The Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen. (Image submitted)
An employee at the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen has been fired after what health officials describe as a “significant privacy breach.”
In a statement, the Horizon Health Network said the employee “inappropriately accessed” the personal health records of 1,251 people.
Notification letters have been sent out to those affected by the privacy breach, according to Margaret Melanson, vice-president of Quality and Patient-Centred Care for Horizon.
“As part of Horizon’s investigation into this matter, we believe there is no evidence to suggest any health information was shared with anyone else,” Melanson said in the statement.
“Horizon takes the privacy of our patients and clients very seriously, and we sincerely regret this incident happened.”
No details have been released about when the breaches occurred, but a Horizon spokesperson did confirm that the employee worked in the health records department and was dismissed on April 23.
Kris McDavid said police are not involved as it is not a criminal matter.
Meanwhile, Melanson said they have contacted the Office of the Ombud and they encourage any patients with concerns to contact Horizon’s chief privacy officer.
Charles Murray, the Ombud of New Brunswick, confirmed that his office is in discussions with Horizon as a result of this incident.
Murray said his office has received complaints as a result of the breach but declined to say how many.
An employee at the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen has been fired after what's being described as a "significant privacy breach."
Horizon Health says the employee "inappropriately accessed" the personal health information of 1,251 people. pic.twitter.com/CazbZt6fkZ
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) July 8, 2021
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