Who we are
Veterinary Healthcare Associates (VHA), in Winter Haven, Florida, operates the VHA Relief Veterinarian Portal at vhareliefportal.com. This policy explains how information is handled when veterinarians and authorized VHA staff use the portal. It covers the portal and its connected services, rather than other VHA websites or clinical systems.
For privacy questions or requests, contact Dr. Tom Winfield at thomas@vhavets.com.
Information handled by the portal
- Account and profile: name, email address, telephone number, address, emergency-contact details, profile photograph, preferences, and account approval status.
- Professional information: CV, education and experience supplied in your documents, clinical capabilities, license details and expiration dates, liability-insurance and DEA documents where supplied, and related administrator review records.
- Relief work: availability marks, shift requests, rates and negotiations, confirmations, cancellations, housing and travel information, and associated history.
- Invoices and communications: invoice templates, billing and payment instructions you provide, invoice numbers, hours, amounts, submitted documents, private messages with VHA, and notification delivery records.
- Security and activity: sign-in and session records, verification-code attempts, IP-derived rate-limit information, timestamps, audit records, and operational errors. Hosting providers may also process network and device information needed to deliver and protect the service.
VHA staff may enter or update information for account administration and scheduling. Please provide only information needed for relief work and obtain permission before supplying another person’s contact details. This portal is not intended for patient medical records or client information.
How information is used
We use information to authenticate users, review professional profiles, coordinate relief staffing and housing, manage rates and invoices, communicate with veterinarians, maintain records, troubleshoot problems, and protect accounts. Authorized VHA administrators can review portal activity and receive operational summaries. Account approval and booking decisions use the information provided in the portal.
Google sign-in and optional connections
Sign-in: Google sign-in provides your Google account identifier, email address, and basic profile information such as your name to identify your account. We do not receive your Google password. Email verification-code sign-in is also available.
Google Calendar: if you connect Calendar, the portal requests permission to manage events on calendars you own. Its implemented use is to create, update, or remove confirmed VHA shift events in your primary calendar when applicable. The portal stores event identifiers, links, and synchronization status. It does not import personal events, busy blocks, or calendar-matched availability. Although Google’s permission allows broader event access, the portal uses it for VHA shift synchronization.
Administrator connections: authorized VHA staff can connect Google Sheets to read the designated staffing schedule and write approved scheduling changes. A designated VHA Gmail connection sends portal emails, including sign-in codes, notifications, and invoices. The portal’s Gmail integration requests send permission; it does not import inbox messages. Relief users are not asked to connect their Gmail inbox or personal spreadsheets.
Connection storage and controls: access and refresh tokens are stored encrypted to maintain authorized connections. You can turn off automatic Calendar entries or disconnect Calendar in Profile. Disconnecting removes the portal’s stored Calendar connection tokens; it does not erase your portal records or automatically remove previously created Google events. You can also revoke access through Google Account connections. Administrators can contact VHA to remove other stored integration connections.
The VHA Relief Veterinarian Portal’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. Google API data is used for the described user-facing functions, not advertising, data resale, credit decisions, or training general-purpose AI models. Human access to that data is limited to user-authorized functions and support, security investigations, legal obligations, or other access permitted by that policy.
Who receives information
Authorized VHA personnel access information according to their responsibilities, including staffing, credential review, housing, and accounts payable. Relief accounts have private conversations with VHA rather than access to other veterinarians’ private messages or documents.
Service providers process information to operate the portal: OpenAI Sites and its Cloudflare infrastructure provide hosting, database and file storage; Google provides the connected authentication, Calendar, Sheets, and email functions. VHA also uses OpenAI tools to review portal activity and generate administrative email summaries. Those tools may process relevant account, availability, booking, invoice, and messaging-activity information for that purpose.
Invoice submission emails include the submitted invoice and are sent to VHA’s configured recipients, with copies to the submitting veterinarian and thomas@vhavets.com. Messaging alerts link recipients back to the portal rather than including the message body. Information may also be disclosed when needed to comply with law or address fraud, abuse, or security incidents. The portal does not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.
Storage, security, and retention
Portal records and uploaded files are stored using the hosting services described above. Email copies and Google events are also retained in their destination services. Providers may process information in the United States and other locations where they operate.
The portal uses HTTPS, authenticated sessions, server-side access checks, and encrypted Google connection tokens. No online service can guarantee absolute security.
Records are retained for ongoing staffing and account administration, credential review, billing, audit, security, and applicable recordkeeping needs. There is currently no universal automatic deletion period for portal accounts, uploads, invoices, or message history. Retention depends on the record and its purpose. Closing an account or disconnecting Google does not automatically delete those records. VHA reviews deletion requests individually; information needed for outstanding work, accounting, disputes, or legal obligations may need to be retained. Copies in email systems, provider backups, and connected services may remain subject to their retention processes.
Your choices and privacy requests
You can update available profile fields, adjust shift-email preferences, and manage your Calendar connection in the portal. Essential sign-in, transaction, and account messages may still be sent.
To request access to, correction of, or deletion of your information, or to close your account, email thomas@vhavets.com using your registered address. Describe the information or account involved; do not email passwords or sign-in codes. VHA may verify your identity and explain any records that must be retained. Requests are handled according to applicable law.
Cookies and browser storage
The portal uses cookies for sign-in, verification, and session security. A signed-in session can last up to 30 days. Browser storage may retain interface preferences. Blocking these features or clearing cookies may require you to sign in again or prevent authentication. The portal does not include advertising trackers.
Professional use and policy updates
The portal is intended for adult veterinary professionals and VHA staff, not children. We update this page when information practices change and identify the revision date above. Material changes will be communicated through the portal or email as appropriate. New uses of Google data requiring consent will be disclosed before that use begins.