The Centegra media relations team is available to field journalists’ questions regarding patient care, patient condition reports, and healthcare services at Centegra Health System. The team is also available to help find the best health information source for health-related news stories and interviews.
Hospitals and health systems are responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of their patients and their personal information. The Centegra media relations team members frequently are required to balance the public's interest with this right to privacy, in accordance to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy regulations.
To comply with HIPAA regulations, no information can be released to the media, without authorization from the patient. Information about a patient’s general condition and location of an inpatient, outpatient or emergency department may only be release if the inquiry specifically identifies the patient by name.
A representative from the Centegra media relations team will consult with nursing and medical staffs to learn the patient's current medical condition. Media relations staff are knowledgeable about all HIPAA regulations concerning media, and will only release the appropriate information.
Patient Conditions
For the one-word condition, use the terms "undetermined," "good," "fair," "serious" or "critical." Definitions of patient conditions are listed below:
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Undetermined. Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.
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Good. Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
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Fair. Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
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Serious. Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
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Critical. Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
Clinicians find the "critical but stable" term useful when discussing cases amongst themselves because it helps them differentiate patients who are expected to recover from those whose prognosis is worse. A critical condition means that at least some vital signs are unstable, so this is inherently contradictory. The term "stable" should not be used as a condition. Furthermore, this term should not be used in combination with other conditions, which by definition often indicate a patient is unstable.
Special Cases
- The victims of an assault or other crimes are listed under "protective status" and their conditions will not be included in the hospital’s patient directory. This is for the protection of the patient and others in the hospital. Media relations staff cannot provide any information pertaining to the patient's condition, or even confirm they are in the hospital. Other patients, celebrities for instance, may opt not to be listed in the patient directory.
- Law prohibits media relations staff from releasing any information to the news media about psychiatric or substance abuse patients. Also, no statement may be made pertaining to whether a patient has a sexually transmitted or communicable disease, or is a victim of domestic violence or child abuse.
Photography/Videotaping
- Centegra Health System requires all patients to sign a photo consent form before agreeing to be photographed or videotaped by the news media or by an in-house photographer if the photograph is to be shown to the general public.
- The media relations team representative will secure the signed release before any photography or videotaping begins. This consent form has three copies; one for the patient, one for media relations’ files and one for the patient’s medical record.
News Crews
To protect patient privacy, there is a Centegra Health System policy that any working news reporter or photographer must be accompanied by a media relations team representative when he or she is in the hospital.
If you are a member of the media and are looking for information to complete a news story, please contact a member of the media relations team.
Kim Kubiak
Senior Public Relations Coordinator
(815) 788.5812 office
(815) 355.7039 after hours