center”).  If you have questions concerning these Terms of Use, please contact the Center at (203) 688-3224.

THE CENTER MAY MAKE CHANGES TO THE SITE, THESE TERMS OF USE, OR ANY OF THE POLICIES AND RULES THAT GOVERN THE USE OF THE SITE AT ANY TIME.  THE CENTER ENCOURAGES YOU TO REVIEW THE SITE AND THESE TERMS OF USE REGULARLY FOR ANY UPDATES OR CHANGES.  YOUR CONTINUED ACESS OR USE OF THE SITE OR ITS CONTENT SHALL BE DEEMED YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF ANY CHANGES AND THE REASONABLENESS OF THESE STANDARDS FOR NOTICE OF CHANGES.

Overview

The Medical Reserve Corps is a component of the State of Connecticut “civil preparedness force” also known as either “Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) program” or the “State of Connecticut Emergency Credentialing Program (ECP) for Healthcare Professionals”.

The Center, acting on behalf of the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, assists in the administration of the State of Connecticut’s Emergency Credentialing Program (ECP) for Healthcare Professionals.  The ECP provides a system pursuant to which volunteer health professionals (“Volunteers”) may be pre-qualified and credentialed to assist in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency.  Volunteers who are pre-qualified and credentialed will become part of a database maintained on the Site and accessible by acute care hospital(s) and healthcare agencies in the State of Connecticut or acute care hospital(s) and agencies in any other state who participate in and have made a request for assistance through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (“Users”).  Through the database (the “Volunteer Database”), Users are provided with a resource to identify and expeditiously contact Volunteers to provide assistance in the case of a declared emergency.  Volunteers who register and are pre-qualified and credentialed agree to be contacted if needed during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency to provide - on a voluntary basis - licensed or non-licensed healthcare personnel support.  Volunteers are never obliged to respond to the request for assistance and may decline to participate without elaboration.  As part of the Connecticut Medical Reserve Corps, such Volunteers are entitled to certain liability protections; for more information on these protections, please go to << http://www.cga.ct.gov/ >>.

Description of Site

The Site includes (i) information regarding the ECP; (ii) a central, on-line system for the registration of Volunteers who wish to be pre-qualified for the ECP; and (ii) a Volunteer Database accessible by Users who seek to enlist the assistance of Volunteers (all information included on the Site is referred to as the “Content”). 

The Site includes (i) information regarding the ECP; (ii) a central, on-line system for the registration of Volunteers who wish to be pre-qualified for the ECP; and (ii) a Volunteer Database accessible by Users who seek to enlist the assistance of Volunteers (all information included on the Site is referred to as the “Content”). 

The Site also includes (i) information regarding a Medical Reserve Corps; (ii) a central, on-line system for the registration of Volunteers who wish to be pre-qualified for a Medical Reserve Corps; and (ii) a Volunteer Database accessible by Users who seek to enlist the assistance of Volunteers (all information included on the Site is referred to as the “Content”). 

Information collected from Volunteers through registration on the Site will be used exclusively to determine the individual’s program eligibility (including verification of credentialing through employers and other third parties) and to provide for efficient communication with approved Volunteers, including a call-to-service by Users during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency.

Site Security

The Center operates this Site in compliance with the principles established by the Health on the Net Foundation.  At present, information submitted on the Site provided is protected and encrypted by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software.

On select pages of this site, you have an opportunity to communicate with us by E-mail. E-mail contact is offered via: ECP@ynhh.org , siteeditor@ynhh.org, MRC@ynhh.org  The security of E-mail communications on the Internet cannot be assured—although it is very likely to be secure.   All the information on the Site is hosted on secure servers stored behind firewalls that are backed up regularly to ensure minimal loss of information in the event of a system failure or disaster.

If you are a Volunteer, the email address you are asked to provide during the registration process may be used to contact you during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency, to respond your question or to provide you with program information. 

Privacy

We respect the privacy of Volunteers regarding the use and disclosure of information collected.  However, disclosure of certain information provided by Volunteers is required for certain program processes including credential verification and the appropriate assignment of volunteer personnel to enhance personnel surge capacity during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency.  Reasonable effort will be taken limit access to volunteer information to appropriate and authorized Users responsible for official emergency management response activities.

Intellectual Property Rights

All text, software (including source and object codes), visual, oral or other digital material, photographs, information, data, graphics and all other content of any description included in the Site, are owned by or licensed to the Center and are protected by copyright.  Volunteers and Users may use the Content and intellectual property as expressly permitted by these Terms of Use and for no other purposes.

Users are granted a personal, nonexclusive, nontransferable, nonassignable, revocable, limited access to use the Site and Content for personnel surge capacity support during a large-scale disaster or public health emergency.  Access and use DOES NOT include (a) using the Content, or parts of the Content, to create your own database, or (b) using the Content, or parts of the Content, for financial or other gain for any party, individual or entity.   

Users may download one copy of the Content and make one hard copy of the Content for internal use. Otherwise, you may not duplicate, transmit, redistribute or publish the Content, or parts of the Content.

