Welcome to North Okanagan Hospice
While you are receiving care at NOHS, care staff and other authorized individuals will collect personal information from you. We collect, use and share this information under the authority of BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

In some cases, your family, friends or a legally authorized representative may provide us with personal information about you or we may obtain copies of records from other health care organizations. We may also obtain information from other external sources (for example, copies of records, medication information or test results) or from the Ministry of Health (for example, to confirm your identity and personal health number [PHN]).

NOHS is ethically committed, and legally required, to protect your personal information.
Thank you for entrusting your personal information to us. We are committed and legally bound by FIPPA to protect your privacy. That means we will treat your personal information confidentially; only use and share it for authorized purposes, and store and protect it securely. Our personnel are trained and required to protect your privacy and keep your personal information confidential.

What is “personal information”?
This is any information that tells us who you are, including your legal name, address, phone number, PHN or other identification numbers and other identifying information such as your health information.

Who can look at, use and share your personal information?
Only authorized individuals who “need to know” your information in order to provide care and care-related services, may look at your personal information. They may use and share it for the following care and care-related purposes:

• Your immediate, ongoing and future care and services
• Maintaining contact with you
• To assist us in improving the quality of your care and services
• Research (as authorized and permitted)
• Teaching and education (for example, training health professionals like physicians, nurses, care aides and volunteers)
• To understand your eligibility for benefits, services and to arrange payment.

Your personal information may also be disclosed to other authorized individuals as required by law (for example to respond to a court order).

Confirmation of Your Admission to Hospice House
If you are admitted to Hospice House, we will confirm your admission and location to people who phone and ask about you. If you don’t want us to release this information, please tell a staff member upon admission or within your care area.

Your Personal Health Care Record
When you receive care from a hospice professional that contact with you is recorded in your chart. It may contain personal information and reports describing your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment, outcome of treatment and future care or treatment plans. Chart records can be paper based, electronically generated or a combination of both.

How can you request your personal health record?
You or your authorized representative can request access to or copies of your health record by contacting the NOHS Care Team Leader. That person will assist you in accessing the records you wish to see and are entitled to receive.

How long will it take to obtain copies of requested portions of your health record?
A request to provide you with access to your record will be processed in a timely manner.

How can you request corrections to the information in your health record?
If you believe there is incorrect information in your health record, you can write to NOHS. We will work with you to address your concerns.

Will you have to pay for a copy of your health record?
Generally no, but you may be charged for special processing of your request, for example, requests for copies of the same information, courier fees, special delivery, or other special processing services. Who do you contact if you have other questions about the protection of your personal information?

Please contact:

Ruth Edwards, Privacy Officer
Phone: 250-503-1800 ext #106
Email: ruth@nohs.ca