Media Relations

Introduction

Date of Last Review 5/19/08
SME: Director of Public Information & Education

The Public Information and Education (PIE) department has established guidelines for media interactions in order to accurately represent UTHCPC as an organization, and patients and staff as individuals.

Responsibilities

The PIE department has the following responsibilities:

Releases accurate information regarding the following to the proper print and broadcast media authority:

Patients

Physicians

Employees

Medical technology

Research development

Hospital facilities

Assists the media in obtaining information and coordinating interviews with the proper authorities

Arranges news conferences and other media contacts Condition: Only with approval from the Executive Director or Administration.

Reports the following to the media as promptly and completely as possible:

Matters reported to a public authority

Public record issues

Maintains records of all media inquiries and contacts

Information not available

UTHCPC does not make information or records kept in the normal course of business available to the media.

Patient information

What is released and how?
UTHCPC releases general information about patients and their conditions in the same manner as other information.

What is not released?
UTHCPC does not make specific patient information available to the news media.

Who releases the information?
The Public Information Director or designee serves as spokesperson to release patient information at his/her discretion.

Hospital designated spokesperson

Who
The UTHCPC spokesperson is one of the following:

Executive director

Administrator

PIE Representative

Administration Designee Note: Staff members may not make statements to the media without approval from the PIE department, as per UTHSC at Houston policy.

What
Only the hospital designated spokesperson should do the following:

Initiate contact with the media

Release information to the media

Respond to inquiries from the media

Releasing written information

Newsworthy stories
Forward all newsworthy stories and/or ideas to the PIE department for release to the media.

Items written by UTHCPC personnel
Forward any papers, stories, or newsletters about UTHCPC and written by UTHCPC personnel to the PIE department for release or approval for release.

Inquiries regarding HCPI or probate courts

The UTHCPC PIE department forwards all inquiries regarding HCPI or Probate Court operations at UTHCPC to the following:

MHMRA public information director at (713) 970-7000

Judge Roy Olson's office at (713) 741-7020

Response to media request

This table describes the process for responding to media requests for information:

Stage	Description
1	The media contact someone at UTHCPC, verbally or in writing, with a request for information.
2	The UTHCPC person refers the request to one of the following: WHEN s/he receives the request... THEN s/he refers the request to... During normal working hours The PIE department at 741-7878. The process continues with Stage 4. After normal working hours On weekends On holidays One of the following: PIE Director Evening, night, or weekend administrator on-call.
3	The administrator on-call uses this table to determine what happens next: WHEN s/he... THEN s/he... Has the authority to handle the request Provides the appropriate information and informs the PIE department on the next work day. The process continues with Stage 5. Does not have the authority to handle the request and the matter is not time-sensitive Notifies the PIE department director of the request on the following work day Does not have the authority to handle the request and the matter is time-sensitive Contacts the PIE representative on-call immediately
4	The PIE representative uses this table to determine who to contact for information: WHEN the information concerns... THEN the PIE representative contacts... Medical advances New techniques Medical research One of the following: Authoritative medical source Administrator Administrative issues An administrator
5	The PIE representative prepares and releases a response to the media request.

Related standards

Related to regulatory standards

If you have questions regarding the content of this site please contact the Policy and Procedure Committee. If you experience any technical problems please contact the MIS Department.