All news media inquiries, including requests for patient conditions, must be directed to the Public Relations Department by calling 612-873-5719 or the Media Pager at 612-336-0741. You may also e-mail your request to media@hcmed.org.
Hennepin County Medical Center has medical experts available for interviews on a wide variety of topics. Call Christine Hill at 612-873-5719 to schedule an interview or e-mail media@hcmed.org.
Every effort will be made to arrange for one of our experts to answer your questions or provide background information for your assignment. (Please note that patient care is our first priority, and occasionally our physicians' schedules will not allow for interviews.)
Patient information is protected by State statutes and HIPAA. It is important that reporters are aware of the steps in the process.
1. News media queries and requests for permission to film or photograph any area of the hospital will be directed to the Public Relations Department by calling 612-873-5719 or the Media Pager at 612-336-0741.
2. All reporters must be escorted by a hospital Public Relations representative when on medical center property.
3. Requests for information about patient conditions must include the name of the patient.
4. If you provide the first and last name of a patient, the hospital spokesperson may say “I have no information for you.” There are several reasons for this response, including the patient's choice to have nothing released about his/her condition. Please click here to see some of the other reasons why even if a patient's name is provided, we cannot issue a one-word condition.
5. If the patient, or parent or guardian (in the case of a minor) allows directory information to be released, the patient's condition will be limited to one word - “satisfactory, serious or critical.” No additional information can be released without the signed consent of the patient, guardian or family member.
6. No information will be released before next-of-kin have been notified and all reasonable efforts to locate next-of-kin have been exhausted.
7. The names and conditions of Emergency Department patients who are treated and released will not be released to the media.
8. If a patient has died in the Emergency Room or following admission, media calls will be referred to the Medical Examiner at 612-215-6300.
9. In accordance with Hennepin County Medical Center policy, patients' privacy is respected and protected at all times. At the discretion of the Public Relations Department and in consultation with the medical staff, media requests for interviews are presented to patients and/or family members in a timely manner. Unless the medical staff deems an interview medically inappropriate, every effort is made to accommodate media requests for interviews. If the patient makes arrangements for an interview, it is still dependent on approval from the medical staff and Public Relations before final arrangements will be made.
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