The Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) has reported that a “security incident” may have put the personal health information of many patients at risk.
In a letter dated March 27 sent to those affected, WRHN expressed regret and explained that the data breach involved the network’s link to a third-party system used for sharing patient care information with primary health care providers. This system is managed by Ontario Health.
“This incident occurred outside WRHN’s network and was contained on January 13, 2026,” the letter stated. “WRHN’s internal systems remain secure and were not affected.”
In a statement to , WRHN mentioned that they contained the data breach within hours of discovering it, assuring that clinical records or patient care were not impacted.
WRHN’s letter informed patients that they can’t completely dismiss the chance that personal health information might have been compromised.
The network noted that details which could have been exposed may include clinical information about the care provided to 150,000 individuals from April 2025 through January 2026.
According to its statement, WRHN indicated that their investigation revealed a “low likelihood that personal health information was accessed or misused.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, WRHN has begun notifying potentially affected patients; however, patients do not need to take any action at this time,” WRHN said.
WRHN also encouraged patients to reach out if they notice anything suspicious related to this incident and confirmed it has reported the matter to the Ontario Privacy Commissioner.
contacted Ontario Health for comments but did not receive a response by deadline.
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