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Media center
Welcome
Welcome to Flagstaff Medical Center’s media
center page. Through the media center, the Public Relations staff at FMC
will keep you up-to-date on a variety of ongoing events, new technologies
at FMC, and other information including updates as they become available
during a disaster or crisis situation at FMC.
Covering a story at FMC
One role of FMC’s Public Relations department
is to work to facilitate the needs of the media. However, we ask that
media covering a story involving FMC remember the hospital is a private
institution with the primary obligation of caring for our patients and
their families. At times, this responsibility means we will be unable to
accommodate requests from the media. All media calls or inquiries for
patient information at any time must be addressed to the hospital’s Public
Relations office. Additionally, any media on campus or at one of FMC’s
properties must be accompanied by a member of the Public Relations staff.
When you arrive at FMC, please go to the Information Desk on East Campus
and ask to have a Public Relations staff member paged. Any advance warning
you can provide our staff of your arrival will help facilitate us reaching
you in a more timely manner.
We do have a media room available for
situations that require its use. We will inform you of its location when
you arrive at our campus. Please check in at the Information Desk on East
Campus. If you do not choose to stay there, please be advised that we
require media to stay off campus, unless accompanied by a member of the
FMC Public Relations staff. This policy is for the protection of our
patients, to preserve their right to confidentiality. It also allows our
staff time to gather information you need.
If you are a member of the broadcast
media and have a satellite truck with you, we ask that you please park the
truck at an offsite location. Parking spaces at FMC are in high demand. We simply do not have the room
to accommodate large vehicles, especially when they take up patient
parking spaces. Remember, our patients are our number-one priority.
Should you require a telephone,
restroom, or other service, please check with a member of Public Relations or hospital Security staff so that we may escort you. We reserve the right
to ask members of the media to leave campus if they do not observe
hospital policies.
Policy on release of patient information
Protecting the privacy and confidentiality
of patients and information related to their cases is becoming an
increasingly important responsibility of hospitals and healthcare
facilities. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services issued
its final ruling on medical privacy pursuant to the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In this ruling,
specifics about what may and may not be released without written patient
consent are outlined. Please be aware that healthcare facilities also must
comply with state laws regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
What can be released?
Only certain information can be released to media by a member of Public
Relations staff without a patient’s permission.
Any public or non-confidential information falls into this category. Cases
of public record are those cases reportable by law to public authorities
(police, coroner, public health officer). Any additional
information, including requests for interviews, can only be released or
accommodated with written consent from the patient (or a legal guardian if
the patient is a minor), as well as approval from the patient’s physician.
Questions about patients who are
prisoners will be referred to the agency which has custody.
All media inquiries regarding patient conditions must contain the
patient’s full name. FMC will not release
patient names. Please check with the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The following is information we will release without consent of the
patient:
• Confirmation that the patient was or is hospitalized
• Admission and discharge dates
• Verification of name
• Sex
• City
No specifics will be given about the nature of a patient’s injuries or
condition. No prognosis will be given by a Public Relations representative.
We will, however, provide a one-word condition report based upon the
categories listed below:
Unavailable: Patient is awaiting
physician assessment.
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 be unconscious. Indicators are
unfavorable.
Unconscious: The hospital may release
information that the patient was unconscious when brought to the hospital.
Deceased: The death of a patient is
presumed to be a matter of public record and may be reported by the
hospital after the next-of-kin has been notified or after a reasonable
time has passed. Information regarding the cause of death must come from a
patient’s physician and its release must be approved by a member of the
immediate family (when available).
We do not report stable as a condition, and it should not be used in
combination with the above condition reports. By definition, the
conditions above indicate the stability of a patient.
Please be aware that a patient may “opt out” of information release
altogether – including confirmation of his or her presence in the
facility.
Any additional information, such as specifics about an accident or cause
of injury, will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency. We
will not comment on any inquiries on patient cases not reportable by law
unless the patient gives consent.
Occasionally, we will release general information to help calm public
anxiety. In disasters or other highly charged situations, we might give
general information such as the number of patients being treated and their
conditions. No identifying information will be released.
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Northern Arizona Healthcare - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Flagstaff Medical Center - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Verde Valley Medical Center - 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood, Ariz. 86326 - 928
639-6000
VVMC - Sedona Campus - 3700 W. Highway 89A, Sedona, Ariz., 86336 - 928 204-3000
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