Privacy Policy
The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you, as a user, of what kinds of information we may gather about you when you visit the MA Responds website, how we may use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone, and the choices you have regarding the information. This privacy policy applies to all site content.
Information in the MA Responds system will be protected from disclosure to the extent allowed by applicable Massachusetts laws, including the Fair Information Practices Act (MGL c. 66A). DPH reserves the right to exercise control, as specifically provided by agreement with participating volunteer programs, over the access, use, disclosure, and disposition of personal information.
The information provided during registration will be used by designated MA Responds staff at DPH or affiliated programs to determine the status of your credentials, including confirmation that any license you hold is current, valid, and free of any restrictions. DPH or its agent may consult with any representative of any health care organizations with which you have or have had employment, practice, association, or privileges, and any other organizations (including without limitation national, federal, and Massachusetts licensing and credentialing authorities) or individuals who have information bearing on your credentials, competence, professional performance, clinical skills, judgment, character, and ethical qualifications, and to inspect such records as may be material to the evaluation of your professional qualifications and competence to carry out the duties of a MA Responds volunteer, as well as to moral and ethical qualifications.
DPH and/or affiliated programs for which you volunteer may access databases maintained by a state, the federal government, or other agencies or organizations. A Nationwide Sex Offender Search will be conducted about you, using publicly available information. You will also be asked to submit a separate form authorizing a Massachusetts Criminal Offender Records Information (CORI) check.
The information you provide will be used by designated MA Responds registry staff to verify your credentials, employment, and criminal history and to assign you an Emergency Credentialing Level in accordance with applicable Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professional (ESAR-VHP) standards (Federal Credentialing Level Chart). The assignment of an Emergency Credentialing Level neither designates or grants clinical privileges nor authorizes you to provide health care services without proper authorization and supervision.
During an emergency or disaster, some of the information you provide (name, profession, experience, contact information, etc.) will be used by authorized state and local volunteer administrators and emergency managers to assign you to volunteer services and activities for which you are adequately credentialed, and by on-site emergency operational area officials to identify you once you are deployed.
Also, our site automatically gathers certain usage information like the numbers and frequency of visitors to the site. We only use such data in the aggregate form to determine site usage and make improvements.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, please contact us at maresponds@mass.gov