Media Release

WRHA reports theft of client information

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Friday, April 5, 2019

On March 7, 2019, a bag was stolen from an unattended parked vehicle of an employee with the WRHA. The stolen bag contained a notebook with information pertaining to the employee's schedule of activities and included the names and ward locations of clients.

The WRHA compiled a list of clients whose information may have been included. As a result, 75 clients were identified. Each of the identified clients has been notified of the incident and provided additional contact information should they have any further questions or concerns.

A police report has been filed, and the Winnipeg Police Service is investigating the incident.

The WRHA takes client and patient privacy very seriously. Every staff person within the region attends obligatory training on the privacy of health information and signs a Pledge of Confidentiality. The Region also has policies and procedures designed to prevent these types of incidents from occurring. While the WRHA believe the risk to the individuals is very low, we feel it is our responsibility to share the information with the public.

Additional information about the Personal Health Information Act can be found at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/phia/faq.html