The privacy policy at Brooklin Natural Health Centre (BNHC) is an important part of providing you with quality health care. We understand the importance of protecting your personal information. We are committed to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in a responsible manner. We attempt to be as open as possible about the way we handle your personal information. This is an important service we provide to our patients.

All BNHC staff members and practitioners who come in contact with your personal information are aware of the sensitivity of the information that you have disclosed to us. All staff is trained in the appropriate uses and protection of your information. We will ensure that:

• only necessary information is collected about you
• we only share information with your consent
• collection, use, storage, and destruction of your personal information complies with existing legislation, privacy protection protocols, and the standards of our regulatory bodies.

We understand the importance of protecting your personal information. To help you understand how we are doing that, we have outlined below how we are using and disclosing your information.

BNHC will collect, use and disclose information about you for the following purposes:

• to deliver safe and efficient health care
• to ensure high quality service
• to assess your health care needs
• to advise you of your treatment options
• to establish and maintain efficient communication with you
• to communicate with other treating health-care providers
• to allow us to efficiently follow-up for treatment, care and billing
• to complete and submit claims for third party adjudication, pre-approval when necessary, and payment including but not limited to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Workers’ Safety and Insurance Board, the insurance provider particular to your individual case
• to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including the delivery of patient records to the Regulatory Bodies of Ontario in a timely fashion, when required, according to the provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act
• to process credit card, debit and cheque payments
• to assist the centre to comply with all regulatory requirements
• to comply with the privacy legislation

Our office will not release information regarding your confidential medical history. In the event that a request is made, we will forward the information directly to you for review and consent. You may withdraw your consent for use and/or disclosure of your personal information at any time and we will explain the ramifications of that decision, and the process.