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YOUR Independent Community Newspaper
Vol. 5 Edition 19
Patient information compromised at CKHA
131 Park Ave. E., Chatham 519-354-4127
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THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
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Seven OR patients notified of privacy breach By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance still isn’t sure how an operating room report wound up on someone’s lawn earlier this year, but is taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Lori Marshall, president and CEO of the alliance, said a record containing some health information listed on a copy of an operating room report was found on the front lawn of a community member on March 6. The information on the paper contained name, date of birth, age, health card number, patient phone number, procedure and surgeon name for seven patients from the CKHA. Marshall said the alliance investigated to see what happened, but was left scratching its collective head. “We’re still not sure after having done our investigation. We can’t
pinpoint where the report actually came from,” she said. “We believe it was someone cleaning out some old files and putting them in the garbage. It was apparently a windy day that day and this report ended up on someone’s lawn.” There appears to be no malicious intent or compromise to patient personal health information, according to hospital officials. Each of the seven patients listed on the sheet of paper were notified of the breach. Marshall said the alliance has taken steps to minimize a recurrence. “We’ve reinforced for our staff and our physicians that the practice ought to be that if the information is available electronically, we encourage people to view it electronically,” she said. “If it does have to be printed out, it should be shredded on hospital property; it should not leave hospital property.”
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Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Max Lanoue, 2, gets revved up for the Kids Help Phone Walk Sunday at Kingston Park in Chatham. Max and about 100 other supporters of the walk took part. The charity organization relies on fundraising and other donation options to continue its operations, with BMO on board as a key sponsor. Kids reached out an average of 360 times a day last year via Kids Help Phone for counselling, information and referrals.
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