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COOKIES POLICY

This cookies policy describes the way in which any website ("Site") operated by Michael Hill, MD and Associates stores or accesses information on the device that you use in order to access the Site.

By using the Site, you are providing your consent to Michael Hill, MD and Associates storing and using cookies and web beacons in accordance with this cookies policy.  However, you can adjust the settings on the browser you use to view the Site to remove or limit the types of cookies that it accepts. More information about this is set out in the section "Managing Cookies" below.

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What are Cookies?

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, mobile or another device that you are using to access that website, so that the website can remember and identify it.  They contain anonymous information and will typically include the name of the domain from which the cookie has come; the "lifetime" of the cookie; and a value, usually a randomly generated unique number.

They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide aggregate information to the owners of the site about their usage.  For example, they enable a website to identify that when you move from one page to another you are not treated as a new user and so do not need to log on again.  We also use cookies to help make your use of the Site clear and easy, to help improve the content of the Site and to personalize your visit.

Some websites will also use cookies to enable them to target their advertising or marketing based for example, on your location or browsing habits.

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Cookies can be set by the owner of the website itself ("first party cookies") or by other websites that provide content (such as advertising) for the website that you are viewing ("third party cookies").

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To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

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Web beacons

Web beacons are used for Google Analytics in order to communicate anonymous user data from our website to the Google Analytics database.  A Michael Hill, MD and Associates in-house developer places the code on our site.

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How the Site uses Cookies

We may send a cookie which may be stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. We may also use that information to recognize your computer when you visit our Site, and to personalize our Site for you.

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Some cookies used on the Site are temporary and remain on your device until you leave the Site, at which point they are deleted. These are often called session cookies. Session cookies are typically used on the Site to allow you to carry information across pages of the Site and avoid having to re-enter information, and to allow you to access stored information whilst you are logged into a user account on the Site.

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Other cookies used on the Site remain on your device once you have left the Site (though how long will depend on the lifetime of the specific cookie). These are often called persistent cookies. Persistent cookies are typically used on the Site to help it recognize your device when you return to it, and to help us improve the structure of the Site by compiling anonymous, aggregated statistics that allow us to understand how users use the Site.

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The cookies used by the Site can be grouped into three categories.

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Strictly necessary cookies. These are cookies that are required for the operation of the Site. They allow our web servers to respond to your actions on the Site and whilst browsing it. The Site will not work for you without these cookies.

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Analytical cookies. These cookies allow us to see how visitors move around the Site when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way the Site works. For example, we use this cookie type to ensure that users are finding what they are looking for easily, and also to analyze the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

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Functionality cookies. These are used to recognize you when you return to the Site in order to remember your preferences, and also allow us to provide certain aspects of the Site's functionality.

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Here's a list of the [main] cookies we use on the Site, and what we use them for.  We may, from time to time, update or modify our cookies.  If we do, we will update this list.

Cookie Name

Cookie Purpose

When does this cookie expire?

Analytical Cookies

 

 

Click here to view the Google Analytics privacy policy:
https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

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You can disable the setting of cookies by Google Analytics by visiting:
https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

 

__utmb

__utmc

__utmz

F5

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This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. ("Google").

Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze your use of the website. The information generated by the

cookie about your use of this website (including your IP address) is transmitted to and stored on a

Google server in the United States of America. Google use this information to assess your use of the

website, providing reports on website activity for website operators and other website activity and

internet related services. Google may transfer this information to third parties, if required by law or if

third parties process the information on behalf of Google.

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Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

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 utma, utmb, utmc and umtz are the four main cookies set by the Google Analytics service which enable

website owners to track visitor behavior and measure site performance.

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__utma : This cookie lasts for 2 years by default and distinguishes between users and sessions. It is used

to calculate new and returning visitor statistics. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google

 Analytics. The lifespan of the cookie can be customized by website owners. utma is a persistent cookie

 and is deleted 2 years after you leave the Site.

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__utmb : This cookie determines new sessions and visits and expires after 30 minutes. The cookie is

 updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. Any activity by a user within the 30-minute life

 span will count as a single visit, even if the user leaves and then returns to the site. A return after

 30 minutes will count as a new visit, but a returning visitor.

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__utmc : This cookie is not used in most sites but is set to enable interoperability with the older version

 of Google Analytics code known as Urchin. In older versions this was used in combination with the

 __utmb cookie to identify new sessions/visits for returning visitors. When used by Google Analytics,

 this is always a session cookie which is destroyed when the user closes their browser. Where it is seen

as a persistent cookie, it is therefore likely to be a different technology setting the cookie.

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__utmz : This cookie tracks where visitors have come to the Michael Hill, MD and Associates site, ie directly

 browsing to the site, using a search engine (tracks the search term used, etc.), as well as the geographical

 location of the visitor. It allows Google Analytics to report on how to "credit" a visit or successful

 ecommerce transaction. 

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Additionally there is also a cookie called "F5" which comes from the load balancer, to ensure that the       

 visitor's session is tied to the web server they initially get directed to in the load balancer rotation.


Click here for an overview of privacy at Google:

http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

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__utma is a persistent cookie and is deleted 2 years after you leave the Site.

__utmb is a

persistent cookie and is deleted 30 minutes after you leave the Site.

__utmc is a session cookie.

__utmz is a persistent cookie and it expires 6 months from the time of creation.

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Functionality Cookies

This cookie is used to obtain information about whether a visitor has previously accepted the Cookies Policy.

This cookie has a numeric value.

 

Managing Cookies

Disabling and Enabling Cookies

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Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. Your browser may have a Help section or some other form of instructions which should explain how to do this. If you are using a smartphone, then the manufacturer should have instructions on its website explaining how to do this (for example, in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking "Tools", "Internet Options", "Privacy", and selecting "Block all cookies" using the sliding selector).

Useful guidelines on how to do this for a number of popular computer browsers can be found at www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/online/cookies.

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Please note that if you do disable any cookies, this will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites, including this one.

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