Privacy Policy
Our Commitment
CommunitiCare Health is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal health information collected from our clients. We value the trust you, our clients, place in us. We recognize that to maintain this trust, we must be open and accountable in how we safeguard the information you share with us. The role of the Privacy Office is to ensure that the information (personal information and personal health information) of our clients and residents is kept confidential. We are committed to protecting and safeguarding your information. This page provides a general summary of (summarizes) the privacy practices at [CommunitiCare Health].
What is Personal Information?
Personal information is any information that identifies you. This information may include but is not limited to your name, personal mailing address, personal phone numbers, and personal email address. Personal information, however, does not include your name, business title or business address and business telephone number in your capacity as an employee of an organization.
What is Personal Health Information?
‘Personal health information’ is any information that identifies an individual and connects that individual to receiving care at [CommunitiCare Health]. It includes information that relates to an individual’s physical or mental health, diagnoses, testing, treatment, family health history, Substitute Decision Makers, and/or care providers.
1. Organizational Privacy Practices
This section summarizes how we, [CommunitiCare Health], handle your information. We recognize the importance of personal privacy and are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your health and personal information within our organization. We respect an individual’s rights to privacy and are required by law to protect the confidentiality of this information.
Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) lists the rules for the collection, use and disclosure (sharing) of personal health information.
Collection of Information
We collect personal health information about you directly from you or the person who can make decisions for you (your substitute decision maker). The personal health information that we collect may include, for example, your name, date of birth, address, health history, records of your visits to one of our locations/sites, records of our visit to your residence, and the care or services that you received during those visits. Occasionally, we collect personal health information about you from other sources if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.
Use of Personal Health Information
We use your personal health information to:
- determine your eligibility for our services and programs, and identify the programs and services most appropriate for you
- provide and coordinate your health care,
- communicate with or consult other health care providers,
- plan, evaluate, administer, and manage our services and programs,
- participate in health system planning and training
- conduct risk management and quality improvement activities,
- comply with regulatory and funding requirements, such as reporting to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care,
- fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law.
Other purposes for collection and disclosure of your information
We will identify and inform you of our intentions for collecting your personal information on or before the information is collected. We will obtain express consent (verbal or written) from individuals before sharing your information with anyone outside [CommunitiCare Health], including external referrals.
Please note that there are some exceptional circumstances (for example, in life threatening situations) where we may be required to give out some of your personal health information without your consent. Additionally, the Personal Health Information Protection Act requires and permits us to give some of your personal health information, where appropriate, to a number of groups, including but not limited to:
- The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
- The Medical Officer of Health to report communicable diseases
- The Children’s Aid Society where child abuse is suspected; the children’s lawyer
- Law enforcement officers who present a warrant or subpoena, or to aid in an investigation
- The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
- The public guardian and trustee
- The coroner
Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Health Information
Ontario’s Personal Health Information and Protection Act, 2004, PHIPA, identifies and establishes that you have the following rights in relation to your personal health information at our organization:
- Withdrawal and withholding of your consent: When you are asked for personal health information, you have the choice to agree or refuse to provide the information. You can also limit some of the uses and disclosures of your information.
- Access to your personal health information: You or a person who can make decisions for you (your substitute decision maker) about your personal health information have the right to see and get a copy of your personal health information.
- Request correction of your personal health information: You or a person who can make decisions for you about your personal health information (your substitute decision maker) can ask us to make corrections to inaccurate or incomplete personal health information. You can do this by giving us a verbal or written request.
- Making a complaint: You or a person who can make decisions for you (your substitute decision maker) can raise concerns regarding the information handling practices at [CommunitiCare Health], to our Privacy Officer. You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario if you think we have violated your rights.
Our responsibilities & commitment
CommunitiCare Health is responsible for taking steps to keep your information safe and secure and to protect it from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure, and disposal. We do this by ensuring that records containing personal health information are stored securely and are only accessible to staff involved in your care.
To ensure this we:
- Adhere to processes to keep your information safe and secure and to protect it from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure, and disposal.
- Get your permission before we give your personal health information to others when your consent is required.
- Conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.
- Take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for the purposes you have consented to or as permitted by law.
- Inform you if your personal health information is stolen, lost or improperly accessed.
2. Website Privacy
This section summarizes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our website or engage our services through this site. All personal information collected at this site is kept strictly confidential and is only used for the purposes specified at the time of collection to which you consent; for such other purposes to which you may consent from time to time (the “Purposes”); and as required or permitted by applicable law.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
We collect and use personal information on this website strictly for the purpose of running the website and responding to inquiries from our users. This information may include:
- Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, address, etc.
- Demographic Information: Age, gender, interests, preferences, etc.
- Usage Information: IP address, browser type, pages visited, etc.
- Other: Query or feedback you provide us through forms on the website
Browser Information Collected on the Site
Like most websites, CommunitiCare Health uses small pieces of information called “cookies” that are stored on the hard drive of your computer. Cookies let us “remember” information about your preferences and allow you to move within areas of our site quickly and easily. These cookies contain anonymous, non-personal information.
The website also collects statistical information through a log file. This generates a monthly report that indicates which pages were visited and how frequently, referring pages, and IP addresses. Individual identities cannot be determined from these reports. The developers of this site use and disclose this information, including your IP address, to help us develop further content and features for the site.
Third-Party Service Providers
We may engage third-party service providers to assist in the operation of our website and services. These providers may have access to your personal information only to perform tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
Links to Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices or their content and encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Security Measures
We implement security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.
3. How to Contact Us
For more information about how we handle your information and protect your privacy, or to raise a concern you may have about our practices, please contact our Privacy Officer. You can do this by giving us a verbal or written request.
You can submit access, correction, and audit related requests directly to the Privacy Officer at:
Privacy Office
1700 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON M6P 4C3
Phone: (416) 604-3361
Email: privacy@communiticare.org
The Privacy Officer may request additional documentation or information to locate your record and understand your request and will attempt to fulfill your request within 30 days.
Please note that the security of email messages is not guaranteed. Messages may be forged, forwarded, or seen by others using the internet. Patients should not use email to discuss sensitive information or use email in an emergency since email delivery may be delayed.
If you are not satisfied with how we resolve your question or concern, you may contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
416-326-3333
commissioner@ipc.on.ca
www.ipc.on.ca