Our commitment to your information and privacy
The Saskatchewan Health Quality Council (HQC) takes your privacy seriously. We are committed to safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information or personal health information we collect or use. Each time your personal information is collected, used or disclosed by HQC, it is done for a specific purpose. Only those who have a need to know a specific piece of information have access to that information.
Your confidentiality is important to us. As a condition of employment, all HQC staff sign a Confidentiality Agreement and acknowledgements of conflict of interest and employee conduct policies. Staff affirm that any information and/or documents they are privy to during their employment will be kept confidential. Any personal information or personal health information provided to or received by HQC is collected, protected, used or disclosed in accordance with applicable laws and policies including The Health Information Protection Act (HIPA) and The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (LA FOIP).
Privacy and your right to access information
HQC is defined as a trustee under HIPA and a local authority under LA FOIP. Both HIPA and LA FOIP strive to maintain a balance between the public’s right to know and an individual’s right to privacy. Individuals have a right to request access to a local authority’s records or access to any personal information or personal health information about themselves held by a local authority or trustee.
For more information and the form to make an access-to-information request under LA FOIP please see:
- https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/justice-crime-and-the-law/your-rights-and-the-law/make-a-freedom-of-information-request
- https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/8096/formats/11815/download
For more information about HIPA, your personal health information and where to access your health records, please see:
Collection of information through this website
Any personal information that you voluntarily provide through the completion of electronic forms on HQC’s web site is collected and maintained in compliance with LA FOIP or HIPA. Personal information collected is used only for the purpose(s) for which it was collected; HQC does not disclose nor sell this information to other organizations or individuals without your consent, except as authorized by law.
Some of the information that the website automatically collects is essential for the efficient operation of the site. These web log files help us determine the areas of our web site that are being viewed the most and provide us with statistical reports that are used to help us improve our site. Some of the specific information collected from visitors includes: Internet Protocol (IP) address and browser type (this does not identify who you are); referral site (the site you came from when you entered our site); the date and time of your visit; and the requested filenames, query string and bytes sent for the request.
The Health Quality Council uses Google Analytics to gather statistics on its web site and related applications. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage.
Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. For more information on Google Analytics, please visit Google’s website at http://www.google.com/analytics/.
Contact us
If you have any questions, concerns or wish to know more about HQC’s privacy policies, please contact our privacy officer:
Nancy Kulbida
Executive Director, Finance & Corporate Services
Email: nkulbida@hqc.sk.ca
If you continue to have questions or concerns about how HQC is handling your privacy inquiries or information, you may contact the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner at:
Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner
503-1801 Hamilton Street
Regina SK S4P 4B4
Telephone: 306-787-8350
Toll free telephone: 1-877-748-2298
Fax: 306-798-1603
Email: webmaster@oipc.sk.ca