Privacy Policy
Our Commitment
Victoria Angel Registry of Hope (Victoria Angel) is a registered Canadian non-for-profit that provides activities related to the operation of a public cord blood bank. Victoria Angel provides education and support to expectant parents about the option of donating their baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells for medical and scientific use. Victoria Angel directs the required laboratory and administrative services to safely extract and store cord blood stem cells samples and to release them for medical and scientific purposes. This not for Profit organization does not take donations and is solely supported by its board of directors. Victoria Angel Registry of Hope (Victoria Angel) is committed to protecting the privacy of all parties it comes in contact with including its cord blood donors, employees, vendors, and Board members by treating personal information carefully and with appropriate confidentiality.
Victoria Angel has policies, processes and procedures that meet industry, regulatory and accreditation standards to ensure that all personal information is properly collected, used only for the purposes for which it is collected, and is disposed of in a safe and timely manner when no longer required. In addition to this Privacy Policy, has been developed by Victoria Angel and is available on the website, www.victoriaangel.org or upon request. We value the trust of all parties that we serve. We recognize that maintaining this trust requires that we be open and accountable in our treatment of the personal information that is shared with us.
Guiding Principles
The following principles reflect our pledge to safeguard our donor’s personal information:
We are accountable for the protection of personal information.
Personal information is any information that serves to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. Information that is publicly accessible is not considered personal information (e.g. information found in a telephone directory) and, therefore, is not subject to privacy laws or Victoria Angel’s policies regarding personal information.
We are responsible for all personal information in our possession. This includes personal information provided to us by employees, Board members, vendors, clients, cord blood donors, hospitals, physicians, medical laboratories, transplant and research facilities and other parties from whom Victoria Angel receives personal information.
We keep all records containing personal information in strict confidence. Only authorized individuals with valid reasons to require the information will have access to personal information. Where we choose to have certain services provided by third party providers, we select the service providers carefully.
We take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the service provider protects the collected personal information. We do not trade, rent or sell the personal information of any party.
We collect, use and disclose personal information only for certain purposes that are identified.
Victoria Angel Registry of Hope captures uses and/or discloses personal information only as required and for the identified purposes in order to perform the following activities:
- Collect, process, store and release cord blood donations
- Make contact as required
- Comply with any legal, accreditation and/or regulatory requirement.
We obtain personal information lawfully and fairly and with consent.
Personal information is collected from the individual directly and only with permission unless he/she authorizes us to collect it from elsewhere. Permission may be expressed verbally, electronically and/or in writing or may be implied. Victoria Angel may disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it. Any person may withdraw permission for us to have access or use the personal information by contacting us by any means listed in the contact information provided below.
Victoria Angel’s website contains online forms that require the collection of personal information. By submitting an online form, the submitter is providing permission for us to use the personal information as per the guidelines of this policy. The use of online submissions is voluntary; similar forms may be received in office or by email, mail or fax.
Personal information is collected and used only as required.
Personal information will not be collected, used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with consent or as required by law. Personal information will be retained only as long as necessary for fulfillment of those purposes and/or as required by governing regulations, accreditation standards or industry requirements. When we destroy personal information, we will use safeguards to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to that information during the process.
We aim to maintain accurate records of personal information.
Victoria Angel is committed to maintaining accurate, complete and up-to-date personal information as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
We rely on all parties to provide us with accurate personal information. To change or modify any personal information previously provided to Victoria Angel, please contact us by mail, phone, fax or email as indicated provided below.
Personal information is safeguarded.
Personal information is protected with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
Access to personal information is restricted to authorized individuals within the cord blood bank who have valid reasons to access the personal information.
Victoria Angel maintains appropriate technical and organizational safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
Our organization has developed and implemented an IT Policy and Security Policy as well as a Code of Conduct and Ethics to help safeguard personal information. We have trained our staff to be respectful and to comply with this policy.
We will be open about our privacy practices.
Victoria Angel will provide all parties with open access to specific information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information. A print version of this Privacy Policy is available upon request by contacting us by mail, email, fax or phone as indicated below. It can also be viewed at www.victoriaangel.org.
We allow an individual access to his/her personal information.
Any party may request to see his/her own personal information and ensure that it’s accurate by contacting Victoria Angel directly.
Privacy-related complaints.
A privacy-related complaint may be registered by contacting Victoria Angel directly at the address indicated below. Victoria Angel’s Executive Management team will investigate all complaints. If a complaint identifies a gap in compliance, we will take appropriate steps to remedy the situation, including changing our policies and practices as necessary.
Contacting Victoria Angel Registry of Hope
Please note that in keeping with this legislation, if we do not hear otherwise, we can conclude that you have given Victoria Angel Registry of Hope your consent to the terms of this policy. Questions, comments and concerns regarding the handling of personal information or to opt-out of future contact by Victoria Angel Registry of Hope, please contact us by using the following contact information:
Victoria Angel Registry of Hope,
402 – 379 Church Street,
Markham, Ontario Canada L6B 0T1
Ph: (905) 471-1113
Fax: (905) 472-2185
Email: info@victoriaangel.org
Reference: Government of Canada website: http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/guide_e.asp Accessed: July 26, 2013
