An respiratory therapist working with the CLSC in Saint-Eustache, north of Montreal, is being disciplined by her professional order after using confidential patient documents to search for a real estate bargain.
An investigation by the Order of Respiratory Therapists detailed in La Presse concluded that the woman consulted the CLSC medical files of several dozen gravely ill patients, searching for homeowners living near her place of work.
She found one man who was terminally ill and made a low-ball offer on his house, offering $120,000 when the property valuation topped $160,000. The man declined the offer, but was so upset about the encounter, he mentioned it to his CLSC case worker.
Although the therapist let her membership in the Order lapse early last year, the Order has nonetheless suspended her license to practice for a total of six months. It says her statements on the matter indicate she still does not understand why what she did was unethical.