Media Policy at The Children's Hospital
By law and out of respect for patients and families, privacy is of utmost concern in the hospital. Regardless of the nature of the visit, media presence at Children’s Hospital must be authorized and coordinated by the Public Relations Department. This includes requests for interviews with physicians, nurses, all other hospital personnel, and patient families.
The Children's Hospital Public Relations office has established the following guidelines for contacting Children's to arrange interviews, videotape sessions, or photo opportunities.
- Please call contact Media Relations to arrange interviews. Media Relations tracks all inquiries from the media, and when appropriate, can provide additional or more appropriate sources for your story.
- Advance notice of on-site interviews is necessary so Media Relations staff can arrange for a room for media interviews, notify the patient care areas involved, and line up the appropriate patients, families, and Children's staff for the story.
- All patients must sign a consent form before the media will be allowed to shoot pictures, videotape or film.
- To protect the privacy of all other Children's patients and families, Media Relations must accompany all reporters and photographers on the Children's Hospital property.
Without consent of a parent or legal guardian, Children's Hospital will only release a one-word description of a patient's condition. Below are the definitions of the four conditions approved by the American Hospital Association:
- Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable; indicators are excellent.
- Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable; indicators are favorable.
- Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill; indicators are questionable.
- Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may not be conscious; indicators are unfavorable.
