Updated Date: May 2026

At Maternal Health Niagara, we are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal and personal health information with care, integrity, and professionalism. This Privacy Policy outlines how information is collected, used, stored, and protected in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and applicable federal privacy legislation, including PIPEDA where applicable.

By accessing our website, booking services, submitting forms, or engaging in care with Maternal Health Niagara, you consent to the practices described below.

Maternal Health Niagara is the designated Health Information Custodian (HIC) responsible for the collection, use, disclosure, storage, and protection of your personal health information.

If you have questions regarding privacy, records, or your information, please contact:

Privacy Officer / Health Information Custodian
Maternal Health Niagara

Emily Pollak

(905) 641-4646

admin@maternalniagara.ca

We may collect personal, administrative, and clinical information necessary to support your care and experience with our clinic.

This may include:

• Name, date of birth, and contact information
• Emergency contact details
• Health history and clinical information
• Appointment history and service dates
• Billing and payment information
• Insurance and direct billing information
• Clinical documentation, including session notes and assessments
• Communications submitted through forms, email, phone, or virtual platforms

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for the provision of care, clinic operations, and related administrative purposes.

Your information may be used to:

• Provide therapeutic and wellness services
• Maintain clinical records
• Schedule and manage appointments
• Process payments and insurance claims
• Communicate regarding appointments, services, or clinic updates
• Coordinate care where consent has been provided or where permitted by law
• Maintain safety, legal, and professional obligations

Maternal Health Niagara uses secure, PHIPA-compliant electronic systems to manage clinical and administrative information.

These systems may integrate with trusted third-party service providers for:

• Online booking
• Virtual care services
• Secure communication
• Payment processing and credit card storage
• Direct billing services
• Bookkeeping and accounting functions
• Secure form collection
• Email or SMS appointment reminders
• Other administrative operations necessary for service delivery

While we make reasonable efforts to ensure these providers maintain appropriate privacy and security standards, third-party services operate under their own privacy policies and terms of use.

Our website may use cookies, analytics tools, and tracking technologies to improve website functionality and user experience.

These technologies may collect limited technical information such as:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device information
• Pages visited
• General website usage data

This information is used for website performance, analytics, and marketing insights and is not intended to identify you personally unless required for security or legal purposes.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings at any time.

While we take reasonable measures to protect electronic communications, email and text messaging are not always fully secure methods of communication.

By communicating electronically with Maternal Health Niagara, you acknowledge and accept potential privacy risks associated with these methods.

We encourage individuals to avoid sending sensitive clinical information through unsecured communication methods.

You have the right to:

• Request access to your records
• Request corrections to inaccurate information
• Withdraw or modify consent where appropriate
• Ask questions about how your information is collected or used

Requests may be made in writing to the Privacy Officer. Certain legal or professional limitations may apply.

Maternal Health Niagara maintains records in accordance with PHIPA requirements and applicable professional college standards.

We use administrative, physical, and technological safeguards designed to protect your information from:

• Unauthorized access
• Loss or theft
• Misuse or disclosure
• Unauthorized copying or modification

Access to client information is limited to authorized team members, associates, supervised students, contractors, and administrative personnel who require access to support care delivery and clinic operations. All team members are required to adhere to strict confidentiality, privacy, and professional practice policies.

Clients participating in virtual services acknowledge that while secure platforms are used whenever possible, electronic communication and virtual care may carry inherent privacy and technological risks beyond the control of Maternal Health Niagara.

If a privacy breach involving your personal information occurs, Maternal Health Niagara will respond in accordance with PHIPA obligations, including notification requirements where applicable.

Our website may contain links to external websites or third-party platforms. Maternal Health Niagara is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites.

Clients are provided with secure access to an online client portal where they may:

• Book and manage appointments
• Receive appointment reminders
• Access receipts and shared documents
• Update contact information
• Use secure internal messaging where available

Please note that email, text messaging, cell phones, VOIP systems, and other electronic communications may carry privacy risks and may not always be fully secure. We encourage clients to avoid sending sensitive clinical information through unsecured communication method

If you share a phone, email address, computer, financial account, or insurance account with another person, certain information related to your care may become visible to them, including appointment reminders, payment records, insurance claims, or clinic communications.

Clients are encouraged to use private devices, passwords, and payment methods whenever possible to help protect confidentiality.

Maternal Health Niagara is committed to maintaining confidentiality in accordance with ethical, legal, and professional obligations. Personal health information will not be disclosed without your consent except where permitted or required by law.

Circumstances where disclosure may occur without consent may include:

• Risk of serious harm to yourself or another person
• Child protection concerns under applicable legislation
• Court orders or legal requirements
• Regulatory investigations or professional obligations
• Emergency situations requiring intervention by emergency responders

Where appropriate, disclosures are limited to the minimum information necessary.

To support continuity, safety, and quality of care, limited information may be shared internally among professionals directly involved in your care when clinically appropriate.

This may include situations involving:

• Couples or family therapy
• Shared-care arrangements
• Supervision or consultation
• Safety planning or coordinated support

Information sharing within the “circle of care” occurs in accordance with PHIPA requirements and only when necessary to support treatment, clinic operations, or client safety.

Access to personal information is limited to authorized individuals involved in supporting your care, clinic administration, supervision, billing, scheduling, or legal and professional obligations.

We use reasonable administrative, physical, and technological safeguards to protect information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, disclosure, or alteration.

Individuals are encouraged to maintain secure passwords and protect access to their devices and client portal accounts. Maternal Health Niagara is not responsible for unauthorized access resulting from shared passwords or unsecured personal devices.

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in legislation, technology, clinic operations, or professional standards. Updated versions will be posted on this page.