Health information of hundreds of Manitobans accessed inappropriately: Shared Health

Hundreds of Manitobans had their personal health information "inappropriately accessed" over an eight-month span Shared Health has learned following an investigation.

In a release on its website, Shared Health said 360 patients had their records accessed between August 2023 and March 2024, and letters have been sent out to the impacted individuals.

An internal investigation found a clinical staff member at the Health Sciences Centre was accessing the information. Shared Health said the person is no longer employed.

"Shared Health takes the safety and security of patients' personal information very seriously, with a number of protocols in place to detect inappropriate access of private patient information. It is deeply regrettable that patient privacy was breached," said Christina Von Schindler, the chief privacy officer for Shared Health.

Shared Health said all employees complete training on how to access people's health information appropriately, and the training is repeated every three years.

Staff are also audited regarding their activity in the health record systems.

If someone receives a letter, they can contact the privacy office for Shared Health to talk about the breach.