Personal Information Protection

Crossroads Clinic Association is committed to safeguarding the personal information entrusted to us by our clients.  Any personal information that we obtain and retain is kept in such a manner as to ensure its security and confidentiality.  This privacy statement applies to Crossroads Clinic Association and to any person providing services on our behalf.  A copy of this privacy statement is provided to any client on request.

What is personal information?

Personal information means information about an identifiable individual.  This includes an individual’s name, address, phone number, age, date of birth, sex, marital or family status, health information, etc. 

What personal information do we collect?

To be able to provide services to our patients and clients it is necessary for us to collect, use and (in some instances) disclose personal information.  We collect only the personal information that we need for the purposes of providing services to our clients, including personal information needed to:

• Communicate with you.
• Book your appointment and send you notifications concerning it.
• Provide you with pregnancy tests and pregnancy options information.
• Provide you with one-on-one support and community referral.
• Provide you with health care services such as STI screening.

If health information is collected by (or, in some situations, on behalf of) one of the staff on our clinic team, and that staff person is deemed to be a custodian of health information pursuant to the Health Information Act, then the collection, use and disclosure of that health information by that staff on our clinic team will be governed by the Health Information Act.

We normally collect client information directly from our patients and clients.  We may collect your information from other persons with your consent or as authorized by law for purposes of offering our services to you.  

How do we safeguard personal information?

We may transfer your personal information to service providers where information processing is outsourced by us in the course of our administrative procedures. Where personal information is transferred to a service provider for processing, we require the service provider to respect this privacy statement and we restrict them from using or disclosing personal information transferred to them for any purpose other than the provision of services to us. Be advised that in certain circumstances we are required by law to disclose certain personal information to third parties.

We make every reasonable effort to ensure that personal information is accurate and complete.  We rely on individuals to notify us if there is a change to their personal information that may affect their relationship with our organization.  If you are aware of an error in our information about you, please let us know and we will correct it on request wherever possible.  In some cases we may ask for a written request for correction.  

We protect personal information in a manner appropriate for the sensitivity of the information.  We make every reasonable effort to prevent any loss, misuse, disclosure or modification of personal information, as well as any unauthorized access to personal information.  

We use appropriate security measures when destroying personal information, including shredding paper records and permanently deleting electronic records.  Our website includes an SSL certificate that provides encryption for any data sent via web forms on our website.

Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or receive from us electronically. This is especially true for information you transmit to us via e-mail, as we have no way of protecting that information absolutely from outside access. We will make every effort to make your e-mail communication with us secure, including deleting client messages as soon as they have been addressed and making regular security updates.

Questions and complaints?

If you have a question or concern about any collection, use or disclosure of personal information by Crossroads Clinic Association, or about a request for access to your own personal information, please contact us.  

Email And Texting Standards

The purpose of the e-mail and texting functions are to assist you in requesting an appointment to personally visit this centre or to help you identify another service that may be more conveniently located for you. If you would like to make an appointment to visit our clinic, please contact us. For your protection we strongly discourage you from sharing personal details about your situation over the Internet. When you visit Crossroads Clinic, a client care worker will be available to personally discuss your situation in a confidential setting.
In granting us permission to reply to your e-mail, text, or request for a phone call, please consider the confidentiality of any reply that you may receive. If you are giving permission for us to call you, will there be anyone else who may be present to receive that phone call? Does anyone else have direct access to your e-mail or text? If there are special confidentiality concerns we need to be aware of in responding, please spell them out so we may be sensitive to your needs.