The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) guides the management, access and storage of health information by all health information custodians (Long-term care homes, Paramedic Services, Hospitals).  Its main purpose is:

• To create a consistent approach to protecting personal health information across the health sector.
• To give individuals greater control over how their personal health information is collected, used or disclosed.

Hastings County is the custodian of personal health information at both Long-term Care  Homes (Hastings Manor and Hastings Centennial Manor) and our Paramedic Service (Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services).  Our departments (Long-term Care and Paramedic Services) administer the Act on behalf of the County of Hastings.

Any requested personal health information will be provided by hard copy, which must be signed for and picked up from a Hastings County location or sent by registered mail or bonded courier. 

With limited exceptions, PHIPA requires custodians to obtain consent before personal health information is collected, used or disclosed. In addition, the Act provides individuals with a right to access and request correction of their personal health information.  To obtain information about exemptions and procedures relating to the Act or its Regulations, refer to the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office.  Requests for information may be reviewed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you feel that the reply you’ve received and/or certain exemptions are not correct.

Requests for Personal Health Information under the Personal Health Information Act, 2004 can be submitted in writing to the County Clerk’s office by emailing [email protected] using the Request to Access Personal Health Information Form, or to the department that holds the records:

Hastings Centennial Manor:

Larisa Toma
Director of Nursing
(613) 332-2070 ext 6609
Email: [email protected]

Hastings Manor:

Erin Chapman
Director of Long-Term Care
(613) 968-6467 ext 2227
Email: [email protected]

Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services:

Mike Slatter
Deputy Chief, Quality & Development
613-771-9366 ext 226
Email: [email protected]

All requests must be received in writing.  Most information held by the County of Hastings is available by directly contacting the department responsible for the information you are requesting.

Most information held by the County of Hastings is available by directly contacting the department responsible for the information you are requesting. We will make every effort to process your request in a timely manner. If your routine disclosure request is denied, you may submit a formal Freedom of Information request to the County Clerk’s Office to [email protected] by completing the Request form.  All requests must be received in writing.

There is no initial fee associated with routine disclosure requests; however, fees for retrieval, reproduction, labour, and shipping may be applied at the discretion of the department director. We will give you an estimate of these fees before proceeding with your request.  

The fees for routine disclosure requests are $7.50 per ¼ hour (15 minutes) of time for manual search of records and $0.20 per page for copies.  Shipping charges may apply.
 

If access is denied, you can appeal the decision to the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario at:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, 
Suite 1400 
Toronto, ON
M4W 1A8
416-326-3333
[email protected]
www.ipc.on.ca
 

The County of Hastings is committed to protecting the personal information in our care and control, ensuring the confidentiality and security of that information.  The County of Hastings will adhere to the protection of privacy provisions of The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

The Corporation of the County of Hastings has taken appropriate measures to protect and ensure that privacy of any personal information is protected and the County will not, under any circumstances, use any information provided to the County for any purposes that is inconsistent with the purpose for which the information was provided or within the provisions of the MFIPPA Act.

Under Section 36(2) of The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act an individual may challenge the accuracy of their own personal information held by the County if you believe that there is an error or omission.  To correct your information that is held by the County of Hastings you will need to complete the Freedom of Information Request Form and submit the $5.00 fee payable to the County of Hastings.

If you think that your personal information was collected, used or revealed improperly by the County of Hastings you may contact the County Clerk’s office by email at [email protected].
 

In accordance with S. 57(1) of The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) requests for information will be charged a fee.  The fee for a request is $5.00 plus additional fees of $7.50 per ¼ hour (15 minutes) of time for manual search of records and $0.20 per page for copies.  Shipping charges may apply.

Requests will not be processed until such time that the $5.00 application fee is received.

Should the estimated cost of your request be greater than $100.00, you will be provided with an estimate, and a 50% deposit will be required prior to completion.
 

The County Clerk will respond to your request within 30 days.  Should an extension to this timeline be required, you will be advised promptly.