Conduct

Each Volunteer and User will be provided with or will create a user name and password for access to the Site or certain portions of the Site.  You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your user name and password and are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your user name and password.  You agree to immediately notify the Center of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security of which you are aware.   

In addition, Users and Volunteers will not: (a) act in an unwanted, threatening, harassing, abusive or offensive manner toward others; (b) use the Site for political, commercial or advertising purposes; (c) harm or exploit minors in any way, which includes requesting personal or other information; (d) post, submit or otherwise do anything with the Site that is unlawful, harmful, tortuous, defamatory, profane, obscene, libelous, or hateful to the average user; (e) act in a racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable manner; (g) post or reference indecent or pornographic materials (whether in visual, textual, or audio format); (h) discuss, incite or otherwise solicit illegal activity; (i) violate or infringe upon the confidentiality, or proprietary or other rights, of any individual or third party, (j) send any communications to any User or Volunteer for any purpose other than that which represents activity related to an appropriate emergency management response; or (k) transmit fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading communications or intercept or attempt to intercept email or other private communications not intended for you.

In registering, each Volunteer agrees to:

1.                  Provide true, accurate, current and complete information as prompted by the Registration page; and

2.                  Maintain and promptly update the registration information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete.

If a Volunteer provides any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or the Center has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current, incomplete or not belonging to the Volunteer, the Center may suspend or terminate such Volunteer’s registration and refuse any and all current and future use of the Site. 

Links

Links to all third-party websites are provided solely as a convenience and not as an endorsement by us of the third party or of the content contained on the third-party website.

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. NEITHER THE CENTER, NOR OUR AFFILIATES, NOR ANY OF OUR OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, OR EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, THIRD-PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS, MERCHANTS, SPONSORS, LICENSORS, OR THE LIKE (COLLECTIVELY, THE "ASSOCIATES"), WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE; NOR DO WE OR OUR ASSOCIATES MAKE ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SITE, OR AS TO THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR CURRENCY OF ANY INFORMATION, CONTENT OR SERVICE PROVIDED THROUGH THE SITE.

THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS," "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS AND WE AND OUR ASSOCIATES SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. NO ORAL ADVICE OR WRITTEN INFORMATION GIVEN BY US OR OUR ASSOCIATES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE OR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DISTRIBUTING THE SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOOD WILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) THAT RESULT FROM (A) THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE, (B) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SITE; OR (C) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SITE.

The information contained in the Volunteer Database has been compiled by the Center in its capacity as administrator of the ECP on behalf of the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.  The Center will use reasonable best efforts to ensure that all information contained therein has been verified by the hospital or employer with which each Volunteer is primarily affiliated as of the date of such Volunteer registration to participate in the ECP.  The information is, however, subject to change and neither the Center nor the State of Connecticut represents or warrants that the information contained in the Volunteer Database is accurate, complete or current.  By using the information contained in the Volunteer Database and participating in the ECP, you hereby release the Center, the State of Connecticut, each other User and all of their respective officers, employees and agents from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions, and causes of actions whatsoever for any loss claim, damage, injury, illness, attorney's fees or harm of any kind or nature arising out of any and all activities associated with participation in the ECP.    

Authorized Third Parties

The Center reserves the right to allow third parties to provide any necessary services to it to enable the Center to provide and maintain the Site.

Our Rights and Remedies for Violations

The Center may elect to electronically monitor areas of the Site and may disclose any content, data, or electronic communication of any kind (i) to satisfy any law, regulation, or government request; (ii) to operate the Site, if such disclosure is necessary or appropriate to do so; or (iii) to protect our rights or property or the rights of other users, sponsors, providers, licensors, or merchants.  The Center is not responsible for screening, policing, editing, or monitoring content on the Site that is submitted by a User or Volunteer.  If notified of allegedly infringing, defamatory, damaging, illegal, or offensive content, the Center may investigate the allegation and may terminate access, or suspend access to all or part of the Site, without notice.

The Center reserve the right to seek any and all remedies available at law, in equity or otherwise for violations of these Terms of Use, including, but not limited to, the right to block access to the Site from a particular Internet address.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the U.S. and the State of Connecticut, without giving effect to its conflicts-of-law principles.

Access Outside the United States

The Center does not represent that the Site or the Content are appropriate or available for use in countries outside the U.S.

General

These Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement with respect to User and Volunteer access to, and use of, the Site.  If any provision of these Terms of Use is unlawful, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions and shall not affect their validity and enforceability. The Center reserves the right to change these Terms of Use at any time.  Any changes to these Terms of Use are effective immediately.  Users and Volunteers are responsible for regularly reviewing these Terms of Use.  Continued use of the Site after any such changes constitutes your consent to such changes.  The section headings in these Terms of Use are used solely for convenience and have no legal or contractual significance.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Terms of Use or any general legal principles to the contrary, any provision of these Terms of Use that imposes or contemplates continuing obligations on a party will survive the expiration or termination of these Terms of Use.

Term

These Terms of Use shall continue in full force and effect for so long as you are using the Site.  If you no longer agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, you must cease your use of the Site.