At West Nipissing General Hospital, we are committed to protecting your privacy and treating your personal health information with the utmost care and respect. When you come to us for care, we collect sensitive information about your health — and sometimes your family’s health — so that we can provide you with the highest quality of care. This information is shared only with the members of your care team who need it to support your treatment. All of our staff, including employees, physicians, nurses, clinicians, volunteers, and students, understand that your personal health information is private and confidential. We ensure that only those directly involved in your care, or supporting your care, have access to your information. We safeguard your information through strict policies, procedures, and security measures, in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). At times, we may engage contractors or service providers (for example, to maintain equipment or computer systems) who could have limited access to your information. In these cases, we take every contractual and operational step to ensure your information remains protected and confidential. We will only use or share your information for purposes directly related to your care, hospital operations, teaching, improving quality of care, and statistical reporting — and only as permitted or required by law. If we wish to use your information for any other purpose, we will ask for your consent. In some situations, we are legally required to disclose certain information, such as to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for billing purposes. Unless you tell us otherwise, please be advised that your personal health information is shared with other healthcare providers (circle of care) through our Electronic Health Records. When someone calls the hospital to ask about you, we will confirm that you are a patient here and let them know which nursing unit you are on, unless you request otherwise. With your consent, we may also share your name and address with the West Nipissing General Hospital Foundation, which may contact you for fundraising purposes.