Media Release
Data breach results from bag theft
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Friday, April 9, 2021
The WRHA advises that on March 26, 2021, a bag belonging to a Home Care employee of the WRHA was stolen from her vehicle. The bag contained information pertaining to the employee's daily schedule of activities, including personal health information for her clients.
The employee was in the process of returning the sheets to her office for secure shredding, as per WRHA policy, when she left the bag unattended for a moment to return into her home and retrieve something she'd forgotten. In that brief moment, her bag was stolen. To date, the bag and its contents remain unaccounted for.
The forms that were in the bag may have contained such information as name, date of birth, telephone number, address, as well as information about health services that are being provided to these clients.
Based on the dates that the employee reports having had kept her task sheets, we have determined that the information of 58 clients has been affected. We are in the process of advising the affected individuals directly, including providing information about the breach and advice for preventing fraud and identity theft. The home care program does not maintain any financial information for clients. All affected individuals will receive a letter in the mail. Unaffected individuals will not receive any communication.
The WRHA takes client privacy and our role in safeguarding personal health information very seriously. We have training, policies, rules and supports in place for all health professionals delivering services within the WRHA that are meant to prevent a breach such as this. We have apologized for the breach in our communication with clients, and are conducting an internal investigation to determine whether protocols were followed in this case, and to ensure that we take all reasonable steps to prevent any future breaches of this nature.
Media seeking additional information may contact WRHA media relations at: [email protected]
