The Hawkesbury and District General Hospital is subject to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

The main purpose of PHIPA is to:

  • Establish rules for the collection, use and disclosure of an individual’s personal health information in order to protect information and privacy.
  • Provide individuals with access to their personal health information, subject to limited and specific exceptions set out in the Act.

What is personal health information?

Personal health information may include details such as:

  • Date of birth
  • A person’s physical or mental health condition
  • Level of care, treatment and exams a person received
  • Health card number

Safeguarding your privacy

At HGH we take steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.

  • We conduct audits and investigations to monitor and manage our compliance to privacy.
  • We take steps to ensure that all staff, physicians and anyone performing services for us protect your privacy. They may only use your personal health information for the purposes to which you have consented.

Who can access a patient’s personal health information?

We are committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of all personal health information used and collected to carry out our mission.

  • The only people with access to your health information are the ones in your circle of care.
  • Your circle of care includes the physicians, nurses, technicians, clerks or other staff members assigned to your care during your stay or visit as a patient.

Accessing your personal health information

As a patient, you may access your personal health information and health record by submitting a written or in-person request.

  • You can access part of your electronic health record by registering to MyChart.
  • You may also ask that information contained in your health record be corrected.
  • You can send written requests by mail, email, fax or bring them in person at the Health Records Department. The contact information is presented below.

Requesting corrections to your health record

Patients can request corrections to their health records. However, the law does not permit hospitals to delete information from a patient’s health record.

  • In order to make a correction to your record, please fill out the Request to Correct Personal Health Information Form (PDF), clearly outlining the changes you are requesting. You can send the written request by mail, email, fax or bring it in person at the Health Records Department. The contact information is presented below.
  • Health records will respond to your request within 30 days and will let you know if the change has been made or not.
  • Under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), the hospital is not required to make corrections to information that is irrelevant to your care or to professional opinions or observations that a health care provider has made in good faith about you.
  • Under PHIPA, you have the right to prepare a concise Statement of Disagreement that sets out the corrections that HGH has refused to make. HGH will attach this Statement as part of the records.
  • HGH does not correct external documentation – patients will need to contact the organization directly. Please contact Health Records if you have any further questions or concerns about corrections.

Health Records Department
Hawkesbury and District General Hospital
1111 Ghislain Street
Hawkesbury, ON K6A 3G5

Telephone: 613-632-1111, extension 41801
Fax: 613-636-6182
Email: medicalrecords@hgh.ca

The Health Records Department is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Making a privacy complaint under PHIPA

As a patient, if you feel there was a breach in your privacy or the protection of your personal health information by HGH staff, you may file a complaint. A privacy breach happens when health professionals collect, use, disclose or access your personal health information for unauthorized purposes.

To file a privacy complaint under PHIPA, please call, write a letter or send an email to:

HGH Privacy Officer
1111 Ghislain Street
Hawkesbury, ON  K6A 3G5
Telephone: 613-632-1111, extension 21501
Email: cpo@hgh.ca

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Telephone: 1-800-387-0073

For more information the Personal Health Information Protection Act, visit PHIPA.

HGH Policies

HGH has adopted policies with respect to interactions with patients, potential patients, clients and potential clients. Follow the links to view or upload the policies. To obtain the information contained in the PDF files in an accessible format, please send an email to communications@hgh.ca.