Privacy Release Specialist at Peterborough Regional Health Centre

Position: Privacy Release Specialist

Department: Privacy

Position Status: Full-time Permanent

INTERNAL ONLY – Please Note a change in status will result in changes to your accrual banks

Union: Non-Union

Number of Positions: 1

Location: On site

Language: English

The PRHC Difference:

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is a regional hospital delivering acute healthcare to a rapidly growing population of more than 300,000 in Peterborough and the surrounding communities, including the First Nations of Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Alderville.

With an annual budget of nearly $390 million, and a proud local history extending back over a century, PRHC has nearly 500 inpatient beds and offers a wide range of services, including specialized programs in renal, stroke, cardiac, cancer care, vascular surgery and mental health & addictions.

PRHC is located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada a 90-minute drive north-east of Toronto. We are the region’s largest employer with more than 3,100 staff, 450 physicians with privileges, and a core group of 250 volunteers

As a member of the PRHC team, you will be part of an exceptional working environment – a forum to share knowledge, to lead and learn, to develop talents, relationships and careers, and a culture that recognizes and celebrates the efforts and achievements of its people.

PRHC is proud to be recognized as one of the top 20 employers nationwide in the healthcare and social services category, and 199 overall among 300 Canadian employers across all sectors, on the Canada’s Best Employers list released by Forbes in 2025.

Top Benefits and Perks:

• Vacation and Benefits
• Pension program with matching employer contribution
• Health and Wellness programs (gym and yoga memberships, travel discounts, etc.)
• Learning fund for educational development

HOURS OF WORK:

The stated hours of work are approximate as schedules are subject to change with the operational needs of the Health Centre. Changes made to hours of work will follow the terms of the applicable collective agreement, company policy and/or legislation.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Reporting to the Chief Privacy Officer, the Privacy and Release Specialist will work closely with Health Records staff as well as all Clinical Programs to process and respond to requests related to access and/or disclosure of personal health information, personal information, and general information, according to established departmental procedures and applicable legislation.

The Privacy and Release Specialist will perform access audits on hospital information systems and assist in the investigation of potential breaches of privacy. The Privacy and Release Specialist will guide internal disciplinary actions pertaining to inappropriate access of health records. The Specialist is the primary PRHC representative for any record related hearings. Works with communications to respond to any 3rd party allegations or inquiries. Additionally, this role is critical in managing and responding to FOI/FIPPA requests.

The Privacy and Release Specialist will support the Manager in the management of privacy breaches, education, policy development, privacy assessments and other privacy related duties as assigned.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• A diploma or degree in Health Information Management, Library Science, Archival Studies or a Health Science related discipline is preferred, or a combination of education, training and moderate experience in information management and access and privacy legislation
• Canadian Health Information Management Association certification and current active status
• International Association of Privacy Professionals certification is an asset

WHO YOU ARE:

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a dynamic team of staff and physicians in an ever-changing, fast paced customer focused environment with the ability to coordinate with diverse stakeholders under specified timelines
• Experience planning and delivering training programs and presentations
• Experience leading the development various documents including policies, briefing notes, educational material and internal and external correspondence
• Exceptional analytical, problem solving, organizational skills and time management skills.
• Experienced in understanding and interpreting legislation and case law.
• Proficiency in relevant information technology including using applications such as MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio) and redacting software such as Adobe.
• Demonstrated commitment to on-going professional development.
• Demonstrated good public relations skills with internal and external customers.
• Detail oriented, with exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Must maintain strict adherence to confidentiality rules.
• Ability to work independently and make critical decisions and approvals of workflow with little oversight. Must be adept at making and defending decisions.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), other applicable legislation and the directives, guidelines, decisions and orders of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC)
• Significant experience handling and maintaining confidential and highly sensitive material with tact and discretion.
• Expertise in the Ontario healthcare system, administrative, clinical and departmental principles and protocols

OUR COMMITMENT:

At PRHC, we take great pride in maintaining an inclusive culture of respect and a diverse workforce that reflects the community we serve. We do this because we understand that bringing different perspectives and backgrounds to the fulfillment of our mission, vision and values makes us better.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from members of all equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, black, racialized, women, people with disabilities and people with diverse gender identities, expressions, and sexual orientations. Even if your past experience doesn’t quite align with every qualification on this position, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for another role within our organization.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment that is in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (‘AODA’). Should you require accommodation through the recruitment and selection process, please notify us by indicating this on your application form and upon initial contact by our recruitment team. This will ensure that we can tailor the recruitment process to meet your accommodation needs.

Thank you for your interest in the opportunity at PRHC. If you are selected to move forward in the recruitment process, you will be contacted by a member of the Talent Acquisition team.