P.A.R.T. USA
Membership Agreement
P.A.R.T. USA membership is designed to bring together people who support chronic pain patient rights, individualized medical care, informed consent, patient dignity, and responsible healthcare policy.
This agreement explains what membership means, what P.A.R.T. USA may do on behalf of its membership collectively, the limits of that authority, and the responsibilities that come with participation in the P.A.R.T. USA Member Community.
Membership Is Voluntary
By registering as a P.A.R.T. USA member, you voluntarily choose to become part of the organization and acknowledge the terms described in this Membership Agreement and the Community Standards contained below.
Membership does not give P.A.R.T. USA control over your individual medical, legal, financial, or personal decisions.
NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Who May Join P.A.R.T. USA
P.A.R.T. USA membership is open to people who support the organization’s mission and who agree to follow reasonable membership and community standards.
Members may include chronic pain patients, family members, caregivers, advocates, healthcare professionals, supporters, and others who want to participate in or support efforts related to chronic pain patient rights and responsible healthcare policy.
A person does not need to belong to a state chapter, make a financial contribution, or submit a personal healthcare story in order to become a P.A.R.T. USA member.
COLLECTIVE REPRESENTATION
P.A.R.T. USA May Advocate on Behalf of Its Membership
By becoming a member, you understand that P.A.R.T. USA may represent and speak on behalf of its membership collectively when carrying out its advocacy, educational, legislative, regulatory, and public-policy work.
This may include communicating with lawmakers, government agencies, regulatory bodies, medical boards, pharmacy boards, healthcare organizations, insurers, policymakers, members of the media, and the public regarding matters consistent with the mission of P.A.R.T. USA.
P.A.R.T. USA may accurately state the size or general composition of its membership when appropriate for advocacy, organizational, legal, regulatory, legislative, administrative, or public-policy purposes.
YOUR INDIVIDUAL AUTHORITY
Your Personal Decisions Remain Yours
Medical Decisions
P.A.R.T. USA does not make medical decisions for members and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship through membership.
Legal Decisions
P.A.R.T. USA does not act as an individual member’s attorney and membership does not establish an attorney-client relationship.
Financial Decisions
P.A.R.T. USA cannot enter contracts, incur obligations, access financial accounts, or make financial decisions in an individual member’s name.
Personal Decisions
Membership does not give P.A.R.T. USA authority to make personal, healthcare, employment, family, or other individual decisions for a member.
ADVOCACY LIMITATIONS
No Particular Outcome Can Be Guaranteed
P.A.R.T. USA works to influence healthcare policy and advocate for meaningful reform, but no advocacy organization can guarantee the outcome of legislation, regulation, litigation, government action, medical treatment, pharmacy decisions, insurance decisions, or other actions controlled by outside parties.
Decisions may ultimately be made by lawmakers, courts, government agencies, healthcare professionals, pharmacies, insurers, employers, institutions, or other independent entities over which P.A.R.T. USA has no direct control.
MEMBER COMMUNITY
Community Standards
P.A.R.T. USA wants its Member Community to remain useful, respectful, safe, and focused on constructive advocacy.
Respect Other Members
Members are expected to communicate respectfully even when opinions, experiences, strategies, or perspectives differ.
Protect Privacy
Information shared within private member spaces should not be publicly distributed without permission from the person who shared it.
No Harassment or Abuse
Harassment, threats, intimidation, impersonation, stalking, or abusive behavior toward members, volunteers, leadership, guests, or others participating in P.A.R.T. USA activities is not acceptable.
No Misrepresentation
Members may not falsely represent themselves as authorized officers, spokespersons, employees, chapter leaders, or representatives of P.A.R.T. USA.
Use Resources Responsibly
Member resources, communication systems, downloads, directories, and other community tools should be used for legitimate community, educational, organizational, and advocacy purposes.
Follow Applicable Law
Members may not use P.A.R.T. USA systems or community spaces to facilitate unlawful conduct or activities that place the organization or its members at unreasonable risk.
COMMUNITY PROTECTION
Moderation, Suspension, and Membership Termination
P.A.R.T. USA may establish and enforce reasonable rules necessary to protect members, maintain the integrity of the Member Community, protect organizational systems, and support the mission of the organization.
Access to community features may be moderated, restricted, suspended, or terminated when a member seriously or repeatedly violates community standards, misuses organizational resources, threatens others, engages in harassment or impersonation, compromises member privacy, or otherwise engages in conduct that materially harms the organization or its community.
Where appropriate, P.A.R.T. USA may attempt to address concerns before terminating membership or access. Nothing in this agreement requires P.A.R.T. USA to continue providing access when immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect members, systems, or the organization.
MEMBER INFORMATION
Membership Records and Privacy
P.A.R.T. USA maintains membership information for legitimate organizational purposes, which may include membership administration, community access, advocacy records, organizational governance, communications, compliance, and documentation of membership.
P.A.R.T. USA does not sell or rent its membership list or members’ personal information for outside marketing purposes.
Member information may be disclosed when authorized by the member, when reasonably necessary for organizational administration, or when disclosure is legally required through valid legal process or otherwise required by law.
Personal Story Permission Is Not Part of This Agreement
Membership does not automatically give P.A.R.T. USA permission to publish, quote, distribute, identify, publicly share, or otherwise use your personal healthcare story.
Members are not required to submit a personal story in order to join.
If a member later chooses to authorize P.A.R.T. USA to use a personal story for advocacy, testimony, education, research, media, public awareness, or another organizational purpose, that permission will be handled separately.
Joining P.A.R.T. USA is membership. Story-use permission is a separate choice.IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
Advocacy and Education — Not Individual Professional Advice
P.A.R.T. USA is an advocacy and educational organization.
Information provided through P.A.R.T. USA websites, Member Community spaces, meetings, discussions, educational materials, advocacy resources, communications, or other organizational activities is not a substitute for individualized medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice.
Membership does not create a doctor-patient, attorney-client, therapist-patient, pharmacist-patient, financial-adviser, or other professional relationship between a member and P.A.R.T. USA.
VOLUNTARY MEMBERSHIP
Ending Your Membership
A member may choose to discontinue P.A.R.T. USA membership.
Membership cancellation or account closure may be handled through available account tools or by contacting P.A.R.T. USA when assistance is required.
Ending membership does not necessarily require P.A.R.T. USA to delete records that the organization is legally required, reasonably required, or otherwise permitted to retain for legitimate administrative, financial, compliance, security, historical, or legal purposes.
ACCEPTANCE
Agreement to These Terms
By selecting the required Membership Agreement checkbox during registration and completing your P.A.R.T. USA membership registration, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to this Membership Agreement and Community Standards.
If you do not agree to these terms, do not complete the membership registration.
Every Voice Matters
Chronic pain patients deserve a meaningful voice in the decisions and policies that affect their care.
Be PART of the solution.