Your Privacy Matters

U Vision Group (UVG) and its member clinics — Uptown Eye Specialists, U Eye Laser Cosmetic, U Dry Eye Institute, U Optical, and U Surgical Centre — are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information, including your personal health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Information We Collect

• Personal health information: Medical history, diagnostic results, treatment records, and referral information, collected and managed through your clinical care at our member clinics.
• Contact information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address provided when you book an appointment or submit an inquiry.
• Website usage data: We use Google Analytics (GA4) to collect anonymized data about how visitors interact with our website, including pages visited, time on site, and general geographic region. This data does not identify you personally.
• Cookies and consent preferences: Our websites use cookies to improve your experience. You may manage your cookie preferences through the consent banner displayed when you first visit.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide and coordinate your clinical care across the UVG network of specialist clinics
• To communicate with you about your appointments, treatment plans, and follow-up care
• To process referrals from and to your family physician, optometrist, or other healthcare providers
• To improve our websites and services based on anonymized usage patterns
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations

How We Protect Your Information

Your personal health information is stored securely in compliance with PHIPA requirements. Our websites are hosted in Canada with Canadian data residency. We use encryption, access controls, and regular security audits to protect your data. Only authorized clinical and administrative staff have access to your personal health information, and only to the extent necessary to provide your care.

Records Retention

Clinical records are retained in accordance with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario requirements — a minimum of ten years from the date of the last entry, or for patients under 18, ten years from the day the patient reached or would have reached the age of majority — after which records are securely destroyed.

Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your personal health information only in the following circumstances:

• Within the UVG network: To coordinate your care across our specialist clinics when clinically appropriate.
• With referring providers: To communicate with your referring physician or optometrist as part of your care pathway.
• As required by law: When disclosure is required by law, regulation, or court order.
• With your consent: When you have provided explicit consent for a specific disclosure.

Third-Party Services

Appointment requests made through our online booking links are processed by Calendly, a third-party scheduling provider whose servers may be located outside Canada. Only the information you enter into the booking form (such as your name, contact details, and appointment preference) is shared with this provider — no clinical records are transmitted. By using online booking you consent to this processing; you may always book by phone instead.

Email Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter or updates, we will send you email communications only with your consent, in accordance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Every commercial email we send identifies the sender and includes a working unsubscribe mechanism. You may withdraw your consent at any time, and appointment-related communications are unaffected by your marketing preferences.

Cookies and Analytics

Our websites use cookies and Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our sites. Analytics data is collected in aggregate and does not identify individual visitors. You may adjust your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie settings link in the footer. We honour your consent choices in accordance with PIPEDA.

Your Rights

Under PHIPA and PIPEDA, you have the right to:

• Access your personal health information held by our clinics
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Withdraw consent for non-essential uses of your information
• File a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated — ipc.on.ca · 1-800-387-0073 · 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8

Text messages and email verification codes

Our clinics share one appointment lookup, hosted at uptowneye.ca. When you use it, we send a one-time verification code to the mobile number or email address already recorded on your patient file. The code confirms it is you before any appointment information is shown.

We only ever send the code to contact details already on your file. You cannot type in a phone number or email address, and neither can anyone else on your behalf. If your contact details are out of date, please call the clinic you attend so we can correct them.

What we send. One-time verification codes only. We do not send appointment reminders, marketing, promotions or newsletters to this number. A verification code message contains no appointment details, no doctor's name and no clinic location.

Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to any message to opt out of text messages, or HELP for help. Opting out of text messages does not affect your care — you can still use the appointment lookup by email, or call your clinic.

Text messages and email are not secure. They can be read by anyone with access to your phone or your inbox. We keep the content of these messages to the minimum for that reason. If you would rather not receive information this way, please tell us and we will note it on your file.

How long we keep it. We record that a code was requested and whether it was used, as part of the access log we are required to keep. We do not keep the code itself once it has been used or has expired.

Who handles the message. Text messages and emails are delivered by Microsoft Azure Communication Services on our behalf, with data stored in Canada. They act as our service provider and may not use your information for their own purposes.

Questions, concerns or complaints about how we handle your information can be directed to our Privacy Contact:

Julia Tsui
Privacy Contact, U Vision Group
julia.tsui@uvisiongroup.com · (416) 292-0330

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at 1-800-387-0073 or ipc.on.ca.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

U Vision Group
Phone: (416) 292-0330
Email: info@uvisiongroup.com

This policy was last updated on June 4, 2026.