Statement and Purpose
Everywoman’s Health Centre (EWHC) respects and upholds an individual’s right to privacy and to protection of his or her personal information. EWHC is committed to ensuring compliance with provincial privacy legislation, namely the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
Accountability
EWHC is accountable for the personal information collected from employees, clients, donors, society members and board members. EWHC has appointed a Privacy Officer who is responsible for the organization’s compliance with this policy.
Purposes for Collection, Use and Disclosure
EWHC collects and uses personal information about employees for the following purposes:
- payroll
- superannuation
- Medical Service Plan (MSP) benefits
- extended health / dental benefits
- performance evaluations
- incident reports
- issuing T4’s
- scheduling
- communicating information related to the employee’s work
- contact information
EWHC collects and uses personal information about clients for the following purposes:
- provision of care (ie. medical history)
- contact information
- MSP billing for services
- referrals for medical services (ie: ultrasounds at outside facilities, blood tests)
- research study collection for statistical purposes only, no client identifiers are used
- maintenance of client database for the following uses: providing the Ministry of Health (MOH) with information used for statistical purposes (database includes client DOB, postal code, sex, PHN all information is encrypted when sent to MOH and client names are not included); and for EWHC to compile statistics to provide to the National Abortion Federation.
EWHC collects and uses personal information about unpaid interpreters (friends or family members of clients who need interpretation) for the following purposes:
- to assist with interpretation in booking an appointment, counselling, pre, peri and post operative procedures.
EWHC collects and uses personal information about donors for the following purposes:
- solicit donations
- recruit new Society members
- issue tax receipts
EWHC collects and uses personal information about EWHC Society members for the following purposes:
- inform members about meetings of members of the society
- inform members about upcoming events or other business related to the society
EWHC collects and uses personal information about Board members for the following purposes:
- applying for funding (e.g. grant and casino applications)
- contact information
- comply with the Society’s Act
- provide information to board members related to fulfilling their obligations as directors
Disclosure of Information to Third Parties
The only circumstances under which personal information may be disclosed to third parties is for the fulfillment of any purposes stated above and as required by by FIPPA or PIPA, or as consented to by the person about whom the information pertains. If personal information is disclosed to third parties for the fulfillment of any purposes identified above EWHC will ensure that appropriate security undertakings, such as confidentiality clauses in contractual agreements, are employed to protect the transfer and use of personal information. EWHC does not sell, trade, or rent information to third parties.
Limiting Collection
We collect client, employee, donor, society and board member personal information only for the purposes stated above.
Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
We do not use or disclose personal information for any purpose other than those for which it was collected, except with consent, or pursuant to a court order, or as required by FIPPA or PIPA.
Personal information is retained only as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.
Accuracy
EWHC will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that personal information is as accurate, complete, and current as required for the purposes for which it was collected.
Safeguards
EWHC protects information with appropriate security safeguards. Safeguards include physical, administrative, and electronic security measures.
Access
You have the right to access your personal information under the control of EWHC. The Privacy Officer will assist you with your access requests. In certain exceptional situations, EWHC may not be able to provide access to certain personal information that it holds about you. If access cannot be provided, EWHC will notify you, in writing, of the reasons for the refusal.
Concerns or Questions Regarding EWHC’s Compliance
You may direct your questions, concerns or complaints regarding EWHC’s compliance with this policy by calling the Privacy Officer at: (604) 322-6576. You can write to EWHC at: 210-2525 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5N 4C1.