Privacy Advisor, Research

1. Provides interpretation and expert advice to internal and external research team members, physicians and management on access and privacy legislation, international and health information management standards and principles, with a special emphasis on analyzing privacy risk and application of privacy conscious stewardship behaviours into research workflows.
2. Supports FH Research Ethics office by conducting privacy reviews of Research Applications on ROMEO and RISE, as required and upon request for compliance with all applicable privacy laws and policies; participates in monthly Fraser Health Research Ethics Board (FHREB) meetings as a non-voting member to provide expert advice regarding FHREB deliberations related to participant information security and privacy.
3. Creates and utilizes standardized tools to evaluate and document those reviews. Utilizes standard risk assessment and rating scales and responses wherever possible to ensure reviews are efficient and effective.
4. Develops, delivers and evaluates an integrated corporate-wide education and training program and mechanisms to ensure programs are targeted at enabling staff, physicians, clients, the research community and external customers to better understand and apply privacy rights, requirements and information stewardship behaviours into practice.
5. Develops and implements corporate and internal information management and privacy protection policies and briefing notes for FH in collaboration with the Director, Information Access & Privacy and Manager, Research Ethics and Compliance; assesses privacy risks and proposes privacy protective processes, as needed, for research studies submitted to FH’s Research Ethics Boards at the request of the Research Ethics Office in accordance with specified timelines.
6. Assists in the development and implementation of Research Department standard operating procedures, agreements, forms or templates referencing privacy requirements for data access and disclosure, and participates collaboratively in the Provincial Research Privacy Group (PRAG) and Provincial Strategy for Patient-Orientated Research to share best practice and educate other research partners in the province.
7. Provides practical and timely compliance solutions to facilitate the conduct of health research by FH and FH-affiliated researchers in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; provides expert guidance to management, physicians and takes a lead role in ensuring information privacy is considered throughout the design or re-design of programs or services, research studies, projects and initiatives.
8. Using an enterprise risk and legislative compliance framework, assists the Director in administering the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) processes including risk assessment of information security requirements, supporting contracts, information sharing for research or other purposes or other agreements in compliance with legislation, regulatory and provincially mandated standards and FH policy.
9. Initiates partnerships and maintains critical external linkages and partnerships with provincial and federal government agency representatives, regulatory bodies, legal representatives, external private companies and partners, researchers and the public to gather, provide, clarify or manage information and privacy requirements.
10. Develops partnerships and maintains critical internal linkages including with System Optimization, IMIT Health Informatics, Professional Practice, Legal, Risk Management and Communications to develop a consultative approach to mutual problem solving, enhancing communication, proactively anticipating and resolving issues, and supporting the implementation of required changes.
11. Documents and tracks all privacy reviews and supporting documentation by participating in the development and maintenance of digital tracking and filing systems, extracts periodic reporting n workload for the Director and Manager.
12. Represents FH on the Health Data Platform, providing review, recommendations and approval of projects from a privacy perspective.
13. Maintains expert knowledge of current information, legislation, standards, information management and privacy trends and issues in relation to research, including new health directions by the Ministry of Health and in other jurisdictions in order to effectively support privacy innovations in health care delivery, monitors and interprets the implications of changes to provincial and federal legislation and international standards to determine impact on the information management policies and practices of FH.

Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Science, Information Management, Health Administration or related discipline, supplemented with five (5) years to seven (7) years of recent related experience in health information management, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

COMPETENCIES:

Demonstrates the leadership practices of the Fraser Health Leadership Framework of Clear, Caring and Courageous and creates the conditions for people to succeed.

Professional/Technical Capabilities

• Advanced understanding of information access, privacy, governance and health practices and trends, related legislation and requirements, provincial eHealth and clinical information systems

• Solid understanding of information security principles and controls, Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (ICH-GCP) and the TriCouncil Policy Statement 2 to support privacy risk identification in electronic systems

• Ability to problem-solve with a global perspective in order to incorporate the organization’s systems and strategies when developing viable solutions to problems

• Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships with a variety of partners while exercising maturity, tact, confidentiality and discretion.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the capability of providing leadership to a diverse team and interacting with a variety of disciplines at all levels of the organization

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing

• Ability to function effectively in a highly dynamic environment with changing priorities

• Ability to operate related equipment including applicable software applications

• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

Fraser Health is the heart of health care for over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.

People - those we care for and those who care for them - are at the heart of everything we do. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 48,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers.

We are committed to planetary health and value diversity in the work force. We strive to maintain an environment of respect, caring and trust. Fraser Health’s hiring practices aspire to ensure all individuals are treated in an inclusive, equitable and culturally safe manner.

Together, we are the heart of health care.

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