November 11, 2021
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and myself, we deeply regret this privacy breach that has taken place. Central Health is taking the steps to protect the privacy of its employees, patients and members of our communities.
The investigation into the current cyber-attack is ongoing, at this point we can confirm that some personal health information belonging to patients has been breached. We know that some patient information, that was collected over the past 13 years, is involved, such as the basic information that is typically logged and used when you go to an appointment, such as name, address, health care number (MCP), who you are visiting, reason for visit, your doctor, phone number, and birth date, email address for notifications, in-patient/out-patient, mother’s maiden name and marital status.
There is also a potential that some personal information of former and current employees of Central Health, for the past 13 years, has been breached and may include information such as: name, address, contact information, social insurance (SIN) numbers.
It is important to note there is no evidence that any banking information or vendor information was involved. There is also no evidence of this information being misused or disclosed at this time.
For more information, patients and employees of Central Health can a Provincial Call Centre that has been set up to provide information and answer questions; the number is 1-833-718-3021. To protect personal information, employers will be offering all current and former employees the opportunity to enroll in a credit monitoring program. More information will be provided in the coming days.
The following resources and supports are also available:
Provincial Mental Health Crisis Line offers telephone support for people in crisis, available 24/7, and provided by trained mental health clinicians. Call 1-888-737-4668 if you or someone you know is in crisis.
CHANNAL Warm Line is a non-emergency, non-crisis telephone support and referral service provided by trained peer support workers who are there and ready to listen. Available 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. to midnight. Call 1-855-753-2560 for support.
Bridge the Gapp is Newfoundland and Labrador’s trusted source for mental health and substance use information and connection to local supports and services. Individuals accessing this site can also sign up for online programming, use tools, and share personal stories of recovery with others. For more details visit www.bridgethegapp.ca.
Doorways Mental Health Walk-in Clinics provide rapid access to non-emergency mental health and addictions counselling services. Available in 60 locations throughout the province. Most locations offer same-day walk-in services with no appointment or referral required. Doorways is a counselling option, but also a doorway or access point for other ongoing counselling services.
MindWell-U 30-Day Mindfulness Challenge offers mindfulness training online, which includes guided activities and a 30-day online mindfulness challenge, available in English and French. The challenge only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day and is accessible by visiting www.bridgethegapp.ca.
Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) is an online platform that provides education and skill building for individual’s mental wellness. TAO is available as a self-guided option or clinician-assisted option and covers a variety of topics such as alcohol and substance use, grief and loss, depression, stress, anxiety, and pain management.
Finally, the Federal government offers a number of services nationally that can be accessed via the Wellness Together Canada Portal.
Wellness Together Canada is a national website developed during the pandemic to provide mental health and substance use support to Canadians. You can visit www.wellnesstogether.ca or to access counselling 24/7 you can call 1-866-585-0445.
On behalf of Central Health, we would like to apologize to you and provide assurance of our continued commitment to quality service and protection of your privacy. If you are not satisfied with Central Health’s response to this privacy incident you have the right to contact the Newfoundland & Labrador Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner [OIPC]. The Office is accountable for compliance of Central Health under the Personal Health Information Act, including receiving complaints and investigating access of personal health information. The Office may be contacted through the following address:
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
2 Canada Drive
P. O. Box 13004, Stn. A
St. John’s, NL. A1B 3V8
Telephone: (709) 729-6309
Toll-Free: 1-877-729-6309
Facsimile: (709) 729-6500
We encourage patients and employees to remain vigilant, as always, regarding your personal information.
Again, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and myself, I want to reiterate that we deeply regret that this incident occurred. We are taking steps to protect the privacy of our employees and patients and members of our communities.
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Media contact:
Gayle St. Croix
Director, Communications
