Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) has announced a settlement up to $988,550 has been reached in a class action lawsuit against the hospital related to inappropriate access to patient health records by four former employees over a decade ago.
“PRHC takes patient privacy very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy with respect to inappropriate access to medical records,” states a media release issued by the hospital on Friday (September 8). “This settlement is not an admission of liability, but is a compromise of the disputed action.”
The lawsuit alleged that, between 2011 and early 2012, former employees of PRHC — identified as Dawn deCiccio (Health Information Clerk), Dana Gildon Cormier (Nutrition Services Technician), Mandy Edgerton Reid (Nurse), and Andrea Kay (Admitting Department Clerk) — used the hospital database to inappropriately access the personal information of around 280 patients. The lawsuit also alleged that, in some cases, the information was disseminated to unknown third parties without the consent of the patient.
The settlement, which was approved by the Superior Court of Justice on August 30, will see PRHC pay up to $988,550, which includes up to $650 to each eligible class member who submits a valid claim to RicePoint, the claims administrator, on or before November 30, 2023.
A eligible class member includes any individual, or representative of an estate of an individual, who was notified in 2011 or 2012 by PRHC that their health records were inappropriately accessed by one of the former employees.
Class members can make a claim for compensation by completing an online form at https://ricepointconnect.com/PRHC. The form will ask class members to confirm their name, address and date of birth, and their preferred payment type. Once verified as a member in the class, settlement funds may be transferred electronically or via cheque mailed to the claim member’s address.
Ottawa-based law firm Greenspon Granger Hill represents the class in this action and can be contacted at info@gghlawyers.ca or 1-613-288-2890 for further information.
