This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Ascendra Wellness collects, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Please read it alongside our Terms & Conditions.
Effective date: 1 September 2026
1. Who this policy covers
This policy applies to VCG Healthcare Inc., doing business as Ascendra Wellness, and to information collected through ascendrawellness.com.
It does not cover the independent healthcare providers and pharmacies involved in your care. Those organisations are separately responsible for the health information they hold about you, and they will give you their own privacy notices. It also does not cover our patient platform at app.ascendrawellness.com, which is operated by Fuse Health and is described in section 7.
2. Information you give us
Depending on how you use the site, this may include:
- your name, email address, postal address and phone number;
- your date of birth and the state you are located in;
- information you enter into a contact form or send us by email;
- health information you provide in a medical intake, including your medical history, current medications, allergies and treatment goals;
- account details, if you create an account.
You do not have to give us any of this. But if you do not, we may not be able to provide the service you are asking for.
3. Information collected automatically
When you visit the site, we and our service providers may automatically collect your IP address, browser type and device information, the pages you view, how long you spend on them, and the site or advert you arrived from.
We collect this using cookies and similar technologies, described in section 8.
4. Payment information
Payments are processed by Stripe. Your full card number is submitted directly to them and is not stored on our systems. We receive only limited information such as the last four digits, the card type, and whether the payment succeeded.
5. How we use your information
- to provide the services you request and to pass your intake to a licensed provider for review;
- to process orders, payments and refunds;
- to communicate with you about your account, orders, shipping and safety notices;
- to answer questions you send our support team;
- to operate, secure and improve the website;
- to send marketing messages, where you have agreed to receive them;
- to comply with legal obligations and to protect our rights.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your health information for advertising.
6. Health information and your HIPAA rights
Some of the information you provide, particularly through a medical intake, is "Protected Health Information" (PHI) under HIPAA.
How we use and disclose PHI — We are not your healthcare provider. When you complete a medical intake, we collect the health information you provide and share it with: Beluga, our independent clinical partner, so a licensed provider can review your intake and decide whether treatment is appropriate; The Pharmacy Hub and WES Digital, the pharmacies that review, fill and ship a prescription if one is issued; and service providers who host our systems, under agreements requiring them to protect your information and use it only to provide these services to us. We do not use PHI for marketing or advertising, and we do not sell it.
Because Beluga and the dispensing pharmacies are the organizations that actually diagnose, treat, and hold your clinical record, they — not Ascendra Wellness — are your HIPAA covered entities. Each will give you their own Notice of Privacy Practices, describing in full how they use and disclose your PHI and your rights under HIPAA.
Your rights regarding your health information — Whether through us or your provider/pharmacy directly, you generally have the right to: inspect and obtain a copy of your health records; request a correction if something in your record is wrong or incomplete; request a list of certain disclosures made of your health information; request restrictions on how it’s used or shared, or how we communicate with you; and receive a copy of this notice at any time. To exercise these rights over records held by your provider or pharmacy, contact them directly using the details in their Notice of Privacy Practices. For information we hold ourselves, email info@ascendrawellness.com — we will respond within the time required by law and may need to verify your identity first.
How to file a complaint — If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us at info@ascendrawellness.com or in writing to VCG Healthcare Inc., 1328 Main St, Crete, IL 60417; with your provider or pharmacy directly; or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at hhs.gov/ocr/complaints. We will not take any action against you for filing a complaint.
Our legal duty — We are required by law to maintain the privacy of health information we hold, to provide this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms currently in effect. We will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised your health information.
HIPAA and Protected Health Information: For information regarding the privacy and protection of Protected Health Information (PHI), including applicable privacy rights and how to submit a privacy complaint, please review our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
7. Who we share information with
We share your information only as described here:
- Independent healthcare providers — Beluga Health, to evaluate you and decide whether treatment is appropriate.
- Pharmacies — The Pharmacy Hub and WES Digital, to review, fill and ship a prescription.
- Our patient platform — Fuse Health, which operates our patient platform at app.ascendrawellness.com, where intakes, orders and payments are completed. That platform has its own privacy policy governing what it collects, and we encourage you to read it.
- Service providers — companies that host our website, process payments, send our email, and provide analytics, acting on our instructions.
- Legal and safety — where we are required by law, responding to lawful requests, or where necessary to protect someone's safety or our legal rights.
- Business transfers — if our business is sold or merged, your information may transfer as part of that transaction.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers.
8. Cookies and tracking
We use cookies to keep the site working — for example remembering your preferences and keeping you signed in.
We do not currently use analytics, advertising or tracking tools on this website. Only essential cookies are used. If this changes we will update this policy before introducing them.
You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site working.
9. How long we keep information
We keep your information for as long as your account is active and afterwards for as long as we need it to meet legal, tax and record-keeping obligations, or to resolve disputes.
Medical records created by your provider and pharmacy records are retained by those organisations under the rules that apply to them, which are usually longer than our own retention periods and are outside our control.
10. Security
The site uses encryption in transit, and we restrict access to personal information to people who need it. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information and to notify you if a breach affects it, as required by law.
11. Your choices and rights
You can ask us to give you a copy of the personal information we hold about you, correct it if it is wrong, or delete it. Depending on the state you live in, you may also have the right to opt out of certain sharing, and the right not to be treated differently for exercising these rights.
To make a request, contact info@ascendrawellness.com. We may need to verify your identity before we can act, and some information must be retained where the law requires it.
Requests about your medical records held by a provider or pharmacy should go to that organisation directly, since they hold those records rather than us.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in any marketing message. This does not stop service messages about your orders, prescriptions or safety.
12. Children
Our services are for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us information, contact info@ascendrawellness.com and we will delete it.
13. Other websites
Our site links to other websites, including our patient platform, our partner organisations and our social media accounts. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and this policy does not apply to them. Read their policies before giving them your information.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our services, partners or legal obligations change. The current version is always posted here with its effective date. Where a change is significant, we will give additional notice.
15. Contact us
Questions about this policy, or requests about your information:
VCG Healthcare Inc.
1328 Main St, Crete, IL 60417
info@ascendrawellness.com
+1 (630) 410-1060