Confidentiality

We collect, use, disclose and retain personal information about our patients in order to:

  • Treat our patients
  • Assess the quality of our care
  • Administer the hospital
  • Collect data for statistical purposes
  • Comply with applicable laws and regulations
  • Raise funds through the HGH Foundation

All information gathered about patients remains confidential.

If you have any questions about confidentiality, please contact the Chief Privacy Officer at 613-632-1111, extension 21501 or by email at CPO@hgh.ca.

To learn more about personal information and privacy rules, visit Ontario Government Services.

Photos and videos

To respect the confidentiality of information and the privacy of patients, visitors, volunteers and staff, you must obtain permission before taking pictures and videos or recording conversations.

Personal Health Information Protection Act

As a public institution, Hawkesbury and District General Hospital is subject to the Personal Health Information Protection Act.

For information on making a request for information, visit the section Quality and Performance.

 

Consent for the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information for Fundraising Purposes

The Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) and its Foundation are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of its patients, donors, employees, members, volunteers, and other stakeholders.

The handling of all personal information by the Hospital is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The Hospital ensures your personal health information is private, confidential and secure through the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

Rules

A hospital may collect, use and disclose information about its patients* for fundraising so long as the hospital has its patients’ implied consent and the information collected, used or disclosed for fundraising purposes is limited to the patients’ names and mailing addresses.

A patient’s state of health or health care is never communicated when contacted for fundraising purposes.

Express consent must be obtained when we collect, use or disclose more than the patient’s name and mailing address for fundraising.

*Patient refers to an inpatient or ambulatory care patient.

Consent

If you are a patient, unless we are informed otherwise, we may collect, retain, use and disclose your name and mailing address to our Foundation for fundraising purposes, as permitted under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

Please be assured that the HGH Foundation is committed to protecting the privacy of patients and its donors, and does not trade, rent or sell any personal information to third parties.

You may withdraw your consent and opt out of receiving fundraising solicitations any time by contacting HGH’s Patient Relations at 613 632-1111, extension 51702, or by email at patientrelations@hgh.ca.

Your refusal or withdrawal of consent will in no way affect the care or treatment that you receive at HGH.

The HGH Foundation will only contact you after at least 60 days from the day of your visit to HGH. This allows you time to opt-out of receiving fundraising solicitations should you wish to do so; however, you can still withdraw your consent any time (even after the 60 days have lapsed).

The HGH Foundation does NOT have direct access to patient information and does NOT have access to or receive any patient medical records; HGH prepares all data selections shared with the HGH Foundation. All data received from HGH contains only the information necessary for the HGH Foundation’s fundraising practices and adheres to FIPPA and PHIPA legislation.

Only when an individual responds to a mailing does the HGH Foundation enter their contact information into their secure donor database. All patient mailings include an opt-out clause and the HGH Foundation maintains a list of individuals who have opted out.

The HGH Foundation will honour donor requests to:

  • Limit the frequency of contact;
  • Not be contacted by telephone or other technology;
  • Receive printed material concerning the organization; and
  • Discontinue contact.

Any individual may withdraw or limit his or her consent or frequency of contact by contacting the HGH Foundation at 613 632-1111, ext. 21101, or foundation@hgh.ca.

The HGH Foundation upholds the principles of the Donor Bill of Rights. For more information, please consult our Privacy Policy and Statement.

Thank you for your understanding and support.