The sentence about selling patient data appeared on page eleven.
Tessa read it once, then placed a strip of paper beneath the line. Nora was reviewing the sponsorship agreement across the clinic table. Leah had brought the volunteer notes from the field-treatment protocols, and Marisol was finishing an appointment downstairs.
“The representative said aggregated information would support research,” Tessa said. “This clause is broader.”
Nora read it. The draft allowed the network to transfer and sell patient-related data to third parties under conditions defined elsewhere in the agreement. The language did not limit the recipients to researchers or clearly distinguish identifiable records from aggregated information.
“It gives them rights they haven’t explained,” Nora said. “Ask what they intend to collect, who receives it, whether consent can be withdrawn, and who receives the proceeds.”
Leah looked at the protocol notes. “The examples include patients who came here because they couldn’t afford another place. Did they agree to have their records sold?”
“No,” Tessa said. “We haven’t asked them, and the clinic isn’t going to grant that permission for them.”
The newly announced Tower round had seven days left before applications closed; the earlier window had passed during Eli’s suspension. The sponsor’s offer would expire sooner, four days from now. Sera’s scout evaluation was booked for the following dawn. A medical sponsorship could provide supplies, staff, and a lawful route into the selection process. It could also give the network access to work the clinic volunteers had developed together. Tessa wanted the…
