Under the provincial Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (“PHIPA”), clients have a number of rights with respect to how their personal health information is handled. As a “Personal Health Custodian” (or “HIC”) under this legislation, Central Community Health Centre (“CCHC”), including its board of directors, physicians, management staff, employees, volunteers, students, and third party contractors, is accountable for the protection of client personal health information from unauthorized collection, use, retention or disclosure.

CCHC and each of its employees, volunteers, students or Agents, are responsible for the handling of client information and, in particular, client PHI, in accordance with the Centre’s Privacy Policy and its Appendices. Where there is a question regarding the handling of client and CCHC information that is not covered by this policy or its appendices, contact CCHC’s Privacy Officer or Executive Director.

Client information shall not be collected, used, retained or disclosed without the consent of the client or, when applicable, the client’s substitute decision maker.

Client information will only be collected, used and retained to meet the purpose(s) for which the client is seeking services or participating in programs of the Centre.

A client who is the subject of a Record may access her or his Record, as well as direct CCHC to correct any personal or Personal Health Information in the Record upon written request, although informal or verbal requests are permitted under PHIPA.

Any written or verbal complaint received by CCHC will be handled by the Executive Director who shall decide whether the investigation and response is to be delegated to the Privacy Officer, a staff member of CCHC, or referred to CCHC’s legal counsel for Privacy-related matters.

As promptly as possible but no longer than 30 days after receipt of a request to correct a Record or receipt of a complaint, CCHC shall respond, in writing.

A privacy breach of a Record, whether in whole or in part, or is lost, stolen, or control is lost that results in the actual or potential access or disclosure of Personal and/or Personal Health Information by unauthorized individuals will be reported to the Executive Director who will oversee the investigation of the real, suspected or potential breach, and in the absence of the Executive Director, it will be the Privacy Officer that initiates the investigation until the Executive Director is advised and direction received.

Regardless of whether Records are recovered or not, persons who are the subject of the privacy breach will be notified of the privacy breach, in writing or by public notice.

Any questions regarding the handling of a CCHC Record, contact the Privacy Officer or, where the Privacy Officer is not available, the Executive Director.

The Privacy Officer can be reached at privacy@centralchc.com