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GE Privacy

Introduction: protecting your privacy, enhancing your online experience

When it comes to data privacy, protecting your personal information is most important. We feel it’s also important to give you, your colleagues, and your family members a voice in the development of this web site and your overall experience with it. To do this, we need to collect certain types of information to help us evaluate how the HealthAhead web site is being used, so we can continually improve your experience and the content we offer to you. By tracking overall usage patterns, providing an easy channel for your feedback, and allowing you to tell us what content is most useful to you, we can refine our offerings and provide more of the content you personally find valuable.

Overall, we are committed to giving you the option to participate – or not participate – in a manner that’s right for you. Read more for how we do this.

Information we collect and how we use it

Identifiable Information Collecting

All methods of identifying yourself to GE will be optional and opt-in, may be updated by you at any time, and will not be required for all areas of the web site.

We will not collect any identifiable user information from the areas of the HealthAhead web site which do not require SSO (Single Sign On), unique User ID (Identification), and/or Password.

There are areas of the web site that require you to identify yourself to us (authenticate). This allows you to access certain parts of the web site that may otherwise be restricted for privacy and security purposes.

There are also areas that may provide the option to create a personalized profile. The information you provide is optional and what you tell us will determine the level of personalization you will experience.

Access to identifiable information is restricted to internal, administrative personnel and solely for purposes of providing web site support, awarding prizes and other recognition, and customizing the web site content and overall functionality for the user. However, we will also allow you to change your mind and opt-out of sharing personal information with us at any time.

Non-Identifiable Information Collecting

When you visit the HealthAhead web site, we track, collect and report on certain aggregate and non- identifiable information. In other words, the information we collect does not relate to a single identifiable visitor. It tells us things such as how many users visited our web site and what pages they viewed.

This non-identifiable data will be collected and stored in a secure database in the U.S., and may be viewed by GE. We will analyze this information to refine our web site to better reflect user preferences, such as the type of content users are searching for most, and to improve the usability of the web site and the user’s web site experience. The information may also be used for purposes of promoting the web site. The data will not be used for medical analysis or other medical purposes.

Cookies

Like many web sites, the HealthAhead web site uses browser cookies – bits of text placed on your computer’s hard drive when you visit. We use them to tell us things like whether you’ve visited us before, and to help us identify features in which you may have the greatest interest. We also use cookies to track country and language selection.

In the future, we may use cookies to track additional details, such as city and state.

We keep this information unless you don’t wish GE to capture this and choose to delete your cookie history. If you wish to stop accepting new browser cookies, get notification when you receive a new cookie, or disable existing cookies, the “help” portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how. Keep in mind, without browser cookies, you may not be able to take full advantage of all our web site features or have your preferences saved for future visits.

We also use Flash cookies on the web site to enhance your online experience. These are similar to browser cookies, but they store data more complex than simple text. Flash cookies, by themselves, cannot do anything to or with the data on your computer. In addition, Flash cookies cannot access or remember your email address or other personal information unless you provide the information on this web site.

Web Beacons

Certain pages on our web site contain “web beacons” (also known as Internet tags, pixel tags and clear GIFs). These web beacons obtain information such as the time the page was viewed, the type of browser used to view the page, and the information in cookies. Web beacon data does not include IP address. The web beacon data is stored at Google Analytics, a third party (see ‘Tracking and Reporting’ for more information on this technology).

Tracking and Reporting

Specifically we will track, collect and report on the following data using software from Google Analytics. For more information about Google Analytics, including information about how to opt out of these technologies, go to www.google-analytics.com

Our primary metrics include: Poll response rate, repeat visits, number of times content is shared, and visits by country.

The sub-metrics include:

Most Popular Content Types, Most Popular Content Topics, User Pathing, Exit Links, Bounce Rate, Traffic by Source (region), Time on Web site, Visit Time of Day, Unique Views/Page Views, Thumps Up/Down, Most Shared Content, Number of Times Content is Rated, Most Rated Content by Type, Language Selection.

We will also be tracking how much communicators, web site leaders and other HealthAhead operations teams are leveraging the web site to support and align their business, regional and web site specific efforts. Some of these metrics may be tracked using existing support central tools.

These metrics may include:

Number of Content Submissions by Region, Number of non-corporate Driven Promotions by RCs, Number of Promotional Downloads by Region, Support Central Survey

Feedback Form

Your feedback is important to the web site’s ongoing development, so we’d love to hear your opinions and ideas. To contact us, please use this Feedback form. We will not be able to respond directly, but all feedback will be reviewed, evaluated, and factored into future content decisions. Please note: this form is monitored by IT support staff only. Please do not submit any personal or medical information. And thank you in advance!

Poll and Quiz Responses

On the web site, we will conduct polls and quizzes to better understand user activities, attitudes, interests and knowledge across multiple health topics. These polls may also help us serve you better by asking questions that relate to the usefulness of our web site. We will not capture any personally identifiable information through the collection of poll response data. As part of these polls and quizzes, we will capture responses sorted by country. In the future, we may capture responses sorted by additional anonymous demographics such as language, affiliated GE business, work web site location, gender, etc.

Sharing Content with Family and Friends

We want you to share the web site’s content with important people in your life, so most articles, videos and slideshows can be emailed. To do so, we will ask you to provide your name and the recipient’s email address. We simply use this information to send the content as you request. At this time, we do not capture or store your, or the recipient’s, email address. Please see below to learn how we track and report on email sharing activity.

