August 3, 2007
Working with the media: MGH media guidelines
As an internationally recognized leader in health care, education and research, the MGH attracts significant media attention. While the Public Affairs Office is directly responsible for overseeing the hospital’s media relations program, each member of the MGH community plays an important role in ensuring its success. To assist the Public Affairs Office in working with the media, all employees are encouraged to follow the guidelines below:
• Refer all media calls to the Public Affairs Office at (617) 726-2206 at the earliest opportunity. A Public Affairs representative is available
24 hours a day at pager 28383. The staff members are experienced in handling a wide range of media issues and are available to assist all employees.
• Patient confidentiality is the highest priority. Any patient information released to the media must be provided by the members of the Public Affairs Office. Generally, Public Affairs releases only a one-word condition – good, fair, serious or critical – in accordance with American Hospital Association guidelines and HIPAA requirements. No other information is released without the consent of the patient and/or the patient’s family members.
• If an employee has an existing relationship with a reporter and agrees to an interview, he or she should contact Public Affairs as soon as possible. Public Affairs staff will track and report any resulting news coverage.
• Any member of the media, film crew or photographer coming onto hospital property with a camera of any type – still or video – must be accompanied by a Public Affairs staff member. The Public Affairs representative will obtain the necessary clearances and consents. The office must be informed and involved in advance of all media shoots, including those for promotional or training videos and
matters unrelated to the MGH.
• Researchers should contact the Public Affairs Office as soon as they learn a paper has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal. Office staff can coordinate appropriate strategies for communicating the information. Such scientific publications often present opportunities for media coverage. Embargoes are always honored. For more
information, contact Sue McGreevey, manager of Science and Research Communication, at (617) 724-2764 or smcgreevey@partners.org.
For more information about the hospital’s media program, contact Donita Boddie, assistant director of Public Affairs and director of Media Relations, at (617) 724-5627; Peggy Slasman, vice president of Public Affairs, at (617) 724-2750; or the Public Affairs main line at (617) 726-2206.