WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL provides comprehensive dental and dental hygiene services for patients of all ages in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas. We are committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of your personal health information. WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL complies with the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 ("PHIPA"), which governs how personal health information is collected, used, and disclosed in Ontario. Personal health information ("PHI") includes any information about your physical or mental health that can identify you, either alone or combined with other information.

Consent

WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL will only collect, use, and disclose your PHI with your express or implied consent. You have the right to withhold or withdraw your consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of your PHI at any time. When WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL collects, uses, or discloses your PHI without your consent, we do so only when required or permitted by law.
For patients who cannot make decisions about their own information, WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL will consult with the patient's substitute decision-maker ("SDM"), as determined by law. Parents or guardians may consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of a child's PHI, except when the information relates to treatment the child sought independently.

Collection of Personal Health Information

WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL collects your PHI directly from you or from someone authorized to act on your behalf. The PHI we collect may include your name, date of birth, contact information, health history, family health history, records of your visits with our dental professionals, and documentation of treatments or procedures you receive during those visits.
In some cases, WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL may collect PHI from other sources, including other healthcare providers, insurance companies, or legal representatives. We will not collect PHI from other sources without your consent or unless otherwise permitted by law.
WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL will not collect PHI if other information would serve the same purpose. We also limit our collection to only the PHI that is reasonably necessary to meet the intended purpose.

Uses and Disclosure of Personal Health Information

Your PHI may be shared among members of the WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL team to provide you with dental and dental hygiene services. We may also share your PHI with other healthcare professionals involved in your care, such as your family physician, when necessary. If you have concerns about this sharing, please inform us.
WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL uses and discloses PHI to:

• Facilitate and provide dental services

• Obtain payment or funding for services, including processing insurance claims and CDCP coverage

• Plan, administer, and manage our internal operations

• Conduct risk management and quality improvement activities

• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements

• Fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law
   

Protection of Personal Health Information

WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL recognizes the critical importance of safeguarding your PHI and takes all reasonable measures to ensure that your physical and electronic PHI records are protected against loss, theft, or unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. In the unlikely event that your PHI is stolen, lost, or improperly accessed, you will be notified immediately.

Access and Correction of Personal Health Information Records

You have the right to request access to and correction of your PHI records. If a patient cannot consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of their PHI, the patient's SDM may request access to information on the patient's behalf. To access or correct a record, you may submit a written request to our Privacy Officer using the contact information provided below.
A patient's right to access their PHI is not absolute. WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL may deny an access request when:

• The information does not exist or cannot be located

• The information is not in the custody and control of WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL

• Denial of access is required or authorized by law

• The request is frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith

WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL will correct PHI when it is demonstrated that the information in the patient record is inaccurate or incomplete and the necessary information is provided to make the correction. If a correction is made, the original information will be retained in the patient record to maintain a complete record.
WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL may refuse to correct a PHI record when:

• We are not satisfied that the record is incomplete or inaccurate for the purposes for which the information was collected or used

• The record containing the PHI was not originally created by WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL or we do not have sufficient knowledge, expertise, and authority to correct the record

• The request involves a professional opinion or observation that a healthcare provider made in good faith

• The request is frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith
   

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about the collection, use, disclosure, or protection of your PHI, please contact our Privacy Officer, who can be reached at samar@westfortdentaloffice.com or by calling our Thunder Bay office at 8076233970.
Information and Privacy Commissioner
If we are unable to address your privacy concerns, or if you require additional information regarding privacy in Ontario, you may contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at 1-800-387-0073 or info@ipc.on.ca.
Policy last revised: September 2024
WESTFORT FAMILY DENTAL is committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection for all our Thunder Bay patients and their families.