Personalised Care, Trusted Expertise: Mavis Clinic Unraveled

Privacy Policy for Dr. Rithesh Ram – Family Physician Practice (Doctor Ram)
Effective Date: March 14, 2024.

1. Introduction
   Dr. Rithesh Ram – Family Physician Practice (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal and health information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Health Information Act (Alberta) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), where applicable.

Dr. Rithesh Ram acts as a custodian of personal health information under Alberta’s Health Information Act and is responsible for ensuring that such information is collected, used, disclosed, and protected in compliance with legal and professional obligations.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal and health information when you access our services or interact with our clinic.

2. Information We Collect
   We collect personal and health information necessary to provide medical care and operate our practice. This may include:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Contact information (phone number, address)
• Health card number and identification details
• Medical history and health records
• Appointment and visit information
• Emergency contact details

This information is collected directly from you or from authorized representatives during appointments, phone calls, or medical consultations.

3. Purpose of Collection
   Your personal and health information is collected and used for the following purposes:

• To provide medical diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care
• To manage appointments and maintain accurate patient records
• To communicate with you regarding your health, appointments, and care
• To coordinate care with other healthcare providers when necessary
• To comply with legal, regulatory, and professional requirements
• To support medical education and quality improvement activities, where appropriate and with safeguards such as de-identification

We limit collection and use to what is necessary for these purposes.

4. Consent
   Your consent is required for the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal health information, except where permitted or required by law.

Consent may be:

• Implied, such as when you seek care and provide information for treatment purposes
• Express, such as when information is disclosed for non-routine purposes (e.g., insurance forms, third-party reports)

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal, medical, or contractual limitations. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain services.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure
   We maintain strict confidentiality of your personal health information.

Your information may be shared only when necessary, including:

• With physicians, specialists, and other healthcare professionals involved in your care
• With laboratories, pharmacies, and diagnostic providers
• With service providers supporting clinic operations (such as billing systems or secure IT providers)
• When required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
• In emergency situations where disclosure is necessary to protect your health or safety

All disclosures are limited to the minimum amount of information required.

6. Electronic Medical Records
   Your personal and health information may be stored and managed using secure electronic medical record (EMR) systems.

We take appropriate measures to ensure that electronic systems meet privacy and security standards and that access is restricted to authorized personnel only.

7. Data Security
   We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal and health information against:

• Unauthorized access
• Loss, theft, or damage
• Misuse, alteration, or disclosure

Despite these safeguards, no system can guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention
   We retain personal health information in accordance with the requirements of the Health Information Act (Alberta) and the standards of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).

Records are retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill legal, medical, and regulatory obligations and are securely destroyed or anonymized when no longer required.

9. Your Rights
   You have the right to:

• Request access to your personal health information
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete records
• Request information about how your data has been used or disclosed
• Withdraw consent for certain uses, where permitted

Requests for access or correction should be submitted in writing. A reasonable administrative fee may apply where permitted by law. We will respond within the timeframes required under applicable legislation.

10. Cookies and Website Usage
    If you visit our website, limited information such as browsing data may be collected through cookies or similar technologies to improve functionality and user experience.

No personal health information is collected through the website unless you voluntarily provide it.

11. International Data Transfers
    Where third-party service providers are used, your information may be stored or processed in jurisdictions outside of Canada. In such cases, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information.
12. Breach Notification
    In the event of a privacy breach that poses a risk of harm, we will take appropriate steps to contain the breach and notify affected individuals and regulatory authorities as required by law.
13. Website Disclaimer
    The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or establish a physician-patient relationship.
14. Emergency Situations
    This website and policy do not replace emergency medical services. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
    We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or clinic practices.

The updated version will be posted on our website with the revised effective date.

16. Contact Information
    If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

Dr. Rithesh Ram – Family Physician Practice
Phone: +1 403-823-5000
Address:
PO Box 1990
180 Riverside Drive East
Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0
Canada

Clinic: Riverside Medical
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed weekends)

Website: https://doctorram.ca/

17. Privacy Officer
    A designated Privacy Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy and applicable privacy laws.

All privacy-related inquiries and requests should be directed through the contact information provided above.