Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) emergency departments are here for serious and urgent health concerns. For other care needs, there may be options that can connect you with the care you need sooner.
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This privacy policy explains how Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) collects, uses, protects, and shares information collected from users (each, a “user”) of wrhn.ca (the “Site”).
Personal identification information are details that can identify a specific person, such as their name, home address, email address, phone number, or date of birth.
We may collect this information from users in different ways. This can include when users visit the website, sign up for a newsletter, fill out a form, or take part in other activities, services, features, or resources on the website or its related sites (such as a job application site).
We only collect this if it is given to us voluntarily. Users may choose not to provide personal information, but it may limit their ability to use some features of the website.
We may collect non-personal identification information that does not identify a specific person. This can include the browser being used, the type of device or computer, the operating system, the Internet service provider, and similar details.
WRHN also uses Google Analytics to track general information, such as how users move through the website, how long they spend on pages, and other related data that cannot be linked to a specific user.
The website may use cookies to improve the user’s experience. Cookies are small files placed on a user’s device. They help with record-keeping and track certain information about how the Site is used.
Users can choose to refuse cookies or get alerts when they are sent, but some parts of the Site may not work properly without them.
WRHN may collect and use users’ personal information for several reasons:
WRHN takes steps to keep your information safe. We use secure ways to collect, store, and process information to protect it from being accessed, changed, shared, or deleted without permission. This includes personal information, usernames, passwords, and other data stored on the website. We collect, keep, and destroy information in ways that follow WRHN’s privacy policy and other related rules.
WRHN does not sell, trade, or rent users’ personal identification information.
We may share general information about website visitors, without any personal details, with business partners and trusted organizations for the reasons listed above.
We may also use third-party service providers to help run the website or manage activities, like sending newsletters or surveys. We will only share users’ personal information with these providers if they have given us permission.
The website may include links to other websites and services of partners, suppliers, advertisers, sponsors, licensors, and other third parties (such as a human resources provider).
WRHN does not control these websites or their content and is not responsible for how they operate. These websites may change their content or links at any time.
Other websites and services may have their own privacy and customer service policies. Visiting or interacting with any other website, including websites which have a link to our website, is subject to that website’s rules and policies.
WRHN may update this privacy policy at any time. When we do, we will update the date at the bottom of this page.
We encourage users to check this page regularly to see any changes and stay informed about how we protect the personal information we collect. It is users’ responsibility to review this privacy policy from time to time and learn about any updates.
By using this website, users agree to accept this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the website. If the policy is updated, continuing to use the website means users accept the changes.
If you have questions about this privacy policy, how the website works, or your use of the website, you can contact us:
On February 6, 2026, Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) was notified by OntarioMD of a security incident that that occurred at Ontario Health’s third-party network service provider.
This impacted WRHN’s connection to the Health Report Manager (HRM) service. HRM is a secure service hosted by Ontario Health commonly used to send information about a patient’s care in the hospital with their primary care provider.
The incident was contained immediately upon discovery and occurred outside Ontario Health’s, OntarioMD’s and WRHN’s networks. WRHN’s internal information systems were not affected and remain secure. This incident did not impact any other healthcare providers or hospital organizations.
Through the investigation, we believe that the likelihood is low that personal health information (PHI) was affected; only that there was the potential of unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or disposal of information contained in HRM reports from WRHN. In an abundance of caution, WRHN has begun notifying potentially affected patients who received care between April 2025 and January 2026.
While a patient’s record does contain your OHIP number there is no evidence that this or any other information was accessed.
No, the incident was contained within WRHN’s connection to HRM systems.
No. Your medical care will not be affected. Your clinical records remain intact and secure, and your healthcare team continues to have appropriate access to provide care.
Given the complexity and number of parties involved, an initial incident investigation took place in order to gain a deeper understanding of the incident. While there is no indication of patient health information misuse, OntarioMD, Ontario Health and WRHN filed voluntary reports with the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario.
This incident was immediately contained. You do not need to take any other steps. As always, please be careful about any messages you receive about your health and your healthcare. If you have any questions or notice anything unusual that you think may be related to this incident, please contact WRHN at [email protected] or 519-744-4248. We will respond to inquiries within five business days.
The need to update your password on the My Connected Care portal has nothing to do with the security incident. Updating your password on My Connected Care is a part of routine maintenance. We can appreciate how the timing of the two communications may have been confusing.
While the issue originated outside WRHN’s network and did not impact any internal systems, Ontario Health has taken swift action and is working closely with the third-party network service provider to strengthen safeguards, while reinforcing oversight of external partners to reduce the likelihood of similar events.
Should you have any questions please contact WRHN at [email protected] or 519-744-4248. We will respond to inquiries within five business days.
For more information about our privacy practices, please review the information on the Quality of Patient Care page.
This page was last updated on April 16, 2026.