Media Visitation Guidelines

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Patient Information

Information about the condition of an inpatient, outpatient or emergency department patient will only be released if the inquiry includes the patient’s first and last name. No details will be provided without a specific name.

If the patient has not requested confidentiality, the Marshall Health Network spokesperson may release the patient’s condition in a single word without prior patient authorization. The condition of minors will only be released with written consent from the parent or guardian.

Media Contacts:

For the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall Health and its physicians:
Michele McKnight, Assistant Director of External Affairs
304.691.1713 | mcknigh4@marshall.edu

For Marshall Health Network and its affiliated hospitals:
Taylor Stuck-Vance, Digital Marketing and Media Manager
304.399.6751 | taylor.stuck-vance@mhnetwork.org

Condition Terms & Definitions

Information provided on a patient’s condition is limited to the following:

  • Undetermined: The patient is still undergoing assessment and treatment.
  • Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. The patient is conscious and comfortable.
  • Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. The patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable.
  • Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. The patient is suffering from acute illness or injury.
  • Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. The patient may be unconscious.
  • Deceased: Confirmation that a patient has died is permissible, but the date, time or cause of death may not be disclosed. Next of kin notification also must be confirmed before any information is released to the media. If the patient had requested that no information be released to the media, then the patient’s death cannot be confirmed unless the deceased’s next of kin gives permission.

The term “stable” should not be used to describe a patient’s condition. Additionally, it should not be combined with other terms that inherently suggest the patient is unstable.

Request that information be withheld

Patients have the right to request that their information be withheld, including confirmation of their presence in the hospital. By law, we must honor that request.

Child & adult protective service cases

All child and adult protective service cases are confidential, and no information may be released about the patient nor can confirmation be given that the individual is a patient.

When a patient contacts the media

If a patient contacts a member of the media and wishes to be interviewed, the reporter must inform the media relations team before visiting a Marshall Health Network facility. This requirement exists for several reasons:

  • The patient may be on medication that affects their decision-making ability.
  • The patient’s physician or other caregivers may believe an interview could hinder the patient’s recovery.
  • The patient may share a semi-private room, and their roommate may not want to be disturbed by the media.

Additionally, media relations team members and nursing supervisors may have scheduling conflicts that prevent them from escorting the reporter and photographer within Marshall Health Network facilities. While we strive to accommodate interview requests, the patient’s well-being remains our top priority.

Crisis & Disaster Situations

During a community crisis or disaster, Marshall Health Network will provide members of the media with general information about the number of patients received, the scope of injuries and the age range of the patients.

In the event of a crisis or disaster at a Marshall Health Network facility, a media area will be established and working members of the news media will be escorted to this area and asked to remain there awaiting updates. Such events could include security issues, flooding, electrical outages, infectious disease outbreaks or accidents. Every effort will be made by the media relations team to keep the media informed of the situation. However, members of the media must understand that patient and hospital employee safety and privacy will be the first priority.

Crisis Communication Contacts

For Marshall Health Network and its affiliated hospitals:
Lisa Chamberlin Stump, System Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer
304.526-2007 | lisa.chamberlin@mhnetwork.org

For the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall Health and its physicians:
Sheanna Spence, Chief Marketing Officer
304.691.1639 | smith566@marshall.edu

Patient Privacy & HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a comprehensive law that governs how hospitals and health systems protect patient privacy and confidentiality. In compliance with HIPAA, Marshall Health Network maintains the policy that patient information cannot be released to the media without the patient’s name. This eliminates confusion over which patient you may be inquiring about. While the circumstances that bring some patients to the hospital may be unique, the absence of a name may cause the hospital to provide you with a condition of the wrong patient.

Additionally, we cannot disclose a patient’s specific location within the hospital, such as the ICU or PICU.

Some patients may choose to exercise their legal right to remain anonymous while receiving care at a Marshall Health Network hospital. In such cases, the patient will be listed as “confidential” in the hospital’s records, and no information about their condition will be released. We will also be unable to confirm their presence on a hospital’s campus. This right is explained to each patient upon check-in. Please respect the patient’s decision and understand that, even if you know someone was transported to or is being treated at a Marshall Health Network hospital, our staff, including the media contact, will not discuss that patient.

Celebrities, public figures, and public officials are protected by the same patient privacy guidelines as all other patients.