Your Personal Health Information

Your health record includes information relevant to your health, including; your date of birth, contact information, health history, family health history, details of your physical and mental health, a record of your visits, the care and support you received during those visits, results from tests and procedures and information from other health care providers.

Our Practices

We collect, use and disclose (meaning share) your personal health information to:

• Treat and care for you
• Deliver our programs
• Provide appointment reminders to you
• Collect payment for your treatment and care (from OHIP, WSIB, your private insurer or others)
• Plan, administer and manage our internal operations
• Conduct risk management, error management and quality improvement activities
• Fundraise to improve our healthcare services and programs
• Conduct research (subject to specific rules)
• Educational purposes
• Compile statistics
• Allow for the analysis, administration and management of the health system
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law

Our collection, use and disclosure (sharing) of your personal health information is done in accordance with Ontario law.

Your Choices

You have a right to make choices and control how your health information at the Group Health Centre is collected, used, and disclosed.

You may access and correct your personal health records, or withdraw your consent for some of the above uses and disclosures by contacting your health care provider or the medical records dept. (subject to legal exceptions).

Important Information

• We take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure (sharing), and disposal.
• We conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.
• Our collection, use and disclosure (sharing) of your personal health information is done in accordance with Ontario Law.
• The Group Health Centre participates in the Atlas Alliance shared electronic medical record system, which is available to all members of the Alliance.
  • The Atlas Alliance consists of health care organizations from across Eastern Ontario, including The Ottawa Hospital, The University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Hawkesbury & District General Hospital, St. Francis Memorial Hospital, and Renfrew Victoria Hospital

How to Contact Us

• Our Privacy Officer can be reached at PrivacyOffice@ghc.on.ca
• For more information about our privacy protection practices, or to raise a concern you have with our practices, contact us at:

Group Health Centre, 240 McNabb St, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 1Y5

Email: PrivacyOffice@ghc.on.ca   Phone: 705-541-2289  Fax: 705-541-2691 

Website: www.ghc.on.ca

If, after contacting us, you feel that your concerns have not been addressed to your satisfaction, you have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario. The commissioner can be reached at:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

2 Bloor Street, East, Suite 1400

Toronto, ON M4W 1A8

Phone: 1-800-387-0073  Fax: 1-416-325-9195 or visit the IPC website via www.ipc.on.ca