Please also review GE’s Social Media Guidelines

How we protect information

GE maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of any information you provide on this web site. We use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to help keep the information you provide on this web site secure. See ‘Information We Share’ and ‘Information We Transfer’ for additional details.

Information we share

We do not sell or otherwise disclose personal information about our visitors, except as described here. We may share information provided by visitors with service providers we have retained to perform services on our behalf. These service providers are contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information, except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. In addition, we may disclose information about you if we are required to do so by law or legal process; to law enforcement authorities or other government officials; or when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.

Information we transfer

We may transfer the information we collect on this web site to other countries where we do business, but only for the purposes described above. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described here unless otherwise required by applicable laws.

Links to other web sites

We provide links to other web sites for your convenience and information. These web sites may have their own privacy statements in place, which we recommend you review if you visit any linked web sites. We are not responsible for the content of linked web sites or any use of the web sites.

Children’s privacy

This web site is not directed to children under the age of thirteen and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of thirteen on the web site. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a visitor under the age of thirteen, we will delete the information from our records.

Some links on this web site may take web site visitors to web sites that are directed to children. These web sites have their own privacy notices that address children’s privacy. We encourage you to read these privacy notices if you visit any linked web sites directed to children.

Updates to our privacy & data policy

This Privacy & Data Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our online information practices. We will post a notice on this web site to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy & Data Policy, and indicate at the top of this policy when it was most recently updated.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy & Data Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by visiting our Feedback Form.

HealthAhead
7 New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep: Tips to Make It Easier

Sticking to your new year’s resolution may be easier than you think. The starting point is to set a realistic goal.

GE HealthAhead has come up with 7 resolutions that could significantly improve your health—and we’ll give you tips to stick with them.


Lose 5 pounds and keep them off. At the top of many people’s list of New Year’s resolutions is weight loss. Yet while most start toward their goal with enthusiasm, many give up a month later. To help increase your chance of shedding extra weight and keeping it off, consider this advice from Donald Hensrud, MD, of the Mayo Clinic:

“Focus on short-term goals while keeping long term goals in mind,” says Hensrud. “Losing 40 pounds is done one pound at a time. And the way to lose one pound at a time is to have a good plan in place.” Hensrud also suggests paying attention to “short term process goals”—the small daily or weekly goals you need to achieve to reach your ultimate goal. For example, a process goal for weight loss could be biking to work three times a week.


Limit yourself to one glass of soda per week. If you have a habit of drinking soft drinks daily, you might want to reconsider your routines. The American Heart Association (AHA) lists regular soda as one of the major sources of added sugars in many people’s diets.


The problem with added sugars is that they give you extra calories with no nutritional value. A 12-ounce can of soda contains about 130 of these empty calories. If you can limit your soft drink consumption to once a week, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. If you find yourself successful after a few months, consider cutting out soda altogether.


Eat a piece of fruit every morning. How do you start your morning? If your breakfast includes sugary doughnuts or fattening hash browns, think about substituting a piece of fresh fruit for your breakfast treat.

The AHA notes that eating a variety of fruits regularly can help with weight loss. You should aim for 4.5 servings of fruits and veggies each day. Make it easier to reach your daily goal by eating fruit each morning.


Switch to whole grains. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) advises eating whole grains—like brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti—over processed grains. Whole grain foods give you the benefit of eating the entire grain, as opposed to white-flour-based products.

To make the switch easier, know what to look for on food labels. If you can find these ingredients listed first on the label, you’ll be choosing the best whole-grain choices:

  • Whole wheat flour
  • Cracked wheat/bulgur
  • Whole grain corn/corn meal
  • Whole oats/oatmeal


Add 30 minutes of walking to your work day. One of the simplest resolutions you can make and keep is starting a daily walking habit. According to the AHA, walking is the easiest way to start a fitness journey—and stick to it. Just walking a half-hour a day can help your heart, the AHA reports.

Walking at work is a good way to get moving. Pick a time that you can commit to for a daily walk, such as lunch hour or before or after work. Invite a co-worker to join you, and you’ll help keep each other accountable for showing up!


Try meditation for stress relief. The AHA recommends daily relaxation to relieve stress. Meditation is one proven way to calm mind and body tension.

If you’re new to meditation, start with a daily deep-breathing exercise. Simply sit comfortably and focus on your breathing for 5-10 minutes. If it helps, you can add some visualization by picturing yourself somewhere relaxing like lying on a peaceful beach.


Prioritize your sleep. With so much to do and so little time, it’s easy for sleep to get the short shrift. But Lois E. Krahn, MD, of the Mayo Clinic states that “the single most important thing that people can do when it comes to good health and sleep is to make sleep a priority.”

For adults, that means getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. To help ease your way into slumber, consider some basic sleep hygiene practices from the National Sleep Foundation: avoid electronic devices like computers and smartphones before bed, stay away from caffeine or cigarettes in the evenings, and always stick to a regular bedtime schedule, even on weekends.


HealthAhead Hint: Stay with It!
New Year’s resolutions are easy to make but hard to keep going. Yet when you set realistic goals and know the health benefits that simple lifestyle changes  can bring, it makes it more likely you’ll follow through in January—and beyond.

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