Stevenson Memorial 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 Stevenson, 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 medical information
As a patient, you may access your personal health information and medical record by submitting a written or in-person request. You may also ask that information contained in your medical record be corrected.
- To access your spouse’s personal medical information, they must sign a consent form.
- If the patient is under 14 years of age, the parent/legal guardian must sign the authorization.
To access patient information in accordance with legislative requirements, we require a written authorization containing the following:
- Your name or the name of the patient
- Patient's date of birth
- Reason for the request
- The type of information required and treatment dates if possible
- The name and address of the person you wish the information sent to
- The authorization must be signed, dated and witnessed
Connecting with you through email
At Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH), staying connected with you is important to us.
When you provide your email address, you are agreeing that SMH may contact you through email for Patient Connect enrollment, to share patient surveys, or to remind you about an upcoming appointment.
We use all reasonable means to protect the confidentiality of email information being sent and received over the internet, including limiting the use of email containing sensitive information. This includes limiting any personal details or sensitive health information in the email and/or requiring additional security check to access personal health records. However, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of email communication due to inherent risks associated with personal email accounts.
For more information about email communication from SMH, please review our brochure: Connecting with you through email
To opt out of email communication, please contact our Privacy Office at privacy@smhosp.on.ca.
This initiative reflects our commitment within the SHINE partnership to enhance communication and engagement with our patients while respecting their preferences for electronic communication.
PLEASE NOTE: Stevenson Memorial Hospital will never ask patients or families to send personal identifiers by text message or email (OHIP number, hospital number, or address). If you get a text message or email asking for this information, please do not respond. This may be a harmful message.
PocketHealth - Access Your Diagnostic Images Online
PocketHealth now offers Stevenson Memorial patients and their families access to their medical imaging records online. To enrol, patients can visit www.pocket.health/STEVENSON. Once patients enrol for access they can view their entire available medical imaging history from Stevenson Memorial Hospital, share imaging instantly with any physician or even burn their own CD/USB from home.
There are two options as payment plans:
Unlimited - $4.08 monthly ($49 billed annually)
Get everything in FLEX and save up to 60%. Securely store and share personal health records, including vaccine receipts and lab results.
FLEX - $10 monthly
Access, share and store imaging records from unlimited providers for you and up to 4 family members.
Accessing Diagnostic Images
If you require diagnostic images (xray, ultrasound or CT scan) on disc, please ensure health record staff have the following additional information so that the health information services department can release within 24 hours for processing the request:
- Health Card Number
- Phone Number
- What type of images to be released
- Date you wish to pick up your images
Please note there is a charge for the images and we will require a credit card number to process your request.
Mail written requests or deliver your request in person, Monday to Friday, between 10:00 a.m and 3:00 p.m. at:
Medical Records Department
Stevenson Memorial Hospital
200 Fletcher Crescent
Alliston, ON L9R 1W7
Fax: (705) 434-5120
Phone: (705) 435-3377 Ext. 1216
Authorization for Release of Personal Health Information Form
There is typically an administrative fee for copies of records. You will be given access to your record within 30 days.
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 Stevenson 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, mail or deliver a letter to:
Privacy Officer
Stevenson Memorial Hospital
200 Fletcher Crescent
Alliston, ON L9R 1W7
Telephone: (705) 435-6281, ext. 1347
Email: Privacy@smhosp.on.ca
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Telephone: 1-800-387-0073
More information is available online regarding the Personal Health Information Protection Act.
