Published April 14, 2026

Last Updated April 14, 2026

CorCare Link Access Agreement: What Members Need to Know 

NLHS is rolling out CorCare a new, province-wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Health Information System (HIS). CorCare Link is a secure web portal that will be used by community-based physicians to access some elements of CorCare remotely, as well as to submit referrals and requisitions, update allergies, medications and immunizations (PAMI), and to view patient information.

We know the roll out of CorCare Link has raised significant concerns among members, and we want to provide a clear update on where things stand. 

Firstly, participation in CorCare Link is not mandatory for community-based physicians at go-live on April 25, 2026.  For the community-based physicians who do want to use CorCare Link there is a new agreement to enter into with NLHS.

On March 20, 2026, the NLMA advised members not to sign the first CorCare Link Agreement following feedback from members and a subsequent commitment from NLHS to revise the agreement. Considering the concerns identified by members, NLMA sought external legal advice and consulted with the CMPA. Since that time, NLMA has met regularly with NLHS on revisions to the agreement. 

The key risks identified have been addressed in the revised agreement. 

What’s in the new agreement?

• The new agreement establishes in a contract the relationship between NLHS and the physician using CorCare Link.

• It documents who can access CorCare Link, how patient information may be used, and how privacy and security obligations are managed.

• All community-based physicians who are not employed by or have an affiliation with NLHS, and who choose to use CorCare Link, will be asked to sign the Agreement before they are given the credentials to use CorCare Link.

• Below is a plain language overview of the agreement, and the key areas we think members should be aware of. We hope this provides clarification for physicians considering whether or not to sign the agreement.

• In the coming days, NLMA will provide members with an additional detailed explanation of each clause in the revised agreement.

Key Issues Addressed in the Revised Agreement: 

Liability and Indemnity Provisions Resolved 

• Based on NLMA review and member feedback, significant concerns were raised about the liability and indemnity provisions in earlier drafts of the Agreement that allocated a disproportionate risk to physicians, and these provisions have now been removed.

• The requirement to carry “insurance” has also been removed.

• Comments regarding CMPA
  • CMPA is a mutual defence organization that provides discretionary assistance to members, on a case-by-case basis, typically assisting with medico-legal difficulty arising from the clinical practice of medicine, such as a legal action related to the care of a patient.
  • Physicians with questions about medico‑legal liability risks or CMPA assistance are encouraged to consult CMPA resources or contact the CMPA for guidance.
    
• NLMA is currently developing a request for proposals (RFP) for cyber insurance that may be of interest to members seeking additional protection related to digital health systems and privacy risks – more information will be shared as this work progresses.

Clarification of Privacy and Custodianship 

• The agreement now aligns with the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) more clearly and does not limit physician rights or obligations under PHIA.

• Physicians are custodians only of the information they enter while it is in their custody and control.

• Once information is submitted through CorCare Link, NLHS becomes the custodian of the patient record.

• Physicians may disclose information where disclosure is permitted or required by PHIA (for example, to a representative of a patient when the patient is incapacitated).

System Reliability and Downtime Expectations

• NLHS has committed to using commercially reasonable efforts to maintain CorCare Link and work with Epic (the commercial vendor) to ensure reliability.

• The agreement acknowledges that downtime and interruptions can occur.

• Importantly, physicians are not responsible if they are unable to submit information due to CorCare Link being unavailable.

• CorCare Link is operated to a stated availability target that aligns with industry standards.

Safeguards Around Access Suspension

• NLHS can suspend access where it reasonably believes there has been misuse of the system, a breach of the Agreement, or a privacy or security concern, or where required to comply with law or internal policy. However, any suspension is limited:
  • suspensions are temporary;
  • they are limited to what is reasonably required to address the issue; and
  • they end once the investigation/remediation are complete.

• This is intended to avoid open-ended or unnecessary interruptions to patient care.

Privacy and Security Audits – what to expect

• Physicians are required to have reasonable, industry standard security practices in place consistent with the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) and existing professional expectations.

• This includes meeting technical and system requirements, for example up to date version of the computer operating system (e.g. Windows 11).

• Both NLHS and physicians may conduct privacy reviews or audits of each other, but access must be limited to what is necessary.

• There are now clearer rules around breach reporting and cooperation, consistent with PHIA.

Physician Responsibilities for Managing Users 

• Each community-based physician who intends to use CorCare Link signs the Agreement.

• Physicians are responsible for activities occurring under the credentials of each of their users (e.g., medical office assistant).

• A site administrator must be identified.

• The site administrator is responsible for notifying NLHS within 3 business days of changes to user information and of departing users of CorCare Link.

Miscellaneous 

• As each physician signs a separate agreement with NLHS, physicians in a group practice should agree on who will be the site administrator.  A site administrator can be any person in the clinic. More information about site administrators can be found on the CorCare Link web page.

New CorCare Link Access Agreement 

• The newly revised CorCare Link Access Agreement will be posted to the CorCare Link web page this afternoon and will be available here: https://nlhealthservices.ca/corcare/corcare-link

NLHS Community Physician Support Plan

NL Health Services has developed a support plan for community physicians who are transitioning to use CorCare Link in their clinics.