Effective [05-08-2025]
St. Joseph Medical Clinic offers text message reminders and notifications to patients who choose to receive them. Participation is voluntary. Consenting to text messages is never a condition of receiving care, scheduling an appointment, or being treated at our clinic, and declining will not affect your care in any way.
Text messaging is not a secure channel. Standard SMS is not encrypted and can be read by anyone with access to your phone or your mobile account. We keep the health information in our messages to a minimum, but by opting in you accept the risk that someone else may see them. If you would prefer we contact you by phone or mail instead, tell any staff member and we will note it in your record.
We do not send test results, diagnoses, treatment details, or billing information by text. We do not send marketing or promotional messages through this program.
Message frequency varies and depends on your appointments. Most patients receive a small number of messages around each scheduled visit.
Message and data rates may apply. St. Joseph Medical Clinic does not charge for these messages, but your mobile carrier's standard rates apply according to your plan. Contact your carrier for details.
You can join in any of the following ways. In every case you must actively agree — we never enroll a number without consent.
Online. When requesting an appointment at stjosephmedicalclinic.com/onlineappointments.html, you may check a consent box that is not checked by default. It reads:
On your patient intake or update form. Our paper and electronic intake forms include the same consent statement as a separate, optional field. You may complete your intake without checking it.
By text. Text the keyword APPT to +12074896484. The keyword and the following disclosure are displayed on signage at our front desk:
By phone. When you call the clinic to schedule or change an appointment, a staff member may ask whether you would like text reminders. They will read the following, and your number is enrolled only if you say yes:
Verbal consent is recorded in your patient record with the date and time it was given.
After you opt in through any method, you will receive a confirmation message:
You can stop messages at any time by replying STOP. STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT also work. You will receive one confirmation and then no further messages:
You may also withdraw consent by telling any staff member, calling the clinic, or writing to us at the address below. Opting out has no effect on your care. We will continue to reach you by phone or mail about your appointments.
Reply HELP to any message, or call the clinic during business hours. Replying HELP returns:
Do not use text messages for emergencies. This number is not monitored around the clock and replies may not be read promptly. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Supported carriers include AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and most other US carriers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Delivery depends on your carrier and is not guaranteed, so please do not rely solely on a text reminder to know when your appointment is.
Please tell us if your mobile number changes. If you give up a number, messages intended for you could reach whoever receives that number next.
Mobile numbers and consent records collected through this program are used only to send the messages described above. We do not sell, rent, or share mobile numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. See our Privacy Policy and our Notice of Privacy Practices for more.
You must be 18 or older, or the parent or legal guardian consenting on behalf of a minor patient, and you must be the account holder of the mobile number or have permission to enroll it.
We may update these terms from time to time. The effective date above reflects the most recent revision.
St. Joseph Medical Clinic
22080 Highway 20 West,
Vacherie, LA 70090.
225-265-3061 · info@stjosephmedicalclinic.com